22 



of sand. In running lines across tbe river a similarity was frequently noticed in the character of 

 the succeeding surface strata to those of the bottom, as shown by the probe. For instance, in the 

 channel soft mud was found; proceeding inshore a surface of shells and mud, then one of mud or 

 soft sand, and, finally, hard sand was encountered; the bottom on the major portion of the bed is 

 built of similar strata, arranged in reverse order, the hard sand being the lowest. The oysters in 

 the upper part of the river were single and in small clusters; most were young growth, and all 

 were of inferior quality. But few young and few drills were found, and no sponge or grass. On 

 the southern beds the animals increased in size and numbers and improved in quality; a large 

 proportion of young growth was still present, and a larger number of young and drills; a small 

 amount of sponge and grass was found. The scattered oysters in the channel and on the sands 

 were of the same character as those on the beds, but no young, drills, or sponge weie discovered. 



On the extensive sand shoal south of Piney Island there are no oysters, but much sponge and 

 grass. 



The observations for ascertaining the number to the square yard were made only on the 

 southern beds, and consequently must not be considered as giving a just average for the whole 

 area. Ou the beds, the number to the square yard, the mean of twenty-five observations, was 0.90; 

 on the area occupied by scattered oysters, 0.13. 



BEDS OF THE BIG ANNEMESSEX KIVER. 



In this river and about its month, and on both sides of the channel, are ten beds. The largest 

 are the western ones, situated off Flat Cap Point, and from thence to the eastward the beds 

 gradually decrease in size. They comprise a total area of 2,835,000 square yards. 



Though the beds are distributed over the river bottom in a manner similar to those in the 

 Manokin, there is little or no similarity in other respects, except betweeu the western parts of the 

 beds in the mouth of the river and where those farther to the eastward are in proximity to muddy 

 bottoms. In these cases the beds are broken up by sloughs and the oysters piled up about the 

 shoal spots much in the same manner as in the Manokin. The beds in the mouth of the river, 

 especially where they come in contact with muddy bottoms, are also broken by sloughs and the 

 oysters separated into groups. Most of the beds, including nearly all in the river, are compara- 

 tively unbroken. They are surrounded by sandy bottoms, and, except near the channel where 

 there is mud, such few sloughs as run into them are of sand. 



The western beds have from 16 to 33 feet of water over them, and the eastern beds from 7 to 

 13 feet. Generally speaking, the depth of water may be considered as about If feet. The bottom 

 consists of a stratujo, about (J inches thick, of oysters, shells, and soft sand or mud over a stratum 

 of hard sand. TLj surrounding bottoms consist of strata of soft sand on hard sand, except in the 

 channel where the surface stratum is mud. More mud ou the surface was found ou the western 

 beds than the eastern. The oysters were small, single, and in small clusters, of poor quality, and 

 with few young, and no drills (astyris). A small amount of sponge was found, and the oysters 

 taken in the vicinity of the mud sloughs had blackened shells. The number of oysters to the 

 square yard on the western beds, the mean of seven observations, was 0.5G. 



Harris Bed. — This is a huge bed lying off Flat Cap Point, ou the eastern side of the main 

 channel of the Sound, and across the channel into the Big Annemessex Hiver. It extends north 

 and south 2.J miles, and its greatest width is a little more than one mile. Its area is 3,420,000 

 square yards. The bed is broken in many places, and is separated into four distinct portions by 

 broad spaces of sand that iutersect it. All of these portions are more or less cut up by mud or 

 sand sloughs, and especially the middle and larger portion, which contains within its limits several 

 large areas that are occupied by scattered oysters ouly. The northern portion of the bed is broken 

 by many mud sloughs, and the oysters grow in patches of small area. The other portions are as 

 represented on the chart, the groups of oysters being large and comparatively solid, and the 

 separating sand spaces of more considerable area than where they were of mud. As will be seen 

 by referring to the dark lines on the chart, the oysters are not evenly distributed, but they are 

 fouud in larger or smaller numbers on the entire area. The bottom is irregular in contour, as will 

 be noticed by reference to the depths of water plotted on the charts. On the northern portion the 



