Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 79 
made from a ‘‘poling scow’’ (the type of boat used by oyster- 
men in Worcester County); this boat being towed to the 
various spots by one of the launches. The party was trans- 
ferred by team each morning from Stockton to George’s 
Island Landing, a distance of about two and one-half miles, 
where the launches were anchored each night. Ice, some snow 
making the survey. 
The Commission decided, upon completing the work in 
Worcester County, to abandon field work for the winter and 
arrangements were made to have the houseboat towed to 
Baltimore and crew laid off, only the boatswain to remain 
on board as ship keeper. This was carried out December 23, 
1908, the houseboat ‘‘Oyster’’ was moored alongside of Jones 
Falls Dock. 
During the winter the drafting-rooms on the houseboat 
were used to make leasing charts and duplicate finished sheets 
covering the area of oyster bottoms surveyed in Somerset, 
Wicomico and Worcester counties. One of the assistant 
engineers and draftsman were engaged on this work. 
The Commission’s Hydrographic Engineer had his office 
in the State House at Annapolis, where one of the assistant 
engineers worked on charts. Considerable time was spent 
with the Coast Survey representative at his offices located in 
the Custom House, Baltimore, relative to official corners, 
areas, and bars, and looking after the making of leasing 
charts on the houseboat. 
Oyster-lot work in Anne Arundel County was taken up 
early in the spring (April) and the natural oyster bars of 
Wicomico County were buoyed off and the missing buoys 
previously established to mark the Somerset County bars, 
were replaced. 
The houseboat ‘‘Oyster’’ was hauled out on the ways and 
some slight repairs made during the month of April; she was 
placed in commission and towed to Solomon’s Island, 
Patuxent River, May 2, 1908. 
The launch ‘‘Canvasback”’ of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries 
was overhauled and repaired for the season’s work and placed 
in commission. 
The houseboat was painted and preparations for hydro- 
graphy were made during the month of May while the Coast 
and Geodetic Survey shore stations were being erected and 
cut in along the Bay shore and in the entrance to the Patuxent 
and considerable blustry weather was encountered while 
