Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-05-03
AN OYSTER STUD T.
Looking into Birdfrntdr Andtonsy-f3o0 a"
Oyster Feeds and Maintains lIseV.
fFrfsn the Baltimore Gazette-l

Looking into Biroir,tldr Andtonsy-Hotc d"
oyster Feeds and Maintains ItseT.
From the Baltimore 6azesel
Every oyster has a mouth, a heart,
a liver, a stomach, cunningly devised In
t~estines, and other necessary organs,
just as all living, moving, intelligen,
creatures have. And all these things
are covered from mems rudely inqulsl-
tive gaze by a mantle OF pearly gauze,
whose wool end warp put to shame the
frost lace on your windows In winter.
The mouth is at the smaller end OF the
oyster, adjoining the hinge. 1t is Of oval
share, and, though not readily seen by
an inexperienced eye, its location and
size can be easily discovered by gently
pushing a blunt bodkin or similar 1nstru-
ment along the surface mentioned.
When the spot is found, your bodkin can
be thrust between the delicate lips and a
considerable distance down toward the
stomach without causing the oyster to
yell with pain. From this mouth Is, OF
course, q sort of canal to convey the food
to the stomach, whence it passes into
the intestines. With an exceedingly
delicate and sharp knife you can take of
the "mantle" Of the oyster, when there
will be disclosed to you a half-moon-
shaped space just above the muscle, or
so-called heart" This space is the
oysters pericardium, and within It is
the real heart, the pulsations of which
arc readily seen. The heart is made up
Of two parts, Just as the human heart is
one OF which receives the blood from
the gills through a network Of blood
vessels, and the other drives the blood
out through arteries. In this important
matter the oyster differs in no respect
from other warm or cold-blooded ami
mails. And no one need laugh incredu-
lousy at the assertion that oysters have
blood. 1t is not ruddy, according to the
accepted notion about blood, but it is
nevertheless blood to all oyster intents
ard purposes. In the same vicinity,
and in marvelously proper posi-
tons, will be found all the other
organs named. But it is very proper to
he incredulous about that mouth and or
gans. At first glance it would seem that
they are utterly useless, for the mouth
cannot snap around for food, and the
oyster has no arms wherewith to grab
its dinner or lunch. True, apparently,
hut only apparently, for each oyster has
more than a thousand arms-tiny, deli
them is necessarily at work gathering
up food and gently pushing it into the
lazy mouth of the indolent, comfortable
creature. The glls are the thin flaps
SO notably %perceptihlc around the front
face part of the nndressed oyster, below
the muscle. Each of these gills is coy
close together. and perpetnally in mo-
ton, to and fro, -inBthep same direction.
They catch food from the water, strain
it carefully of improper substances, and
watt it upward over the mantIe's smooth
surface to the gaping mouth, which
rlacidly gobblcs it up until hunger is
appeased aud then, the body goes to
sleep without turning oyer..Any-one
can observe this singular process of
feeding by placing a minute quantity of
some harmless colosing matter on the
gii!s. If it will not offend the oysters
delicate palate the coloring matter will
be seer at once propelled by invisible
hands toward the mouth aud thence
slowly down INTO the stomach. And
this is all I know about oyster auatomv.
except thatthe liver almost entirely sur
rounds tho stomach, and is of q dark
green color. It may be new to many n
know that oysters are born precisely the
same wav the shad and other fish come
i.3o the world. A weu-educated lady
oyster will lay about 1Z5, 0Oo, 900 eggs
so it i said | have not counted enough
Of them to strike. such a large average
ard every one Of these eggs VIII uiti-
r.atsly become fit for q stew or frv il
they tscnpe the multitude of perils tina,
do environ the infant oyster.
Sad News Frem the Sea.