344 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
California waters. Doubtless one reason for the lack of information 
necessary to effect a change in the method of handling oysters is the 
fact that all the minor firms engaged in the business were early merged 
into one or more important companies, which, having practically the 
control of the entire oyster industry of the Pacific coast, had no need 
to change the methods of a business already profitable. Importations 
of seed oysters from Atlantic waters have therefore been made annually 
almost to the present time, while it is by no means proven that seed 
oysters can not be raised in that region. The methods of nearly twenty 
years ago are still in vogue, the only advancement made being the 
larger scale on which the business is now conducted. 
The subject of oyster-culture does not appear to have engaged the 
attention of the State fish commission at any time, or at least it is not 
mentioned in such of the published reports as are accessible, and nothing 
has ever been done in California in this direction beyond the enactment 
of the usual laws relating to such fisheries. 
During oceasional visits to the oyster beds in 1889 I found proof of 
considerable natural propagation of the eastern oyster in the southern 
part of San Francisco Bay, and transmitted evidence of the same to 
the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, who directed 
that an examination be made in order to determine to what extent 
this had taken place. 
My studies on this subject were limited to such times as the U.S. 
Fish Commission steamer Albatross was detained at the port of San 
Francisco, and even then they were sécondary to my regular duties as 
naturalist of the vessel. 
The investigations were, therefore, made very irregularly, and at 
different seasons of the year, as follows: February and October, 1890, 
and May, June, September, and October, 1891. A few days in June, 
1891, were devoted to an examination of Tomales Bay, and two weeks 
in September, 1891, were spent in visiting the native oyster beds of 
Olympia and Willapa Bay. In this work I frequently had the use of 
one of the steam launches belonging to the steamer Albatross, which 
enabled me to examine every portion of San Francisco Bay, employing 
baymen as pilots for the narrower channels when necessary. 
In view of the great success that attended the introduction of certain 
Atlantic species of mollusks and fishes into the waters of California, 
such as the soft-shelled clam, shad, striped bass, carp, catfish, ete., there 
was reason for expecting similar results from the introduction of the 
oyster. The investigations of this subject have simply disclosed the 
facts that the oyster has to some extent adapted itself to the new habi- 
tat in common with the other introduced species and that in spite of 
many unfavorable conditions it is Slowly increasing. Future study with 
reference to oyster-culture on the Pacific coast should be made in the 
light of these facts. 
