OYSTER BOTTOMS TN MATAGORDA BAY. 27 



elude those oyster beds Lying between the southern end of the crest at 

 Ring Island and the shores of Greek and Tiger islands, an area of 

 about 139 acres. The oyster density here was determined to be, per 

 square yard, about 24 oysters over and 14 under 3 inches in length. 

 The contents in the middle of April, 1905, were estimated at about 

 13,000 barrels, an average of approximately 90 barrels per acre, but it 

 must be remembered that this was at the end of the oystering season, 

 after man}^ boats had been working for months. At the beginning of 

 the season the contents Avere many thousand barrels in excess of this 

 estimate. This part of Dog Island Reef produces the best quality of 

 oysters, and there is a preponderance of large, single individuals 4 

 inches or more in length and of excellent shape, with the remainder 

 of the stock in small clusters of two and three. This condition is, of 

 course, largely due to the persistent oystering each season, which re- 

 sults in the breaking up of the clusters wdiich would be produced 

 under purely natural conditions. In the western part of the area 

 the oysters are somewhat more irregular and single oysters few T er. 

 Here the bottom is softer, while closer to Tiger Island it is hard and 

 shelly. Tiger Island channel flows through this area, and the cur- 

 rents running there, augmenting the food supply, are undoubtedly 

 responsible for the good condition of the oysters. It is stated by 

 Captain Sterling, the local deputy fish commissioner, that prior to 

 1867 there were no oysters on the Tiger Island end of Dog Island 

 Reef, Avhere the best and fattest oysters put on the market in 1904-5 

 were obtained. 



South of the area just described there are 400 to 500 acres of scat- 

 tering oysters, extending almost or quite to the south shore. It is 

 understood that this is a private claim and has been planted. It was 

 not examined in detail. About three- fourths of a mile west of Greek 

 signal are two small, dense beds, shown on the chart, which also were 

 not examined in detail. They are fished for the market, and are 

 known as Sherman and Snapper banks, respectively. 



West side. — The west side of the reef, though covering a larger 

 acreage than any of the other parts described, is economically of no 

 importance and is never worked. It differs greatly in character from 

 the east side. On the chart its southwest margin is shown as a rea- 

 sonably continuous line, but in reality numerous tongues and bights 

 of soft, muddy bottom, devoid of oysters, project into it, in many 

 cases almost halfway to the crest, and these enormously decrease the 

 oyster-bearing area, as shown. The slope from the margin to the 

 crest is also more gradual, although some of the oyster-bearing ridges 

 are rather abrupt at their outer ends. The oyster-bearing areas of 

 this part of the reef, which it is estimated constitute about. 30 per 

 cent of that shown on the chart, have an average density per square 

 yard of 32 oysters over and 30 under 3 inches long. The growth 



