Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-08-28
FISH and OYSTER NOTES.
There are no, GOO varieties of fish.

There are 10000 varieties of fish.
Oyster season opens on the Potomac
next Tuesday, Sept. LIST. In other wa
tiers in Virginia it opens on the 18th.
A clam was recently caught in New
York which measured over eleven
inches in circumference and weighed a
little more than four pounds
We learn that our Board of Fisheries
have the violaters of the law skinned
to DEATH" Along the James and other
tributaries, where for years during the
closed season the rocks were robbed.
1t Is as quiet as death. Law breakers
have learned that the law will be en-
forced Gentlemen, keep the good
work up and the violaters down. - The
Oysterman.
IF the dogfish had a more agreeable
name it would be a favorite in the
market as food fish. Its flesh is of
delicate texture and is tender and sweet
1t IS not scavenger. 1t does not de-
YOUR other fishes, unless they happen
to come in its way. 1t lives on the
pick of the crustaceans. 1t is the
cieanest of most of the finny tribe. If
they can by any kind of masquerading
be introduced as a food staple it will
tend largely to deplete their numbers
and increase the Holsters and crabs
correspondingly." Fishing Gazette.
Oystermen of the east end of Long
Island arebecoming more confident that
Peconic bay is to be one of the most
important bodies of water in the cCun-
try for cultivation of seed oysters.
heretofore practically all of the seed
planted in the Great South bay have
been brought from Connecticut or Vir-
ginia andcultivated here. AS an ex-
pertinent of growing oyster seed in
Peconic bay the Ellsworth Company
planted 5000 bushels of shells last year.
The company secured a large and prof.
table set, and to-day is planning to
engage in the business on an extensive
scale. The start will be made with
iOO,OOO bushels and the result will be
watched with interest. Exchange.
The life of a crab is beset with
many uncertainties. True, he is pretty
well equipped for offensive and defen-
slve warfare and can hold his own we
dare say with most of the crustaceans.
But he is awfully helpless when he
casts his shell, and falls prey not only
to man and fishes, but to his own spe-
cles, that devour him without hesita
ton. But it is when he gets old that
his worst misfortunes come on him, for
at last the time comes when he no lon
ger is able to shed his shell, but must
be content with it. Now comes his
hard fate, for b3rnacles and such crea-
lures fix themselves on his shell and he
is helpless to get rid of them, but be-
comes covered and weighted down
with these parasites, he being the un-
willing but helpless host of his enc
mics. Possibly the average crab
would prefer, did he reflect on his ulti-
mate fate, to be caught and made food
OF for his greatest enemy-man.
AUSTRALIANS WILD OYSTERS.
Oysters are sometimes regarded as
dangerous. but they are not usually
considered savage. A Queensland
judge, however. has decided that they
are wild beasts. Before a royal COM
mission on the pearling industry, which
has been sitting ut Brisbane, witness
stated that eight years ago he had
laid 100000 shells in the neighborhood
OF Friday Island. The Japanese stole
the shells, and the district court Judge
held that as pearl shell oysters were
wild animals there was no penalty for
stealing them.