83 



35. What thickness of ice do you generally find over the beds? 



36. Does an increased thickness of ice affect the beds either in deep or shallow water ; and, if 

 so, what is the effect? 



37. Is it greater or less in deep than in shallow water? 



38. Does long continued cold weather affect them! 



39. Is the effect greater in shoal or deep water? 



40. During such cold spells does the ice ever rest upon the beds; and, if so, what is the effect? 



THE OYSTER ON THE BEDS. 



41. Are the oysters in your locality found mostly in large or small compact beds, or scattered 

 over a great extent of surface and lying far apart? 



42. How does their quality compare, as far as you know, with those of other localities? 



43. Are they with you better flavored inside or outside of the Sounds and rivers ? 



44. Are they affected in any manner by long continued dry or wet weather? 



45. What is the effect, if any, of loug continued dry weather? 



46. What is the effect of a large amount of fresh water pouring over the beds? 



47. Do the oysters grow better in deep or shallow water? 



48. Are they found in the channels, or where there is mud? 



49. Have the oysters iu your locality any particular enemies? 



50. What are their enemies? 



51. How destructive are these enemies to the oysters, and in what way? 



52. Are there any means of destroying these enemies without incurring too great expense, or 

 injuring the oysters, aud what are such means? 



53. Do you know the nature of the oyster's food, and what is such food ? 



54. Does it feed at any particular time, and what is such time? 



55. What is the length of time it is occupied in feeding? 



56. Will freezing kill the oysters of a bed? 



57. If so, how long must they be frozen before they are destroyed? 



58. Which of the beds in your locality produce the finest-flavored oysters? 



59. How large do the oysters grow in your locality? 



60. Do some of the beds produce larger oysters than others? 



61. If so, which ones? 



62. What causes this? 



63. As far as you are aware, what is the greatest size which oysters will attain under natural 

 conditions ? 



64. Are oysters attached to any objects, or to each other, or do they grow up separately and 

 flat on the bottom ? 



65. At what time of the year do oysters spawn in your neighborhood? 



66. Is there any difference in the sex of oysters, or are they hermaphrodites? 



67. What are your reasons for thinking so ? 



68. If they are of different sexes, can you distinguish the male from the female before being 

 taken from the shell, and how ? 



69. Is there any change in shape or color in either sex during the breeding season; if so, what 

 is such change? 



70. Is there any change at any other time? 



71. At what age does the female commence to breed? 



72. At what age does the male ? 



73. Is there any age after which oysters do not breed? 



74. At what age do oysters produce the most young? 



75. How do you know this? 



76. Does the act of spawning seem to affect oysters injuriously in any manner; if so, how? 



77. Do all the oysters of a bed spawn at or near the same time? 



78. Have you ever seen young oysters floating or moving about in the water? 



79. If so, were they in considerable numbers? 



