OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 



19 



are many buried shells. The majority of the oysters on this part of 

 the bed are large, over 4 inches in length, while elsewhere, particu- 

 larly on the dense growth, there are comparatively few such oysters, 

 and most of the smaller ones, both market oysters and culls, are in 

 large closely compacted clusters. 



The data gathered by the several examinations on this bed are as 

 follows : 



Details of Examination of Pass des Huitres Flats. 



Angle 

 No. 



Date of 

 examination. 



Depth 



of 

 water. 



Character of growth. 



Jesters caught per 

 square yard. 



Estimated quantity oys- 

 ters per acre. 



Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total, 



442 



Dec. 29,1910 



do 



do 



do 



Jan. 1, 1911 



do.. 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Dec. 29.1911 



Feet. 

 3.00 

 3.00 

 3.00 

 5.50 

 1.80 

 2.20 

 2.50 

 1.40 

 2.10 

 2.00 

 2.40 

 2.80 

 6.00 



Dense. 



0.3 



2.5 



10.0 



2.7 



3.5 



.0 



7.2 



3.6 



.0 



.0 



5.0 



.6 



.0 



35.8 

 45.4 

 45.4 

 10.0 

 55.5 



8.0 

 34.2 

 30.5 

 67.5 

 29.0 

 61. 7 

 18.1 



3.6 



18.7 



13.7 



17.1 



10.0 



42.0 



6.0 



23.2 



11.4 



38.0 



11.5 



17.8 



8.7 



2.9 



Bush. 

 295 

 346 

 388 



89 

 414 



56 

 290 

 239 

 473 

 203 

 467 

 131 



26 



Bush. 

 299 

 219 

 274 

 160 

 672 



96 

 372 

 182 

 604 

 183 

 284 

 139 



46 



Bush. 

 594 



443 



do 



565 



444 



.do 



662 



452 



do 



249 



489 

 490 



do 



do 



1,086 

 152 



491 



do 



662 



492 



do 



421 



493 



do 



1,077 



494 



do 



386 



495 



do 



751 



488 

 453 



Scattering 



Very scattering 



270 



72 



DUTCH GULLY. 



Dutch Gully bed lies in and about an area of slightly deeper water 

 between Pass des Huitres Flats on the north and Big Gully and 

 Dutch Island beds on the south. The depth of the water ranges 

 from about 6 inches to 3 or 4 feet, the latter depth lying on the area 

 of scattering growth. Although this bed, like the others in the 

 vicinity, is without well defined boundaries, it is assumed in this 

 report to have approximately the following area, density of growth, 

 and oyster content: 



Oyster Growth on Dutch Gully Bed. 





Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated content of oysters. 



Character of oyster growth. 



Under 3 

 inches. 



Over 3 

 inches. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



Dense 



Acres. 

 39 

 19 



Bushels. 

 206 

 222 



Bushels. 

 253 

 101 



Bushels. 

 8,034 



4,2x8 



Bushels. 

 9,867 

 1,919 



Bushels. 

 17,901 

 6,137 



Scattering 







Total 



58 







12,252 



11,786 



24,038 











The dense growth, which lies principally in a depth of less than 2 J 

 feet, occupies the central part of the bed. The clusters generally 

 are small with a considerable proportion of single oysters. The 



