213 
mature, and the addition of the 260,000,000 removed would 
raise this percentage to 68, which would make the ratio even 
smaller. 
Hence, the addition of a large number of mature oysters 
to the total number considered in both Sounds would prove 
even more conclusively that the fecundity was greatly im- 
paired. 
The two beds of which we have the most exact and com- 
plete statistical records in this season are the Woman’s Marsh 
and the Great Hock, and, by means of the record of statis- 
tics, I estimate that the following number of oysters have 
been removed from them: 
TABLE showing number Oysters Removed from Great Rock and Womari’s 
Marsh. 
Name oe Bed. 
Removed in a Year. 
Total both 
Percentage 
Mature. 
Young. 
classes. 
of Mature. 
•Great Bock 
10,176,000 
1,740,000 
5,640,000 
768,000 
15,816,000 
■2,508,000 
'64 
Woman’s Marsh 
<69 
From Table II, Dredging Results in the Sounds, I find the 
percentage of mature oysters to the total number on the two 
beds mentioned is on the Great Rock 24 and on the Woman’s 
Marsh 36. Hence we would have on the Great Rock 41 per 
•cent. of the oysters mature and full grown, and on the Wo- 
man’s Marsh 52 per cent, mature. 
We find by making a similar calculation for Piney Island 
Bar that the percentage of mature oysters removed is 70, 
and that by the dredging results 20 per eent. were mature; 
hence, 45 per cent, represents the percentage on Piney Island 
Ban 
The ratios on these beds would then, were the oysters re- 
moved still present, be 1.2 on the Great Rock, 0.9 on the Wo- 
man’s Marsh, and 1.2 on Piney Island Bar. 
It will be seen by the above that there has been an exhaus- 
