90 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 



shells. The area of scattering growth lies south and west of this 

 in a depth of water between 1 and 5 feet. Although this part of tlie 

 bed bears but about one-fourth as many market oysters per acre 

 as are found on the dense area, there are practically as many small 

 ones. The bottom bearing the dense growtli of market 03^sters 

 lies between that just described and Dutch and Grant Islands, its 

 western limit being defined by the A^ery shallow water extending from 

 Dutch toward Grant Pass. The depth of the water ranges from 

 about 1 to 5 feet and the market oysters vary in quantity from 160 

 to upw^ard of 600 bushels per acre. The densest growth occurs 

 north of Grant Island, and on the steps lying between that point and 

 Gull Island there is a large proportion of single oysters, a considerable 

 number of them being large. 



The foregoing description is based in part on the data shown in the 

 following table: 



Details of Examination of Big Gully (Grants Pass Gully). 



Angle 

 No. 



478 

 480 

 482 

 484 

 483 

 479 



Date of 

 examination. 



Depth 



of 

 water. 



Character of growth. 



Dec. 31,1910 



.-..do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



Feet, 

 5.0 

 5.0 

 2.0 

 1.6 

 1.2 

 7.0 



Dense . . . 

 ....do... 

 ...-do... 

 .-..do--. 

 Scatterini 

 Depleted 



Oysters caught per 

 square yard. 



Spat. Culls. Counts 



0.6 

 3.1 

 1.0 

 4.1 

 1.2 

 .0 



30.0 

 27.4 

 50.0 

 46.0 

 38.4 

 .0 



19.4 

 10.0 

 38.0 

 10.4 

 5.0 

 .0 



Estimated quantity oj-s- 

 ters per acre. 



Seed. Market. : Total. 



Bush. 

 214 

 213 

 357 

 351 

 277 

 



Bush. 

 311 

 160 

 ti04 

 166 

 80 

 



Bush. 

 525 

 373 

 961 

 517 

 357 

 



PETER BILLYS GULLY. 



This lies opposite Big Gully and on the west side of the shallow 

 water lying south of Dutch Island. It includes the oysters lying 

 between the bed on the west side of Dutch Island and Grants Pass 

 bed and is continuous with both. Its area, character of oyster 

 growth, and contents are shown in the following table : 



« 



Oyster Growth in Peter Billys Gully. 



Character of oyster growth. 



Dense 



Very scattering 

 Depleted 



Total 



Area. 



81 



Oysters per acre. 



Under 3 

 inches. 



Over 3 

 inches. 



Acres. ! Bushels. I Btushels. 

 39 I 324 I 245 



14 1 40 38 



28 : I 6 



Estimated content of ovsters. 



Seed. 



Bushels. 



12, 636 



560 







Market. Total. 



Bushels. 



9,555 



532 



168 



13, 196 



10,255 



Bushels. 

 22, 191 

 1,092 

 168 



23,451 



