23 



depth is from 17 to 33 feet, on the central portion from 16 to 24 feet, and on the southern portion 

 19 to 28 feet. On account of the depth of water over the bed, only a few observations of the 

 character of the bottom could be made, but a sufficient number were obtained to show that it 

 consisted, generally, of a stratum of shells, oysters, and sand, of about 2 feet in thickness, over a 

 stratum of soft sand. The bottom of the northern portion and in the Annemessex Channel was 

 softer, and mud was found on the surface in the place of sand. Except on its northern border, the 

 bed is surrounded by sandy bottoms, though the mud of the channel is not far distant from the 

 western edge of the bed. The oysters were of all sizes and qualities; those on the northern 

 portion were in small clusters and of small size. A few young and a few drills, with a moderate 

 amount of sponge, were found. On the eastern part of the bed the oysters were single, large, and 

 of good quality. Very few young, but few drills, and a moderate amount of sponge and grass 

 were found. On the central parts of the bed the oysters were of moderate size and fair quality. 

 About the middle of the larger portion were an immense number of "young" and a moderate 

 number of drills. Many of the young were injured by the dredge and a large number by drills. 

 A good deal of red, gray, and white sponge was found, but its presence did not apparently 

 influence the number of young on the extreme southern part of the bed, though an unusually 

 large amount of grass and sponge was discovered, and a few drills, yet the number of young was 

 also large. On the western portion of the bed fewer oysters were found, and a smaller number of 

 young and drills. There was no increase of sponge or grass. The scattered oysters east of the 

 bed were large, single, and in small clusters, with a moderate amount of sponge and grass, a few 

 young, and a few drills. To the westward very few oysters were found, but a good many shells 

 and red and gray sponge were brought up by the dredge. It will be noticed that the "strike" or 

 "set" of "young" on this bed was confined to the center of the largest portion, and that very few 

 "young growth" w r ere found on or about the bed, though they were in large numbers a few miles 

 to the northward in the Manokin River. The number of oysters to the square yard, the mean of 

 forty observations, was 0.28. The number on the area occupied by scattered oysters, the mean of 

 twenty observations, was 0.00. 



Terrapin Sands Bed. — This is a long narrow bed lying on the shoal from which it derives its 

 name. It is on the western side of the channel, south of the Muscle Hole Red and Hedge's Strait 

 and opposite Harris' Bed. It extends northwest and southeast 3J miles, and is, on an average, from 

 one-tenth to one-quarter mile wide. It comprises an area of 1,417,000 square yards. It is divided 

 by spaces of mud and sand occupied by scattered oysters into four distinct portions, the southern 

 one of which is separated from the main bed by a sand space of one half mile. The northern por- 

 tion is similar in character to the southern part of the Muscle Hole Bed, the oysters growing in 

 groups and patches, separated by soft bottoms. The remainder of the bed is less broken than any 

 in the Sound, being entirely free from mud and sand sloughs, except about the borders. The 

 oysters are distributed over the entire area, but are in larger numbers on the main and central 

 portion and in smaller numbers on the northern portion than elsewheie. The bottom is irregular, 

 the depth of water ranging from 12 to 23 feet. On the narrow part of the bed the shoal ridge along 

 the eastern edge is very prominent. Except on the extreme northern portion, the bottom is very 

 hard, consisting of shells for over 3 feet, which was as far as the probe could penetrate. An incon- 

 siderable amount of sand and mud was found on the surface. On the northern portion the bottom 

 is softer and the shell stratum thinner; mud sloughs are frequent, but where the groups of oysters 

 were found the substratum was hard. The surrounding bottoms were — to the eastward mud and 

 to the westward principally sand, though many mud holes and sloughs exist, especially on those 

 parts contiguous to the bed. In this direction the oysters are scattered in groups and patches as 

 well as singly, and the muddy bottoms were usually found iu the vicinity of those groups. Between 

 this bed and the Muscle Hole Bed the bottom is soft mud, and between the bed and Paul's Bed to 

 the southward the bottom is hard sand. 



The mature oysters were large, of good quality, and single; only- a few clusters were found. 

 On the northern portion were very few young, young growth, or drills, but a moderate amount of 

 red and gray sponge. On the central portion, about one third of the oysters were young growth, 

 and a very fair number of young, with a few drills (astyris), and a small amount of red sponge were 

 found. 



