308 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
An area of scattered oysters in the bed of the river is found between the mouth 
of Rams-horn Creek and a point a mile below, where the river divides to make a junc- 
tion again at its mouth. These oysters are large, have deep shells, and were in good 
condition, but they were covered with barnacles, like those found in the mouth of the 
Savannah River and at Winyah Bay, and, indeed, everywhere where the same con 
ditions have been found. I have observed, too, that while these barnacles are found 
in large quantities on oysters taken from deep and muddy water of low density, they 
are not found on the raccoon oysters contiguous, which are left bare by the ebb tide for 
several hours. It would seem from this that, unlike the raccoon oyster, they require 
constant submersion to sustain life. 
The only raccoon oysters observed along the shores are found between Rams- 
horn Creek and the mouth of the river, mainly on the western shore, in narrow 
patches about 10 feet wide of dead shells and living oysters, the former largely iu 
excess, due in a measure to overfishing in this limited area. Several boats were found 
picking up these oysters at low water. Oyster boats were also seen tonging the 
si ogle oysters in deeper water, which have also been reduced in numbers from the 
same cause. The greatest density observed was 1.0176 at the mouth, at half flood ; 
the least, 1.0113 one-half mile above Rams-liorn Creek, at one-third ebb. The current 
is very swift. The total area examined was 830 acres; area of natural oyster beds, 
about 21.4 acres. 
Cooper River has a length of 10 miles from its lower mouth or junction with New 
River to its upper mouth at Calibogue Sound. It is a winding, narrow stream for the 
first 6 miles, of an average width of 150 yards, when it becomes a bold stream with a rapid 
current, and with an average width of 400 yards. Removed from the source of fresh 
water from the Savannah River, it receives only a limited amount from the drainage 
of the surrounding marshes and woods, and presents entirely different features from 
those of Wright and New Rivers, having, in consequence, a much greater specific 
gravity, which ranges from 1.0143 at its lowest mouth to 1.0247 at its upper mouth 
at Calibogue Sound. Little or no variation was found between the surface and bot- 
tom observations. The character of the bottom is generally favorable, being hard or 
sticky from its mouth to Page Island. Above this island the bottom is a very soft 
mud. No oysters are found in this river below low- water mark; but, along the shores 
on both the north and south sides, raccoon oysters occur in considerable quantities, 
forming a series of narrow ledges extending from high to low water mark, and not 
more than 10 feet wide. These ledges reach from the mouth at Calibogue Sound to a 
distance of 3 miles above, or to the first abrupt bend of the river. The depth of the 
water varies from 5 to 30 feet. The total area of the river is 960 acres; area of natural 
oyster beds, about 5.4 acres. 
Calibogue Sound lias a northward trend, aud through its tributaries connects 
Tybee Roads with Port Royal Sound, the “divide” of the tides occurring near the 
mouth of Skull Creek. From its mouth at Braddock’s Point to its head at the mouth 
of the May River, it has a length of 6 miles and an average width of 1 mile. The 
examination was made on the flood tide. The specific gravity near the mouth was 
1.0206 at the surface and 1.0215 at the bottom; near Marsh Island, it was 1.0208 at 
the surface and 1.0207 at the bottom ; at the head, or mouth of the May River, 1.0206 
at the surface and 1.0207 at the bottom. In 9 fathoms of- water at the last locality 
(station No. 1651) the dredge brought up a considerable quantity of small single 
