Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-09-08
FISH AND OYSTER NOTES.


of an art conuoisseur, according tc
the New York Herald. On both
surfaces of the protection cover OF
the homely soft shell crab he is able
to discern the design of female
figure somewhat inclined to enbom.
point in a decollete bodice and bout.
fant skirt with attendant fairies and
articles of raiment all set forth in
minute and accurate detail. 1t i:
indeed a wonderful revelation cal.
culated to exhaust the entire avail.
able supply of soft shells in short
order.
In the stomach of a shark caught
in Tangier Sound the skeleton OF
what appeared to be human infant
was found when the shark was cut
open. Capt. Pfster, of the party,
thinks that the shark ate the body
OF a baby that had been buried at
sea. The shark was few feet over
nine feet long, and another was
caught that was seven feet in length
and a third one smaller than the
others. In four days fishing l .4OC
trout and bluefish were caught. They
TILED two barrels and were cleaned
and salted.-Baltimore Sun.
In the Chesapeake Bay oysters have
been found spawning from April to
October. A few scattered individuals
spawn at other times, but most of il
is cast during the latter part of july
or the early part of August. Spawn.
ing takes place, according to the
locality, in Long Island Sound dur
ing May, June, July and August.
Oysters have been found here well
developed in the ovarian state as
early as April; this, however, is un-
usual, and DR.. Dean explains that
when this occurs "it is almost inya-
riably found that the Spring has
been warm and dry"
AS to the fixation or spatting of
the oyster 1t Is most important that
the surface should be clean, and that
1t should remain so sufficient length
of time to enable the young fry to firm.
ly established itself. So long as this
condition obtains it matters little as
to the material that makes the clutch.
1t is usually the case that the spat
fixes itself at all levels from the sur
face to the bottom in most bodies of
water, but in certain parts of our
coast its place of attachment is con-
fined to the zone between high and
low water, the place of maximum
tixation being the mid-tide mark.
The theory advanced is, that the den.
sity of the water prevents the sink
ing of the spat.
A bitter fight is likely between the
newly formed board of oyster com
missioners and members of the At
lantic County Oysterman's Associa-
ton, of New jersey, that takes ex-
ception to the rulings of the State.
created body placed in charge of the
oyster and clam beds in that section.
The commissioners have decided Ia
insist on some of the beds formerlv
leased to private parties and CORPORA.
tions being turned into public beds,
and have issued orders that the ovs.
termen must remove their oysters
from these beds before the first of
the coming month. This the oyster.
men have refused to do, and thew
intend to secure legal talent to assist
in the fight on the validity of the
orders of the commissioners. Some
of the oyster planters are still tryine
to have the commission issue leases
to them for what has been set apart
as public clam ground.
exit crab; enter oyster" The
prompter has begun to call time for
that popular and succulent biyalye
of the Chesapeake which plays such
a feature role in the winter scene on
the stage of life. One MARYLAND
captain who has sailed into every
tributary of the Chesapeake aid
"tried" every natural bottom says
there are more oysters in the bay
than there have been in years. "The
oysters are big and are getting fat, I"
he said. "By the middle of Octo-
Der they will be as fine as any ever
caught" In September hundreds
of crabbers in newly painted boats
turn tongers, and every Gay their
ranks will grow until October Ist,
when there will be 5000 oystermen
handling tongs in manner giving
not the slightest hint that month
previous they were catching crabs.