

12 



year's growth aud under, predominated, and the proportion of young to mature oysters was greater 

 on the shoal spots and ridges at the edge of the bed than elsewhere, owing, probably, to the fact 

 that such portions of the bed being shoalest, hardest, and cleanest, they ottered superior points 

 for the attachment of the drifting spat. 



The oysters from the Jail Island Bed were considered superior to any in the river for planting 

 purposes, though no reasou was assigned for the preference. The oysters from all these beds are 

 generally transplanted before being sent to market. No oysters were found in the main channel, 

 and in the swash channel only a few, and those widely separated. 



Along the southwestern side of the river and main channel, in Burwell's Bay, and off Day's 

 Point, are a few small beds, separated by large mud sloughs and many old "rocks" buried in the 

 mud. The bottom is of red mud, with a substratum of mud or sand. The adjacent banks of the 

 river are of red clay, and appear to be gradually washing away with the swift current of the river. 

 The oysters found were older than those on the opposite beds on the Point of Shoals, but were of a 

 poorer quality, aud the beds are seldom worked on account of the scarcity aud inferiority of the 

 animals upon them. 



Blunt Point Betl. — This bed consists of a number of small rocks of a few hundred yards area, 

 with mud sloughs between them. The area of the bed is about 1,125,000 square yards, but as the 

 bed does not rise abruptly from the channel, like those already described, thus allowing a ready 

 and nearly correct definition of its outlines, the area given for it must not be considered as more 

 than a rough approximation. In the case of the Point of Shoals and Mulberry Point Beds the 

 channels and s mds defined the limit of the oyster areas. In the case of the Blunt Point Beds the 

 oysters are scattered in decreasing numbers from the center of the bed to the shores and channels, 

 and the accurate or even approximately accurate delineation of the area covered by them would 

 have required far more time than was at our disposal. 



The bed is subject to a deposit of mud from the James River, but to a less extent than those 

 beds already described; it also receives some sediment from the Warrick River. The bottom was V^ ' 

 found to be mud and shells on the surface, with a substratum of mud, except about the shoal places, 

 where the substratum is hard, probably of sand. The contour of the bottom is more regular than 

 that of the other beds, the depth of water as shown by the, chart being from 7 to 8 feet. 



The oysters were more numerous about the shoals and were distributed in a manner similar to 

 those on the beds previously noticed, being collected in groups and patches separated by mud 

 sloughs. They grew singly and in small clusters with no sponges attached and are of poor 

 quality. 



Thomas Point, Kettle Hole, and White Shoal Beds. — These beds are similar in character to the 

 Blunt Point beds. The shoal portions embraced by the one fathom curve show the original forma- 

 tion of the bed in the past, and mark what may be termed the backbone of the bed in the present. 



The areas (approximate) are Thomas Point, 949,000 square yards; Kettle Hole, 1,792,000 

 square yards ; and' White Shoal, 1,300,000 square yards. The bottom on the Kettle Hole and Thomas 

 Point Beds was found to be of mud and shells on the surface, the substratum on the Kettle Hole 

 being of shell and sand, and on the Thomas Point Bed of mud, except when near the shoal spots. 

 On both beds no oysters were found on the shoals when the falling tide exposed them, but great 

 quantities of broken shells were mixed with the sand; on all contiguous parts the oysters were very 

 thick. Away from the sand shoals the beds commence to be broken up by mud sloughs, and the 

 oysters are found in groups, the size and number of the groups being inversely proportional to 

 the distance from the shoal. The Kettle Hole Bed is nearer solid and uniform than the others, the 

 rocks being larger and closer together. The depth of water over the beds is shown by the chart, 

 and the same general conditions with regard to it that were noticed on those beds already described 

 exist on those now under consideration. The covering of mud over the animals was quite light, 

 and the beds appear to receive less of the sediment in the river than those above or on the opposite 

 side of the channel. The oysters were single and in small clusters. Those from the Thomas Point 

 Bed were small and of an inferior quality; those from the Kettle Hole were larger, of good quality, 

 and with a moderate amount of white and gray sponge clinging to them, and on both beds the pro- 

 portion of young oysters of less than a year's growth to those mature was very large. 



Bally Smash and Naseway Shoal Bed*. — The Bally Smash Bed lies between Goodwin Point aud 





