OYSTEE BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
33 
GUN ROCK. 
This is a small bed lying on a shoal spot west of the preceding. 
Its extent and estimated density of growth and contents are as 
follows: 
Oyster Growth on Gun Rock. 
Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content of 
market 
oysters. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Dense 
Acres. 
6 
16 
4 
Bushels. 
198 
62 
0 
Bushels. 
152 
30 
0 
Bushels. 
912 
480 
0 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total 
26 
1,392 
The dense area forms a narrow tongue running along the inner or 
shoreward end of the ridge or backbone of the shoal, and it produces 
market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield the tonger about 9 
bushels per day. There is no scattering growth, but the outer half 
of the length of the bed as far as the Baylor line produces a very 
scattering growth sufficient to yield about 3 bushels per day. 
Along the higher parts of the ridge, on both the dense and very 
scattering bottoms, there is a prolific growth of young oysters, suffi- 
cient to furnish the tonger from 12 to 14 bushels per day. The edges 
of the very scattering area produce but few young oysters, and the 
depleted bottom is practically bare of both oysters and clean shells, 
its position being indicated solely by the presence of shells more or 
less deeply buried in the mud. 
The following observations were made : 
Details op Examination op Gun Rock. 
Station 
num- 
Date of ex- 
amination. 
Mean 
depth 
of wa- 
ter. 
Character of growth 
of market oysters. 
Oysters caught per 
square yard. 
Estimated quantity oys- 
ters per acre. 
ber. 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Total. 
134 
Aug. 17,1909 
Feet. 
16.0 
Dense 
2.0 
28.5 
11.0 
Bush. 
198 
Bush. 
152 
Bush. 
350 
147 
do 
6.5 
Very scattering . . . 
.8 
17.4 
1.8 
118 
25 
143 
149 
do 
12.5 
do 
.0 
1.0 
2.5 
6 
34 
40 
148 
do 
12/5 
Depleted 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
KETTLE HOLE ROCK. 
I am not certain of the name of this bed, as in the field some confu- 
sion arose as to whether this or the next was Thomas Point Rock. 
In designating it as above I have been guided by Winslow’s nomen- 
clature. This bed is the largest and most important in this part of 
