43 



Strait in Tangier Sound, and above the Bird Rock in Pocomoke Sound. In Tangier, the young 

 first appeared in considerable quantities on the middle of Muscle Hole Bed and Piuey Island Bar. 

 There were none in either the Manokin or Big Annemessex Bivers or on the northern part of 

 Harris' Bock, though large numbers were found on the central and southern portions of the latter. 

 The southern beds of both Sounds were plentifully supplied. Again, on the southern beds there 

 was au absence of the class termed by us "young growth," or oysters apparently spawned during 

 the previous season, while on the northern beds of both Sounds the proportion of this class was 

 very large. Over these different beds the change of density is too slight to enter into the question 

 and the currents too nearly similar, both in direction and strength, to have influenced the difference 

 in production. On nearly all of the northern beds in both Sounds the bottom is muddy or the beds 

 in close proximity to muddy bottoms. To the southward, however, the bottom is hard and the 

 beds surrounded by sand or gravel, except on the edges nearest the channels. Again, all the 

 northern beds in both Sounds are in comparatively shoal water and those in the southern parts 

 in deep water. 



There are, then, two similar facts noticed in both Sounds with regard to the presence and 

 absence of the young and "young growth"; the former have been found in deep water and on hard 

 bottoms, the latter in shoal water, on or near soft bottoms. The character of the bottom can 

 hardly be of much importance in this case, for though a hard, clean bottom is necessary for a suc- 

 cessful attachment of the "spat," yet the bottoms on the northern part of the Sounds must be suf- 

 ficiently so to obtain a large quantity, as is shown by the large number of young growth on those 

 beds; and that the absence of the young is not due entirely to that cause is shown by their scarc- 

 ity on the Chain Shoal and Drumming Shoal Beds in Tangier, and Shell and Muddy Marsh Beds 

 in Pocomoke Sound, where the bottom is hard and moderately clean. Remaining, then, as the 

 only probable cause known to us, is the difference of depth of water. 



It will be found upon reviewing the remarks and record that almost invariably the young are 

 found in deep water and the young growth in shoal. It was the opinion of the oystermen that 

 the oysters in the Sounds increased from one to three inches in length in the first year of their 

 existence. The class termed "young growth" by us were from three-fourths of an inch to one and 

 a half inches long; and supposing the oystermen to be correct in their estimation of increase in size, 

 the class termed "young growth" would then be of the same season's brood, spawned much earlier 

 than those termed young. The investigation of the beds was carried on in September, and in 

 Tangier Sound the principal amount of information was collected during the latter part of that 

 month and the first part of October. If, then, the oysters on the shoal-water beds had spawned 

 in the early part of June, they would have had about four months growth when our observations 

 were made. In searching for spawn in the oysters during the latter part of August and first part 

 of September, Mr. Bice was unable to discover any except in those from deep water, and that fact, 

 together with the inference drawn from the preceding paragraphs, leads me to believe the oyster- 

 men correct in stating that there is a difference in the time of spawning of the shoal and deep 

 water oysters. There is but one other way of accounting for the absence of young on the northern 

 beds, and that is by accepting the supposition that the "spatting" not only does not occur every 

 year, but that it occurs only on parts of the Sounds during each season. Such is the opinion of 

 many people of experience, but I am inclined, from the results already given, to prefer the other 

 solution of the problem, not having found any reason that would support the opposite theory or 

 lead to its entertainment.* The difference in time of spawning in shoal and deep water is proba- 

 bly due to difference in temperature, the deeper water naturally being of the lowest. The estab- 

 lishment or the refutation of this supposition, as also of that of the difference of the times of 

 spawning, is very necessary, especially of the latter, as it would afford a sure basis for such legis- 

 lation for the protection of .the beds as will soon be necessary. 



Aside from the general absence or presence of young on particular beds, it was noticed that 

 a much smaller number were found on or adjacent to the muddy bottoms, or on the sands where 

 there was much grass or sponge. On the beds a large number of young were seldom found where 

 there was much of the red sponge, though there was not always a diminution of the former when 

 the latter was present. The absence of the young may be very readily accounted for if the sponge 



* Note. — Eeference is made to this statement in Report of 1879. 



