The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-06-08

small. rnia Opiri1n "a undoubtedly cor.
rect. and tpioures can still continue 20 take
their byplyta raw without "a strata on their
tender c1nscepnea.
AsAT'NY OF THE OYSTER,
IN may be Of interest 10 very brleny de-
scribe tue orsanlgstion OF M oyster. II Nv
nn animal Incapable OF decapitsti IN, pinoe
u IL destitute Ola head. Yet II 10 not with
on. maj very necessary orE,n, mouth,
rui, u'r'ul organ, no Sever, docs not opsn,
"a might be expected, a. the shell linz, but
hsA in the dsepts. part of the cavity, near
the hlnge OF the shells. How, then, does u
obtain fccd? This IL readily pefcelyed.
Along the body o. The animal extend ito
eills, or breathing organr, In
known a. tho "bssrd'' OF
.ne oyster. rhtsc folds are studded with q
muluiuds Of oll,s or microscopic hnirs
which are 10 Constant motion, rcrem bling
that of tue beniing Of a field Of Ersss before
the Wind. This motion, which Is directed
inward, causes a steady innowing current
OF water, which bears with |, numerous
IN iorosoopic fooi particles. Tho sills thus
do double du,y. Their blood vessels tx'
tract the oxygen from the II ,w.ng water,
whllo Us contained food 10 carried 20 the
mouth, Into which II 10 drawn BY other
ella.
From the mouth the food passes 10 the
vd By the llver-the dark-colored mass
visible within the body OF the oyster. This
gland pours ne secretion into the stom sch,
not into the intestines, as In higher ami.
msls. The intestine 10 not cylindrical, bus
forms q U-shapsd tube. closely lined With
CHA. which keeps the food In notion. In
tact, In the whole range Of animal life there
10 no creature OF its size 80 sluggish as the
oyster. Is only voluntary muscular &C.
ton 10 that OF the double muscle which 10
attached to tho two shells, aud serves TO
close them. They are forced open, whom
the muscle 70 relaxed, by tho action OF an
elastic pad In the hinge. Il 10 for this
resson that the shells stand open when the
animal Is desd or whom the muscle has been
motion 10, with one exception-that OF she
hsart-tne only one the ANNA! poescssss.
Al i,s other life functions are performed by
IN sans OF ella, the microscopic hnirs which
line the body cavlties.and keep up cease
less waving motion.
In tne Interior OF the body arc blood csv.
tiles and blood vessels, though the fluid
they contain 10 coloriess. IL Is kept in mo-
tion oy means OF the heat, q pu,sating
muscular nsss, which lies In It's course.
The oaly other organ OF which We need
here speak Is the mantle. This Is
vida fold OF the outer skin, found In
all shell fish, and which performs the
important duty OF forming the shell. II e.
cretes carbonate Of lime from the sea
water, and deposits IL on Its surface, thu
gradually building the hard, limy case
which forms tho homo and ermor OF de-
tense OF all the lower mollusks.
| HABITS CT THE OYSTER.
The oyBt,r Is decidedly Il "stsy at home"
| Like many young folks, ia iced, IL goes % n
ram ole in ils ,arly lie. swimming about by
mean, OF cilis. Bat this "errnnt DISPOSE.
ton" only lass Tor a day or two. Then the
young vsgtnnt settle. quietly down, CLUES
| I'D yhell fast 10 the most convenient obi sct,
and spenfs all the remainder OF its
.ong life IN the luxurious duty
OF ITO eat ard 10 grow fsi." Its food
CONSISTS OF the minutest tenants OF the
water, m cr3scoplc beirss, plants aud ami
ais. such hs a powerful lens reveals by
millions within ths r1omv haoitetiou of 0
drop Of water. In fact, 10 his no hesitation
10 ulay the csnnibsi. since Mr.. Ryder mas
found no les, than 200 iarvsl oysters within
the stomach Of on adult, guped down a! u
single meal.
The oyster grows slowly in the early days
Of ifs exst.nct. At the end Of a fortnight d
growth IL IL OF the size OF a pins head.
After that period IL grows III IRE rapidly,
| the European oyster becoming hall an
inch, the American an inch long in six
months. The American oyster,
| indeed, grows much faster aud
attains a considerably greater size than
Ia shout tire, years, and its average life
period Ia about ten years, though 30 yerr'
old oysters srs net unknown. Its age In
| fact can bs made out with some difficulty
by counting the annual lsyers Of limy mat
tar Ia its shell, just ~ tue age OF Q tree Il
discovered BY couoIing the layers OF wood
In the trunk.