234 



Part III. — Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



On March 22, 1907, the mussels were put on a floating tray, the 

 bottom of which was made of wire gauze. They were about 1 inch below 

 the surface. 



On May 28, 1907, two were dead ; they measured y 5 ^ and T 7 ^ inch; 

 they were apparently choked with algoid growth. 



The remainder were measured and opened on June 11, 1907. They 

 measured f, |, T 7 F , y 7 ^, j, T 9 ^ inch. The largest was a male, and the 

 reproductive organs appeared to be ripening. 



In about two years' time, then, the greatest growth of the lot had been 

 an addition of |- inch to the original size of T 3 ff inch, while the least 

 increase had been only J inch. 



B. — They measured on July 4, 1905, 1 inch in length. 



August 5, 1906. — The mussels were examined and the following were 

 the respective lengths:— 1^, 1±, 1 | 6 , 1 T 3 6 , l r 3 6 , 1|, 1J, 1J, 1J, 1|, 1 T 5 6 , 

 1 T 5 6 inch. A dead shell measured 1 inch. Some of them were buried in 

 the mud at the bottom. Others were up on the sides of the box. It was 

 possible to detect the increase in the shell in two of them ; it was in part 

 of a yellow colour. 



On Feby. 25, 1907, the measurements were — 1 T \, 1^, 1^, 1 T , 1 T , li, 



11 15 15 15 13 13 j n py, 



On March 23, 1907, the mussels were divided into two lots : 6 were 

 put on a floating tray in which they were covered by about 1 inch of 

 water ; 6 were left among the mud on the bottom of the aquariam in 

 which the tray floated. There was a depth of 7 inches of water in the 

 aquarium. 



April 13, 1907. — The mussels on the tray had anchored themselves. 

 One had cast off its byssus and had moved away a bit. Those on the 

 bottom are beginning to move about through the mud which is fairly 

 deep. 



June 11, 1907. — Those on the tray were — 1 T 3 ^-, J, ripe ; 1 T , £, ripe; 1-1-$, 

 ripe; 1 T , ripe; 1 T 5 ^-, $, ripe; If, $, ripe. The mussels in the mud 

 measured— 1^, $, ripe ; 1 T % tf, ripe ; 1J, $, ripe ; 1 T \, $, ripe ; l T 5 g, tf, ripe ; 

 If, d, ripe. 



In two years the largest survivor had only added -§ inch to its length, 

 while one had only grown ^ inch. They were, however, ripe. 



C. — They were originally 1| inch long, July 4, 1905. 



On March 8, 1906, they were measured, and the following sizes were 

 obtained :-li, 1J, 11, 1J, If, 1^, 1 T |. 



On August 5, 1906, they measured 1J, l T \, 1^, 1 T |, 1 T £, 1 T J. 

 They all show evidence on their shells of having grown. 



On September 9, 1906, one taken out dead measured If inch. 

 The mussels seem to mass themselves at the bottom of the aquarium, 

 on the side next the window ; this appears to be the darkest corner in 

 the glass vessel. 



On Feby. 25, 1907, they measured ly^, If, If, If, If, l^f inch. 



They were, on March 22, 1907, put into a tray which had a bottom 

 made of wire netting; it floated in a tank. The mussels were submerged 

 about 3 to 4 inches. 



On June 11, 1907, on examination the following particulars were 

 found :— 1 T \, tf, ripe ; 6, nearly ripe; If, <$, ripe ; If, $,ripe ; 1}}, 

 2, ripe; If inch, tf, ripe. They were ail well-conditioned. 



The maximum growth in two years had been only -J- inch, while the 

 least rowth had been only T ^ inch. 



