REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LXI 
mission lias paid but little attention to the oyster question, its limited 
resources for investigation being utilized for the benefit of other fish- 
eries whose demands seemed more urgent. The present Commissioner, 
however, has considered it expedient to begin at once upon the study of 
this subject, applying to it such means as are now available, special 
provisions not having been made by Congress for this branch of work. 
The steamer Fish Hawk is well adapted to this inquiry, but beiug also 
required for certain fish-cultural operations she is available during only 
a few months of each year, and considering the great extent of sea- 
coast to be covered, her progress must necessarily be slow. It was not 
until September, 1888, that she could be detailed for this purpose, the 
two months remaining, suitable for investigation, being spent upon the 
southern INew England coast. 
While the oyster beds in this region are subject to injury from several 
causes, by far the greatest amount of damage is effected by the drills 
and starfishes, and these two animals, harmless as they appear, are 
particularly dreaded by the oyster- planters. The former, a small gas- 
tropod or snail-shaped mollusk, whose mouth is provided with a ribbon - 
like tongue, armed with several rows of minute but relatively strong 
and very sharp teeth, pierces the upper valve with a small hole, through 
which the soft parts are subsequently extracted. It feeds principally 
upon the young oysters, preferring those from a few weeks to a few 
months old, in which the shell is still thin and quickly bored. It is 
also most abuudant in shallow water, and comparatively few individ- 
uals are capable of doing widespread damage. The starfish is more 
widely distributed as regards the depth of water and, often attaining 
a comparatively large size, is not limited in its diet to the smaller 
oysters. Placing its five arms about the shell and extruding its capa- 
cious stomach, it causes the two valves to open and, without appreci- 
able injury to the stony covering, absorbs the inclosed tissues. These 
two enemies, however unwelcome they may be, are natural associates 
of the oyster, finding congenial to them the same temperatures and the 
same densities of water which prevail in that region. Here they repro- 
duce and complete their life history. Whatever privileges the one enjoys, 
the others are equally entitled to by nature, and this circumstance ren- 
ders the question of protection an especially difficult and perplexing one. 
While the drill and starfish do not confine their depredations to the 
oyster, the latter seems to be their particular favorite, and with the 
enlargement of the beds by planting, the number of these two pests 
appears to increase proportionally. The oystermen have no other 
remedy than the forcible removal of these animals after the grounds 
have been invaded, generally necessitating the taking up of many of 
the oysters with them and often the entire stock. Special dredges and 
tangles have been devised for the capture of the starfishes, but none of 
these have proved of much utility. 
Considering the amount of damage done by the drills and starfishes, 
