466 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
north point of Sheep or Brooks Island, near low-water mark; a few upon the rocks at Point San 
Pedro (at entrance to San Pablo Bay). Those from San Leandro Bay doubtless originated as spat 
from the oyster bed near the entrance to that bay, at the end of the bay northwest from the island. 
Those from Sheep Island had merely drifted as young across the half mile of distance from the old 
beds near Ellis Landing, while the San Pedro oysters originated upon the beds between Marin Island 
and Point San Quentin, a couple of miles distant. 
Mr. H. D. Dunn informed me that wild eastern oysters had been reported to him from some other 
place near Point San Pedro, but I did not discover them, being without a pilot. These finds are very 
interesting, as showing not only the breeding of the oyster in various parts of the bay, but that the 
species began breeding several years ago when oysters were laid out in those northern parts of the bay. 
At Point San Pedro oysters are directly exposed to the influences of the Sacramento River. But the 
largest and most important tract of oyster propagation is in the region of the natural shellbanks of 
native oysters along the east side of the bay, beginning at Bay Farm Island and extending well south- 
ward and off into deep water. Here wild eastern oysters may be found during the low tides that 
expose the outer portions of the shellbanks. At this place they are numerous, and when the tides are 
sufficiently low it is possible to gather them by the score, ranging in size from yearlings to those 
several years old. This deposit is at least 4 miles removed from the nearest site of a former oyster 
bedding-ground, and there is no doubt about the oysters upon the whole tract being of volunteer 
growth. A channel several feet wide separates this tract from the old bed on the north, while it is 
nearly 10 miles to the nearest beds on the south. 
Examination of two or three hundred oysters gathered in this region shows the fixing surface 
for the spat to have been the shells of the native oyster ( Ostrea lurida). Indeed, there is nothing on 
this whole bank but clean shells of the native species. The bank is exposed to heavy seas during the 
season of strong winds, and many eastern oysters doubtless become buried beneath the easily drifted 
shells of the small natives. It is probable that there is a very great production of eastern oysters 
here that we know nothing of, as the whole tract is accessible to stingrays, which prey upon every 
kind of shellfish outside of the stake-protected beds. It is also probable that the heavy seas which 
at times sweep across this shallow section of the bay and actually break up the clusters of native 
oysters by rolling them toward the beaches, have an injurious effect upon newly fixed eastern spat by 
burying them beneath the drifting shells. 
Considerable quantities of wild eastern oysters are annually gathered upon this and other shell- 
banks in the bay. They are retailed in Oakland and Alameda at $1.50 per 100, or sold to the oyster 
companies who lay them out on their fenced bods for further growth. They are obtained when 
unusually low tides happen to expose them. No tonging or dredging is done, the oysters being 
gathered by hand. The work is performed chiefly by boys. I have no means of knowing the quantity 
of oysters derived from this source. 
It appears, therefore, that there are other parts of San Francisco Bay as good for oyster-culture 
as those now inclosed, and that the increase of wild oysters now growing there would be more rajiid 
if they were inclosed and afforded similar protection from heavy seas, stingrays, etc. 
Several attempts have been made to acclimatize oysters on the Washington coast. 
Mr. Townsend reports that many years ago two sacks of eastern oysters were placed 
in Bndd Inlet, Puget Sound, near Olympia. They are known to have lived for several 
weeks, but were soon lost sight of. A few sacks of oysters were also planted in 
Willapa (Shoalwater) Bay, near Oysterville, a number of years ago. They lived, but 
no increase in their numbers was ever observed. 
In 1894, pursuant to urgent solicitations of the people of the State, the United 
States Fish Commission sent a carload of eastern oysters to Willapa Bay. The 
consignments consisted of 80 barrels of large oysters from Raritan Bay, Princess 
Bay, Newark Bay, Keyport, East River, and Chesapeake Bay. The oysters arrived 
in excellent condition and were planted near Bay Center on November 11, Mr. Town- 
send superintending the planting. These will be carefully protected until sufficient 
time has elapsed to demonstrate the adaptability of this bay to the growth and 
multiplication of the species. 
