1598 OYSTERS. [ART. 72

day of April and the thirtieth day of September, inclusive ;
provided, that nothing in this section shall prohibit any person
from taking or catching oysters from his private bed or bar.

1904, ch. 467, sec. 2.

53. Any person violating the provisions of the preceding
section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished as provided in this article.*

Patuxent—Potomac—Choptank.

1904. ch. 522, sec. 1.

54. It shall be unlawful after April 8, 1904, for any person
or persons to take or catch oysters in any manner whatever in
any of the waters of the Patuxent river and its tributaries of
St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert counties or in the tributaries
of the Potomac river lying in St. Mary's and Charles counties
between the first day of April and the first day of October in
each year, or in the waters of Dorchester county or the Chop-
tank river in said county, between the 25th day of April and
the 15th day of September in each year; provided, however,
that nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent
any person or persons from removing or transplanting oysters
on private beds or taking oysters from private beds for private
use during the closed season, but not for sale.

Ibid. sec. 2.

55. After April 8, 1904, any bona fide citizen of St. Mary's,
Charles and Calvert counties who shall have procured a license
from the clerk of the circuit court of the county in which he
is a bona fide resident as prescribed in the general oyster law
of the State of Maryland, shall be permitted to use such
license to take or catch oysters in the Chesapeake bay or in the
Potomac river at any time that oysters are allowed to be taken
in said waters in conformity with the general oyster law of the
State, and they shall be subject to all the provisions and penal-
ties prescribed by the general oyster law of the State of Mary-
land.

Ibid. sec. 3.

56. The clerks of the circuit courts of St. Mary's, Charles
and Calvert counties are authorized to issue a license to any
bona fide resident of their respective counties to take or catch
oysters, and shall charge the same fees for the issuing of such
license as is provided for in the general oyster law of the State

*See ante. Sections 14, 17