, 1874-12-05
SPARKS OF SCIENCE,
OYSTERS.

SPARKS OF SCIENCE.
OYSTERS.
Tho oyster IL remarkable for It's fecundjtv
According TO Poll, einglo individual pyoduce,
about 100000 young III d Boason. Othee OBJ
Borvors norcase this eatlmnte to the onotuou,
number OF 2,0o0.oO0. Tho oyster may bo called
viviparoun, as thn oggs. after loayiug tho eva.
RIOS hrorcained and hatohod within tho naptlo.
Thore they swlm about In Nhttisll btscoua
fluid, d,--1nyriada OF them 1iudtng room to moyo
Without 3oss1ing III single d.op Of tho liquid.
Wl1en tho youuglingB aro ready to shift for
themselves, thoy arc expelled from tho pnrept
shell in littfo jota of tho creamy substance In
which thsy hnd boon Graded. In tho spavpIuu
seasou, mnltitudos Of oysters in tho sa.1,o bank
will omit their offspring simultaneously, aud,
though oach aonds out but small quantity Of
| spat, tho water becomes o!oudcd with 1t. At
this point Of their existence, tho young osBters
aso individually almost Invisible. II is Tho
massing Of millions That gives color 10 Tho
water aud makes their presence pcrcept,bie.
Whom first ojeotol, the tiny try are in great
danger Of destruction. TITO larger pnrt hre
waited awny by currents and driven on uufa.
vorablo grounds, whore they soon perish, or
tho5 arc devou, oa by Aahcs and other narlno
animals Each ono is provided with an appara-
tns tor s"nm'ns BY ,s whiei' it propoIa itset u
OH which 1t mny fasteii and bogln its growth,
After 1t haa beoomo liked, the pad aid oIlIn
| wti, which it n'nte Its Hist and taBt journey
dsindo a~Av. aud IL continues stationary for
forth, tho 'oystor 's about 1920 of au Inch iu
length, md 2,000,n00 may 10 pnoktd Iu tho
epace Of cubic incl,. Whon a month old, # ia
TIE sizo Of a poa.. At 6 months OF age, it il
about about tho elze OF iali-dolIar; aud, nt IL
~ thls ago tho shcll is marked with
gradually disappear, aud. whom the oyster Is or
years old, tioy are generally lost a!toso.l,cr.
rapidly aa to DO TT for tho table in yoar and
half or two years; but, in Ordinary crcun,Yiupces
it1equiles about live SealH.
There orc many different apocios. all in1abit-
ing tho Beas ltr warm and temperate climates,
Tholr favorlto habitat Is in bays aud ostuar,es
hloHg tile coaet, where tho wafer Ia not yery
deep. They will thr,yo equally vol Ia situations
"loto thev nro constantly covered with water,
or where they are left dry by tho ebtius tide
rope and America. Tho firms Of Rochelle and
tho isles of Re- and Olorou, are famous for the
qunllty OF thesr produce. Very fine oystors are
grown IN eot,o parts OF tho British ooastu
Nearly QUO ac,cs Of oy6terB-betls arc DOR
aeBneu by VirHintn, while tho shoros Of Goo,Via
abound III baMka of great extent.
It is estlma:ed that . man requires tvolyo
OUNCES of ntrogenized substance for lis ta,ty
nnuNshment. To furnish this supply, sixteen
dozen oysters would DO required. Mo attfcla Of
diet ,H 80 easily dlgoatod, Or contains so llttle
nutflment.
TIE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL urgrony,
Miss Catherine Wolfe llas recently presented
to tho "Aalerlcan Museum OF Natural HISTORY"
Now York City. Genealogical collection mum.
bctlng $4,000 specimens, and valued at $40, 900,
Tho collection Ia at present stored, along with
the other possessions Of tho Mutcun, In tho old
araennl III Central Park. TAe specimens uro ad-
miratly prepared aud classified, and, arranged
on ten huge tabl.s, occupy an entire Story Will,
tile shells, Mlss Woffe's contribution included
raro genealogical library OF 1000 volumes.
among which are 1nauy costly illustrated worLs
IN different languages. At tho reception held
Nov. II. In honor Of this munthcont gift, it is
supposed tha! no les, than 1900 people visited
.aa place where 1t IL exhibited.
