200 
and the masters of the dredging vessels were also requested 
to note the number of dredgers working in their vicinity, 
which they in many cases very obligingly did. 
As even with this data , the number of working days given 
on each bed is very small, and because no bed is dredged con- 
tinuously during the season, but at intervals, I have divided 
the sections in a similar manner to that described in my pre- 
vious report. 
The first section includes the beds north of Piney Island 
Bar and the Muscle Hole. 
The second section, those from the Muscle Hole and Piney 
Island Bar to the Great Bock. 
The third section the remaining beds in Tangier Sound, and 
the fourth section all the Pocomoke Beds. 
By this arrangement duplication of the vessels counted is 
prevented, and the average number of vessels working each 
day is more nearly a correct estimate. 
The vessels dredging on these several sections, as counted 
by ourselves and by their masters, have been assembled; the 
number of oysters assigned to each class of vessel working in 
the section has then been multiplied by the number of vessels 
of each class, and the total number of oysters taken off the 
beds in each section thus obtained. 
The number of oysters taken by any vessel in a day varies 
greatly, owing to the weather principally, but in assigning the 
quantity on each day, the number brought in by vessels of 
the same class, as shown by “Becord of Statistics,” has been 
used, as a more correct estimate is thus assured than would be 
given by using the average for the whole season. 
The following table has been compiled from the calcula- 
tions, and shows the number of oysters taken from each section 
in a specified number of days, and supposing the observations 
to have extended over a sufficient period, the number of oys- 
ters has been divided by the number of days, and the average 
number removed in each day thus obtained : 
