858 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
The specimens, as received for analysis, were generally in the shell ; 
on arrival at the laboratory they were weighed; the shell contents were 
then taken oat and separated into flesh (meat) and liquid (liquor); 
each was weighed separately, as were the shells. From these weights 
the percentages were calculated. Table xvii gives the results : 
Table XVII. — Proportion of flesh, liquids, and shells in specimens of shellfish. 
Kinds of shellfish, locality, season. 
Edible portion. 
Refuse: 
shells, 
etc. 
Flesh. 
Liquids. 
Total. 
Oysters : 
P. ct. 
P.ct. 
P. ct. 
P. ct. 
Stony Creek, April — 
7. 5 
11.4 
18.9 
81. 1 
Stony Creek, November 
11.0 
7.3 
18.3 
81.7 
Stony Creek, March 
11.2 
9.3 
20.5 
79.5 
Fair Haven, April 
12.6 
5.4 
18.0 
82.0 
Fair Haven, November 
12.3 
12.1 
24.4 
75.6 
Fair Haven, March 
12.2 
4.4 
16.6 
83.4 
Blue Points, April 
13.4 
5.2 
18.6 
81.4 
Blue Points, November 
6.5 
9.7 
16.2 
83.8 
Blue Points, February 
8.0 
7.4 
15.4 
84.6 
Shrewsbury, April 
12.6 
4.9 
17.5 
82.5 
Shrewsbury, November 
11.3 
8.4 
19.7 
80.3 
Shrewsbury, February 
9.6 
9.7 
19.3 
80.7 
Potomac River, 3 weeks after transplanting* 
6.5 
5.6 
12.1 - 
. 87.' 9 
Potomac River, 6 months after transplanting* 
10.2 
6.5 
16.7 
83.3 
J ames River, 5 weeks after transplanting * 
6.5 
7.3 
13. 8 
86. 2 
James River, 6 months after transplanting * 
11.4 
5.8 
17.2 
82.8 
m Specimen with maximum percentage of flesh 
13.4 
5.2 
18.6 
81.4 
Specimen with maximum percentage of liquids 
11.7 
13.2 
24.9 
75.1 
Specimen with maximum percentage of shells 
4.7 
6.5 
11.2 
88.8 
Average of 34 specimens 
9.8 
7.9 
17.1 
82.3 
Long clams: 
Specimen with maximum percentage of flesh 
39.4 
16.9 
56.3 
43.7 
Specimen with maximum percentage of liquids 
32.9 
25. 0 
57.9 
42.1 
Specimen with maximum percentage of shells 
29.3 
24.6 
53.9 
46.1 
Average of 4 specimens 
34.5 
21.9 
56.4 
43.6 
Round clams 
16.8 
14.9 
31.7 
68.3 
Mussels 
32.7 
18.0 
50.7 
49.3 
* To New Haven Harbor. 
Thus in the case of the specimen from Stony Creek, taken in April, 
the shells made 81.1 per cent., or a little over four-fifths ; and the edible 
portion, flesh and liquids together, 19.9 per cent., or a little less than 
one fifth of the whole weigh t. Of this 19.9 per cent., the flesh constituted 
7.5 and the liquids 11.4 per cent. In this specimen the proportion of 
flesh was very small as compared with the liquids. In the specimen of 
Blue Points, taken at the same time, the proportion of flesh to liquids is J 
just the other way, that of flesh being 13.4 and the liquids 5.2. The 
variations in the proportions of flesh, liquids, total edible portion, and 
shells are very striking. 
We should not be warranted in assuming that the Blue Points gen- 4 
erally have so much more flesh and liquid than the others. The figures f 
of Table xvii are taken from a larger number obtained in a series of 
analysis of specimens from different localities on the Atlantic coast , m 
from Massachusetts to New Jersey. One object of the investigation 
was to get light upon the effect of kind, locality, season, and other con-fl 
ditions upon the composition. But though the number of analyses was 
considerable, enough to cost a large amount of labor, the result can be 
taken only as a general indication of the range of variation and not as 
