Development of the American Oyster, 
( Ostrea virginiana List.) 
By W. K. BROOKS, 
Associate in Biology , Johns Uojpkins University , 
ISwlID. 
At the request of Major Ferguson, Fish Commissioner of 
Maryland, that I should attempt to trace the development 
of the young oyster, I made arrangements which enabled 
me to leave Baltimore a month before the close of my year’s 
work at the University, and the opening of the Seaside Labo- 
ratory, Dr. Martin and Dr. Sillier generously taking charge 
of my classes, and affording me an entire month for uninter- 
rupted work upon the oyster. The United States Coast 
Survey having determined to continue the examination of 
the oyster beds of Pokamoke and Tangier Sounds, Major Fer- 
guson was desirous of having the biological investigations 
commenced in the same locality I therefore arranged to open 
the Seaside Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University in 
June, 1879, at Crisfield, within reach of the great natural oyster 
beds of Tangier and Pokamoke Sounds. 
While I regard the information which I was able to obtain 
upon certain purely scientific questions in embryology as the 
most important and valuable result of my summer’s work, I 
am aware that most of the persons who are interested in the 
habits of the oyster and in oyster culture would not care to 
read a purely technical embryological paper. It seems best, 
then, to divide my account into two parts, and to give first a 
somewhat popular description of the method of artificial fer- 
tilization, with a description of a sufficient number of my 
figures to convey a general idea of the manner of develop- 
