58 



the young have grown to be i to I of an inch in diameter 

 they would probably thrive better in a cage made of wire 

 cloths with coarser meshes. Here they should be spread 

 upon trays so as not to encroach upon one another, but 

 the care to keep them from being injured l)y other 

 growths and enemies should not be abated. Finally, 

 after being cared for until a few months old they would 

 probably be ready to be introduced into the claires or 

 parks, where a clean bottom should be jjrepared for them 

 upon which they should be spread, so as not to interfere 

 with each other s growth by being crowded too thickly 

 together on the bottom. 



The difficulties about the methods just proposed, are 

 their practicability and cheapness which may be found 

 to be insurmountable obstacles in the way of their suc- 

 cess upon being brought into practice. And, I have 

 only taken uj) so much space with a description of my 

 plans in order that some one else may be able to test 

 them should T be prevented from doing so, as well as to 

 point out a new line of experiment looking to the solu- 

 tion of the difficult problem of the cheaj^ and practical 

 artiticial cultivation of our noble American oyster. 



OBSERVATIOXS AS TO THE SIZE OF THE FRY AT THE TIME 



OF FIXATION. 



Upon examining the hinge of young oysters carefully, 

 it will be noticed that at the very apex of the umbo of 

 either valve there is a very small rounded prominence. 

 This upon examination with a magnifying power of fifty 

 diameters is found to show faint lines of growth like the 

 other portions of the shell. It covers like a little cap 

 the extreme tip of the valve ajid appears to be somewhat 

 raised from the other part of the shell or m.arked off by 

 a groove which surrounds it. On comparing a great 

 number of young spat we always found these little cap- 

 like tips to the valves, and always of about the same 

 size and shape. Remembering that the young of Gaster- 



