68 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 
The steamer ‘‘GOVERNOR R. M. McLANE,’’ belonging 
to the State Fishery Force and placed at the disposal of the 
Commission in accordance with Section 97 of the Haman 
Oyster Culture Law, has been used for surveying oyster 
grounds situated in the bold waters of the Bay adjacent to 
Somerset, Calvert and St. Marys counties. This steamer 
has also been used in placing buoys at the corners of the 
natural oyster bars; towing the houseboat ‘‘OYSTER’’ from 
one anchorage to another and for transporting supplies (coal, 
water and provisions) to the houseboat. 
The launch ‘“‘SINVESTIGATOR,’’! a bay canoe, 34 feet 
long with 7.5-foot beam, purchased by the Commission and 
fitted with an eight-horse-power Fairbanks gasoline engine, 
has been used during the years 1907 and 1908 for making 
examinations.of oyster grounds and for collecting data and 
specimens for the physical and biological investigations. 
During 1906 various boats were hired for this work, but the 
necessity for increasing the number of examinations of the 
grounds surveyed was later realized and a launch more per- 
fectly adapted for the work was therefore fitted up.* 
A scow, the ‘‘MARYLAND,”’’ 32 feet long, 12 feet wide 
and 3 feet deep, has been built and equipped by the Commis- 
sion for use in transporting the buoys and sinkers and placing 
them at the corners of the natural oyster bars. The scow is 
towed from place to place either by the launches or by the 
steamer ‘‘GOVERNOR R. M. McLANE”’ and the sinkers 
and buoys are dropped from her deck. 
The following description of the houseboat ‘‘OYSTER’’ 
is copied from the report prepared by Captain C. C. Yates 
and published by the United States Coast and Geodetic 
Survey: 
HOUSEBOAT ‘‘ OYSTER.’’ % 
While arranging to turn over the command of the steamer Zndeavor, the repre- 
sentative of the Survey, acting under preliminary instructions from the Superin- 
tendent, was engaged in frequent consultation with the Shell Fish Commissioners 
in reference to the programme of future work. In addition to these duties, he 
undertook for the Commissioners the planning and supervision necessary to con- 
vert the old side-wheel steamer Thomas L. Worthley into a house boat for the ~ 
1 See illustration opposite page 16. 
2 For a detailed account of the work and equipment of the Investigator, see 
pages 37 and 116 of First Report. 
3 See frontispiece. 
