352 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FTSH COMMISSION. 
hairs of the mouth parts, notably of maxillae, are disposed in rows like the teeth of a 
comb, and are apparently of service in carding out the arrested food supply. In most 
instances the crab is found with the carapace toward the left valve; the legs on the 
side of the oyster’s mouth are straightened out, those of its right side flexed. In this 
position the recurved leg hairs may serve admirably to entangle the food. This 
process of impaling the food patches upon the spike-like leg hairs may even be ren- 
dered more complete by the brushing action of neighboring cilia of the oyster. 
THE ENEMIES OF THE OYSTER. 
The oyster-planter in South Carolina will fortunately have but few natural ene- 
mies to deal with. Starfishes and drills ( Urosalpinx ), the dreads of the northern 
culturist, rarely occur; nor do the larger whelks and periwinkles appear to be 
dangerously plentiful. At all eyents, the out-of- water character of the majority of the 
natural beds would render them in a very slight degree subject to these enemies. 
Below the mark of low water the boring sponge (Gliona) is occasionally abundant. 
Some localities that offer naturally the most admirable conditions for oyster-culture 
are rendered practically useless by the greatest profusion of sponges. All the oysters 
that can here be tonged are sadly impoverished; their entire energies have been 
directed to cementing over the mouths of galleries that are continually piercing the 
lining of the shell. Many infested shells are coarsely granulated upon their inner 
faces, and may readily be crumbled between the fingers. Curious malformations in 
shell occur when the tormented mollusk has had to form a new hinge or new plates 
for the attachment of the muscle. In fresher and muddier waters the dropped-off rac- 
coons sometimes become covered with barnacles ( Balanus ), being in some instances 
literally encumbered with them. 
THE SPAWNING SEASON. 
Dr. C. Bunting Colson, of Charleston, who has carefully studied the raccoon oys- 
ter, states* that the spawning season extends from the middle of March to the middle 
of August. Oysters with ripened ovaries were noted in the shallow creeks of Winyaw 
Bay on January 10. Spawning oysters were taken near Charleston in February. 
Individuals appear to differ widely in the time of their spawning, although taken from 
the same station. In some cases a portion of the reproductive lobes appears to be far 
more mature than the remainder. It is probable that cases of intermittent spawning 
occur throughout almost the entire year whenever favorable conditions of temperature 
prevail. To determine the season at which set occurs some interesting notes may be 
made from the oyster-covered bottoms of phosphate barges. These are drawn from 
the water, at stated times for necessary repairs, and the oysters thoroughly removed. 
A barge bottom thus shows, for example, in February, spat one-sixteenth to one-eighth 
of an inch in diameter, occurring not uncommonly upon oysters inches long, that 
were certainly not older than the launching of the barge in September. 
* Elliott Society, March, 1888, p. 199. 
