New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-04
CAUSE OF GREEN GILL IN OYSTERS.
INTERESTING SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATIONS Al FULTON
NAgkT~T.


The reported appearance among oys crs of The
disease called by Is siCriucn giCtu gu wa, INC
eubrct OF inycs iyItiOu a. the stall oi J.: u I"'h-
Iotd nm Fulton Market. on Eudny. When TIE
renort that the disease hao broken ont among the
Sbrew bury oysters la the btds o. l,ed b'i'A' re
Jersey, reached tins oity, Mr. Blac hf"rd Imh'ru-
ately ordered some OF he OYSTER 10 BE- sent 70 MN
T. Be examined under the microscope. On Friday
morning Professor IA. j. Rice eNunlocd In thla man
nor .4r------'i''ens ne Ionnu lnu 20 81
oysters filed with minute nodulcs 81 a.gr
marine plants), which proved 10 be inc cause ol
the greenish appearance OF he oyster ne pIt3ehee
o1 ts plant on the oyster Professor Rice SAID, dld
not IN anv way affect the edible quaIiy OF the
oysfer nor did u render % more ot less uhWhoic-
some Ii bad boon supposed heretofore tha1 nc
green color due g. contact with copper ~ r,He
vav Eut all of the INVESTIGATIONS made hY TO
fessor Rce and other biologists went 10 show th1t
the color was due simply 90 the picseucy oi alg'.
waich IS not drietcIiOua 70 iHc bi'aNc. 4Io!e' "i
hice also made an examination oi III -lpma'H' A'i,
roe of n Long Island Hiuclt, sandy Hook cooLsh
and a Chesapeake Bay bass for the purpose OF md
ing on, what these fish live on ana also tIc season
Of spawning. -, p. D..
States Fish Commission, Nj WacEiord has inado
arrangements with Professor Rice To mdtc q care
ful microscopic examination OF the hipnacn roc
and mill Of All the fishes tha; are received daily az
Mr. Biackford's market. These Investigations wil
cxtcnI over the period of one year aud VIII be be-
gun Oh Juue /. The practical results o. the.e eN-
amnatOns will BE recorded for tho purpose on pro,
yIding trust worthy data regarding the 1000 oi All
ed bic fish and the tine when they spawn. Inc
information thus obtained VIII be usciul IN franz
ing legislation for the protection OF the hSherirH
Prior 10 June / Professor Rec will also make
similar experiments in the Fulton Market laboratory
ON Wednesdays, Froay5 and saturdays OF each
yyeek Iluring fhe summer sionths he will devote
considerable attention to the artificial propagation
of oysters.
In conversation with TRIBUNE reporter yester-
day Mr. Blackiord said: q" have long been think
ng OF having such scientific Investigations carried
on here but nave never brrn able nntll now TO ma
the right man to do the work Almost ever, Gay
SOME question comes up in regard 10 diseases of fish
and oysters their fool aud time OF prODagailOn
These questions il Is difficult for business man to
study up and settle; have procured the services
OF a scientific biologist T. 4. end To that branch
of the fish business. The information ho VIII OBJ
taln win be very valuable Just at tins time when
there is much talk about suitable Legislation Tor Tie
protection OF our fisheries. When such report ~
started as that Of last week spectng green gt'l'
among the oysters II il absOl utcy necessary that
the question should be settled at oncej otherwise
great injury might be done 10 the oyster business
What nave said regarding oysters applies equally
well TO fish of all kinds"