140 
and increased while contending with them. Therefore an in- 
crease of power for injury must be assigned to one or all of 
these to account for the diminished number of oysters. Prob- 
ably the “spat” falls on more favorable ground since the beds 
were discovered than was formerly the case, owing to the 
increased amount of “cultch” due to the fishing of the beds r 
and aside from that, the conditions surrounding and operating 
upon the beds are so similar to those in the past that the loss 
of the young could not be much greater from the want of 
attachment. 
The freshets and other natural causes for diminished num- 
bers of young have also been long in operation, and the dete- 
rioration cannot be justly assigned to them. Remaining then 
to be accounted for are the ravages of enemies. Those found 
by us during the season were drills in large numbers and a 
very few star fish, but as the oystermen were ignorant pf both 
their presence and destructive effects, I am unable to decide 
whether they have increased or diminished in numbers. There 
is no doubt that very large numbers of young are destroyed 
by the dribs ; fully fifty per cent, on some beds in Pocomoke 
Sound. If, then, these small enemies have only within late 
years entered the Sounds, we have one of the principal causes 
for the deterioration of the beds. But as there is also a 
marked deterioration upon those beds upon which no drills 
were found, still another cause must be at work and must be 
sought in the non-production of the young. This is caused 
by the failure of the “ brood ” oysters, they having been re- 
moved or become extinct, thus causing a failure of impregna- 
tion. If the theory is correct that there is a mutual fecunda- 
tion partaken of by all oysters on the beds, the spermatozoa 
being formed and milted somewhat prior to the formation of 
ova, then it can easily be understood that if the oysters are 
so much separated that even the tides and currents cannot 
bring the spermatozoa within reach of the adjacent ani- 
mals, there could be no production of young. Taking for 
instance the most exaggerated case in both Sounds, that of 
the Muddy Marsh bed, it will be seen that the set of the 
current over it is not generally from any other adjacent bed*. 