Although tho American Iuscum is not vet
i've years old. 1t has slreody become IN in,-
portant institution, nurpassine. in thu cxtons
and value Of aome Of Its departments, oil othera
OF tho Kind IN tho Unitod Siates. Tic depart
Hent OF Zoology embraces numerous large and
important coliectionp. Conspicuous among them |
IL tho remarkable body OF mate.ial trol,,?ht to.
gcther by the Gernsau p.luco Maxhnilian Of
NolrMed, Which IL especially valuable for tAs
number Of tyEes It contains. Quo collection, of
Aorlh-Amer!can birds, numbers over 500 speci. |
mona; another, Of butterflies, numbers 10000 |
specimens; mud ono ol tee1les aud insects nun |
ocra 4.ooo. 4 recent contribution 10 the Eato- |
n1oiogica Depa1 tment includes 8, ono specit1oue
OF American cocoptoln, representing 8,Dn0
sHecies. sertes OF sixteen colnplcte skeletons |
Of tho Moe-a giGantic. but extinct, bird Of Now |
zealnnd-is ono OF tho chief treasures Of tho |
Museum, procured at 4 cost ot SlGn00 Tie |
h11nprH+nrfr5I I1nnrFt
spoc'msua.
Tho museum is bnt poorly accommodated In |
lss present quarters; but the City Of New York III
putting up ~ edltlco II It'll which will amply
se.r;on Of tho immense structure viii DO com.
l1etea ana ready for occupation tao ensuing |
year. This section Is but ouo.cightL Of tho pro.
1ecIed M i building, yet its cost IL estimated a.
s5oo, ,ooo. The prcscnt has boen the must pros
pe9ous year 10 tho experience Of tho aluseuul.
1t haa treble1 ,ts liss Of annual subscribers (sl1
eaoh), OIL which IL depends for tho payment OF
ts curront expenses; mud tic gifts to IT'S various
departments Aayc occn numerous ind important,
lts reeorve fund {5l00 subscriptiouH) IL used in
tle purchase Of additional aclcnt,ilo material.
tho unfavorable character ot
ts present location, ltB halls aro thronsed with
'as'tots. Frequently the number teaches $1,000
Il single day. Two days Of the weak arc act
'part for Tho visits Of sclool.chlIdrcn with their
onchcrs. At nil tlnes tho Muaeum IL freely
'pon to tho public.
4 01oANTIu MATERIALLY.
While lie celebrated traveller, N. Marcoy, wag
Exploring the tributaries Of tho Amazons, ho
ound III the Nuns Lako, near tho mouth Of ths
Jcasall River. agigautIo species the Nymphga
'lIcn ho concluded to belong to tho eatno genus
8 tho NumphGa Victoria. Tho surface OF tho
ake was, In places. covered With tho immense
saEcs and magnificent flowers OF this huge
'ater-liy. The leaves. of broWnish-eicen tint,
y like broad carpesa on tho water; and II muE.
lsuie OF plovers iblsos, spoou-bIlls, Brazilian
striches. and other tropical birds. wero .nnniug
yeF thom without any danger of being suo-
1ergcd. The outcr petals OF the lowers woro
milky whltoness, and the ilner ones Of
nll red with violet epots. The weight Of
single Leaf which tue disooyor9r sa.
nred was 1415 poandB. and its clr-
nmforenGe was u feet and . inoLes. The
over, which measured feet inches in cir
weighed ~ poundu. Its outer
9tuls "oro !Ichea in lsngth. A bud aolgleu
y pounds. Tie stout stonl8 Of the tloa aer aId
'1u wero coveled with halrs . or lucllcs in
'nEth' The leafstalks were az large as u sII,p's