The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-07-25
THE OYSTER AT HOME.

L
oyster culture as given III recent ISSUE VI
the Ledqer, it may not be amlss TO aau some
further interesting points ABOUT TINS ia'o
shellfish, of whose real character almost no'i-
ING is generally known, even to the ihosI al
dent admirers of "oysterS on the nan sneh
Even the scientists of a few centuries aSo
knew no more, and looked upon the oyster do
q mere mass of oily and heshy nlat'ei,
mouthful of juicy blubber when no one
thought of crediting with senslplhty OF nien
organization. Yet it is now known that TINS
saeminolv shaueless mass of flesh IS an
animal far removed from the lowest
Grade that it has a complex organism anu
Possesses most of the organs OF the nlgher
animals, that it has nervous system ana pos
sibly ENJOYS in its quiet way more than We or
dinarily imagine -,
Does the oyster suffer acute pain when
transfxed by the fork of the gournano anu
crushed alive between his grinding teetn
This is a question which has been asked by
benevolent individuals and frequently an
swered in the affirmative, though the oocle'y
for the Suppression Of Cruelty TO Animals nas
not yet brought the humble oyster wllhln l's
ken. Fortunately for the consclences %
oyster epicures, we can answer with saIety
that their living food probably never know
what il is to suffer pain. The sense OF pain
is given to animals mainly as protectoh
AGAINST danger. But the shelly armor OF the
oyster serves as a defense, and PAIN would De
useless to it since it would not AID IL 10 escape
its foes. Animals that pursue their 1000 heea
high nervous senslbilty and organs oi sense'
Rnt these also would be useless to the oyster,
whose food is obtained by the simple process
of drawing water into its shell, ana retaining
the minute particles which hoat III tnls watel'
The fact is that the nervous system Oh tne
oyster is more poorly developed than that OF
any other shellfsh Animals OF this type
have ordinarily three pairs OF nerve gangila,
connected by nerve fbers Only two can be
clearly made out in the oyster, and OF these
the one that probably represents the brain Is
exceedingly small. No distinct organs OF the
senses have been found, though there is rea-
son to believe that the oyster has vague pow
ers of vision sufficient to distinguish hight
from darkpess since it will close Its shell when
a shadow masses over the water. Professor
Huxley decides from these facts that the SEN
sibility of the oyster is probably intiniteslmal-
ly small. This opinion is undoubtedly cor
rect, and epicures can still continue 10 take
their bivalyes raw without strain on thelf
tender consciences.
ANATOMY OF THE OYSTER.
Itmay be of interest to very briefly describe
the organization of an oyster. 1t is an animal
incapable of decapitation, since 1t Is destitute
of a head. Yet it is not without that very
necessary organ, a mouth This useful Or
gan however, does not open, as might De e4-
pected, at the shell lips, but lies IN the deep
est part of the cavity, near the hinge OF the
shells. How, then, does it obtain food :! This
is readily perceived Along the body OF the
animal extend its gills, or breathing organs,
in four plate-like folds, usually known as the
beard of the oyster. These folds are studded
with a multitude of ella, or microscopic
hairs, which are in constant motion, resem-
bling that of the bending of a field OF grass
before the wind. This motion, which is d.
rected inward, causes steady infowing cur
rent of water which bears with it microscopic
food particles The gills thus do double
duty Their blood vessels extract the oxygen
from the flowing water, while its contained
food is carried into the mouth, into which 1t
is drawn by other ella.
From the mouth the food passes to the
stomach, which organ is entirely surrounded
nv the liver-the dark-colored mass visible
within the body of the oyster. This gland
nours its secretion into the stomach, not into
the intestines, as in higher animals. The in
testine is not cylindrical, but forms u
shaped tube, closely lined with ella, which
keeps the food in motion In fact, III the
whole range of animal life there is no creature
of its size SO sluggish as the oyster. Its only
voluntary muscular action is that OF the dou-
HE muscle which is attached to the two
shells. and serves to close them. They are
forced Open when this muscle is relaxed by
the action of an elastic pad in the hinge. 1t
is for this reason that the shells stand open
when the animal is dead, or when the muscle
has been cut by the knife. This single muscu-
lar motion is, with one exception-that of the
heart-the only one the animal possesses.
All it's other life functions are performed by
means of ella, the microscopic hairs which
line the body cavities and keep up an inces-
SAINT waving motion.
In the interior of the body are blood cayi-
ties and blood vessels, though the fluid they
contain is colorless 1t is kept in motion by
means of the heart, pulsating muscular
mass. which lies in its course. The only
other organ Of which we need here speak is
the mantle This is a wide fold of the outer
skin. found in all shell fish, and which per-
forms the important duty Of forming the
shell. 1t secretes carbonate of lime from the
sea water and deposits it on it's surface, thus
gradually building the hard, limy case which
forms the home and armor of defence of all
the lower mollusks
HABITS OF THE OYSTER.
The oyster is decidedly stay at home"
Like many young folks, indeed, it goes on a
ramble in its early life, swimming about by
means of ella But this g Grant disposition
only lasts for day or two. Then the young
yaorant settles quietly down, CLUES its she'll
81 s. 3l,o ,oOcf convenient Obiact and spendc