Smyrna times., 1878-02-06
Natural History Of the Oyster.
EXTRACT FROM A LECTURE,

Rev. DR.. j. G. Morris delivered a lecture
last week, in Baltimore, on "Tha Natural
History of the Oyster" As the oyster is a
natural product Of our waters and is now =
staple article of food. We give few ex.
tracts
The oyster was we'll known to the an
cients thousands Of years ago, though it is
not mentioned in the Bible, unless under
the general classes of shell fish and mol.
lusks, but the profane writers are loud in
their praises. No dinner could be complete
without oysters. Here in Maryland there
Is fuIl evidence of their antiquity. Vast
beds OF shells ten feet thick are found at
great distance from the shores of the bav
showing that the inhabitants in old times
had carried the biyalves away to feast on
them.
1t is not known who was the first man
to eat an oyster, but he was brave man 70
put such a looking animal in his mouth
and swallow 1t without knowing whether it
was Good to eat or not. Tradition has il
that long ago man walking by the bay
shore saw curious, ugly object. half.
covered IN the weeds. lie gave it kick.
when the oyster opened its mouth and he
saw the white pearly object within. The
man pried curously at it and put finger
IN the shell, which was instantly clamnad
down. jerking out his finger he placed it
IN his mouth to ease the pain. Getting =
taste OF the juice he found it good, and
breaking open the she'll he ate the whole
oyster This discoverer told his friends
and they quickly became known as deIico.
cies.
Everybody cats oysters. To few the
taste is not natural, but the taste is soon
trained, and these become tho orootaet
eaters OF it. Men of old davs ate ovstors
all day long, and it was true now that mon
could eat just as many raw ones IS thev
could hnd room for in the capacity Of
well, call it what you choose Cooked
oysters would surfeit. The raw ovstar ,xos
SO easily dgestiLle, because it was firstly
composed OF seyen-eights water, slightly
geIatlnized, and a small quantity of nutri.
tive matter, secondly, its liver, the black
part OF the oyster, was larger in proportion
than IN man, and secreted a great deal of
pie. This, with the fluids of the stomach.
make two factors of digestion, and the
oyster partly digests itself
The oyster is one of the animals eaton
alive, for it is not exactly killed when swaI.
lowed, unless you cut it into pieces first
It's natural history commences with the
SMELL which Is no part Of the animal at all.
but only house. 1t is composed Of car.
Donate of lime. The two black marks in
Sids are where the adstrictor muscle adj
hered to it. This muscle is called tho
heart, but it is not the heart at all. It
keeps the shell shut, and when it relaxos
the shell opens of itself from the pressure
OF the animal inside. The oyster matches
It's eggs inside the shell. and there is no
male or female sex-every oyster being
capable of producing young. One oyster
viii produce about 100000 at a time.
lhey are about the size of pin head, and
hoat around until a small tentacle. with
winch they are provided, adheres to some
substance under water. There the ovster
lives and dies, for it has no power of loco.
motion at all.
AT three years old they are edible. but |
are better at four years and over. Inside |
the body is covered with thin white |
mantle. This has the power to assimilate
carbonate of lime from the sea water, which
1t deposits in layers, forming the shell.
The lecturer gave an interesting account of
the inner structure Of the oyster, and of its
manner of taking food, which consists Of
the smallest animalcule. Pearls were
gravel or some foreign substance which had
gotten into the shell and were covered bv
Inc animal with calcareous matter.
" The oyster has lungs, heart. liver
blood, which is white, not red, nerves and
stomach, but not brain and no eyes. Its
enemies were, after man, the borer. the
'ruln hsh and the star fish. These DESTROY
great numbers. If allowed to produce nm.
nolested they would soon fill the Ches.
lpeake bay and drive all the water out
lhe manner OF taking oysters, both bv ,
'redges and tongs, was described. The
'yster crab was not baby crab, but dis.
met animal. He did not believe that oys. ,
ers were capable of feeling pain. They
lad no voice and made no fuss, though !
hey often get into broils and stews.
-
The GRoCER's GIFT TO HIS PRRAcHRp l
'ovington, KY. correspondent tells this c
A country merchant visited the city few d
ays ago, and, going to Cincinnati, purchased t
rom dollar store tablecaster, which he n
ook home with him, and, after putting n I
lg on it marked '$l4, made it present to II
Methodist preacher, whose church his ST
lmily attended. The reverend gentle. a
IAN took the package home, opened IT, u
nd examined the contents. The next
ay he brought the castor with tag at. !,
lcladl hack m tho upnoopyY,o,, - I'll =