66 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 
It is high water about seven or eight hours after the moon's meridian passage when the moon’s decli- 
nation is greatest south, and nearly twenty hours after when it is greatest north; but these intervals 
are uncertain by several hours. The effects of the winds are often greater than the real tides, and the 
time and the height of the apparent tides are greatly dependent on them. 
Tlie waters of Galveston Bay seem well adapted to the oyster. Oysters of good 
size and quality were seen about the wharves at Galveston, at Swan Lake, Moses Lake, 
Dickinson Bayou, Virginia Point, and other places. 
The Galveston Packing Company was organized two or three years ago at Gal- 
veston for the purpose of developing the oyster industry at that place. This company 
has located 6,000 acres in the bay, principally in the vicinity of Pelican Island, of 
which they have planted 440 acres. Three thousand bushels of shells were planted 
upon one tract of 10 acres. Upon these shells a good set was obtained. These oysters 
were about eighteen months old at the time of our visit, and were very abundant and of 
excellent quality. 
The density of the water here was 1021.66 ;* the temperature at surface, 72.5°, 
November 9, at noon. 
Just off the outlet of Swan Lake the density was 1018.30; temperature at the sur- 
face at 10 a. m., November 10, 62°. Just inside of Swan Lake the density was 1017.30. 
Swan Lake is a shallow body of salt water, covering 600 or 700 acres. It has two out- 
lets into the bay, one about 100 feet wide, the other about half as wide. Between these 
two narrow outlets is a low mud island which no doubt is flooded frequently at high 
tide. Oysters are quite abundant in this little lake, and we noticed two or three boats 
tonging oysters here. I paid special attention to this lake, as it seemed to present 
many of the conditions required for the station under consideration. 
Swan Lake is qnite shalloAv and, according to Mr. Parr, who lives upon the shore, 
is rapidly filling up. He says the lake is less than half as large as it was eighty years ago, 
when his father first settled upon it, and that it has decreased much in size during 
the last forty years, or within his own memory. The shores are, in the main, very low, 
particularly at the north end and on the east and southeast, where they are marshy. 
At the north end one or two small creeks flow into the lake, but I do not imagine the 
amount of water they carry in can be very great. At Mr. Parr’s place, on the west 
side of the lake near the south end, the shore is several feet high, and apparently 
never subject to overflow. The greater part of the shore, however, is certainly flooded 
occasionally. 
The low-lying land just north of Mr. Parr’s, near the upper end of the west side 
of the lake, could be easily converted into ponds suitable for the study of methods of 
oyster-culture. Whether the water often becomes roiled I was not able to learn, nor 
do I know how injurious occasional flooding of the ponds would prove. Flood-gates 
could be constructed at the outlet of the lake by means of Avhich the water coming in 
with the tide could be stored and fed out to the ponds between tides. 
The tide is so little at this pi ace that it could scarcely be depended upon for 
giving a gravity supply, consequently pumping would have to be resorted to. It is 
probable that water for the fresh water ponds could be obtained by sinking artesian 
wells. These ponds could be constructed on the higher land near the south end of 
the lake. 
*The density* as given in this report, is that of the water reduced to 15° C. 
