OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



33 



GUN ROCK. 



This is a small bed lying on a shoal spot west of the preceding. 

 Its extent and estimated density of growth and contents are as 

 follows : 



Oyster Growth on Gun Rock. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. 



Market. 



market 

 oysters. 



Dense 



Acres. 

 6 

 16 



4 



Bushels. 



198 



62 







Bushels. 



152 



30 







Bushels. 

 912 



Very scattering 



480 



Depleted 











Total 



26 



I 





1,392 





' 







The dense area forms a narrow tongue running along the inner or 

 shoreward end of the ridge or backbone of the shoal, and it produces 

 market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield the tonger about 9 

 bushels per day. There is no scattering growth, but the outer half 

 of the length of the bed as far as the Baylor line produces a very 

 scattering growth sufficient to yield about 3 bushels per day. 



Along the higher parts of the ridge, on both the dense and very 

 scattering bottoms, there is a prolific growth of young oysters, suffi- 

 cient to furnish the tonger from 12 to 14 bushels per day. The edges 

 of the very scattering area produce but few young oysters, and the 

 depleted bottom is practically bare of both oysters and clean shells, 

 its position being indicated solely by the presence of shells more or 

 less deeply buried in the mud. 



The following observations were made: 



Details of Examination of Gun Rock. 



Station 

 num- 



Date of ex- 

 amination. 



Mean 

 depth 

 of wa- 

 ter. 



Character of growth 

 of market oysters. 



Oysters caught per 

 square yard. 



Estimated quantity oys- 

 ters per acre. 



ber. 



Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



134 



Aug. 17,1909 



do 



do 



do 



Feet. 

 16.0 

 6.5 

 12.5 

 12.5 



Dense 



2.0 

 .8 

 .0 

 .0 



28.5 



17.4 



1.0 



.0 



11.0 



1.8 



2.5 



.0 



Bush. 



198 



118 



6 







Bush. 



152 



25 



34 







Bush. 

 350 



147 

 149 



148 



Very scattering 



do 



Depleted 



L43 



40 



o 









KETTLE HOLE ROCK. 



I am not certain of the name of this bed, as in the field some confu- 

 sion arose as to whether this or the next was Thomas Point Rock. 

 In designating it as above I have been guided by Winslow's nomen- 

 clature. This bed is the largest and most important in this part of 



