Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-12-01
THE oYsTER-H0w IT Is BORN, HOW II
GROWS, AND HOW 1T I8 DESTROYED.

There is no more popular luxury in diet, and
yet about which the public generally know 80
little, as the oyster. We are all OF us too prone
to contentment with its ssvoriness to sllcw
thoughts Of inquiry ss to how or whence 1t came
to enter our minds-like the oyster ITSELF our
ideas rarely get beyond it, Neither the teach
ings OF the Hygienists nor our own sufferings,
at times, from oyer-indulgence can tempt our
appettes away from 1t. We blindy swallow the
''scsyengers OF the sea" to produce "bsd blood, i"
and close our eyes to the remembrance OF mid
night cramps as the cooling molusks glibly pass
dawn our throsts.
And yet the oyster has history. Deep down
beneath the surface Of our bays nature performs
is evolutions in that order Of life just ss regu-
lsrly and completely as among the human spe-
cies. 1t is, however, we are told by Professor
Lockwood in the current number Of Popular
Science different from mollusks generally in
that it does not spawn. 1t is, in its own way,
vivparous. 1t does not emit eggs, but at the
proper time sends forth its young alive. The
eggs are dislodSed from the ovaries and commit
ted to the nursing care Of the gill and msntel.
At first each egg seems TO be enclosed in cap
sule. 1t is Of yellowish color, but as incubation
or development progresses the color changes
nrst to gray, then to brown, afterwards to a
violet. This is sign that the time Of eviction
is at hand I; for Nature now issues her writ to
that effect. And wonderful little beings they
are when the writ arrives to vscate the home
stead, for whole troops OF them can go grace
fully and without jostling through the maziest
evolutions in that tiniest spheres drop of wa
ter. Soon the process Of development begins.
The external ella, which served it for locomo-
tive and breathing organs disappear, and with.
in appear true branchie, like those of its mo tn.
er A stomach too, is now built up, and the la.
bal fingers are provided Then tiny true
heart appears, and although hardly larger thar
the head OF pin yet at the end OF month Il
equals large pea in size at six months, il il
an inch or more in length at four years, it /,
large and amply ready for market or even a
three years, if the conditions OF growth havl
been favorable.
1t must not be supposed that while this ma
turing process is going on the young oyster il
unattended by disaster. 1t has many enemie
which scatter widespread destruction in thei
train. Aside from the deaths caused by dis
turbance by anchors, dredges, &C., thore ar
even moro deadly enemies which disport abov
them in the same element. Tie maraudin
drum hsh, with its almost sepnlchral craunct
ngs, spreads devastation wherever they &c
Their mouths are furnished with pavemeGts @
hard teeth, little rounding on the top, and sc
together exactly as are the cobblestones Of tn
old city highways The function of these der
tai payements is TO crush the young oystori
which, after being crushed, are thus swallowe,
shells and all Al these monsters come
shoals they sometimes inhict serious darlage O
Al oyster bed.
Another enemy, whose process Of d0structiC
is somewhat different but none the less fatal,
the stsr-hsh. He takes his raw also, but di
cards the shell, his gastronoinic provision beir
more human, resorting to an artful method
obtain his luncheon. The stsr-fish fret brin
bis stomach oriice exactly opposite the nib
point. OF the oyster and embraces it with his Il
flexible rays, assisted by the hundreds Of sue
ing disks on his feet He then keeps quite ct
and waits patiently. After while the instiu
Of the oyster will be Ut fault, aud it will open,
II no enemy were near. At this moment is
jected from the oral orifce Of the star ballet
''sidereal blast" 1t is something that para
zes the mollusk because from that moment {
valves OF the oyster are opened to their full {
tent, and the hold OF the flexible rays Ia relax,
Instantly asingular variation of the performar
sets in. The rays are withdrawn and set bs
to bsek-the stomach is protrudcd and
doubled-up star intrudes itself into the oyst
ihe evicted stomach leading the way in
movement, and absorbing its victim.