Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-26


the Romans do. At a later staet
Of the banquet two servants appearsd
staggering under the weight Of huge ma1-
grove branch, laden with parasitic oysters
This was placed in the centre Of the festive
board Each little biyalve, moored b.
threads Of its own spinning, chung so teaa-
ciously that hamm5r Sas needed TO misplace
IL This circumstance aroused our me -es'
in the oyster family. and determined Us to
cultivate their acquaintance. The parasite
cal or tree oyster is as common here as In
the Indian seas, and looks 80 exactly Ike
dried Leaf IS to deceive even the tisher-birds
that seek it. 1t is found attached t. the
rc OTIS and branches of the mangrove tree,
which grows in sheltered bays at the eige
Of the sea. These odorous groves look like
marine forests, their lofty branches dipping
the waves during high tide.
PokiDg about the salty sands IN pursuit
ofinform alton, Betsy and find entertain
ing study even in these most insigui6esa: OF
Greeted beings. While the young oyster
and his migrating cousin the myulus, are
sowing their wild oats and rowing here and
q ere, the sedate grandparents anchor them
s. YES snugly at home, by means OF small
cords, which they weave around the stone
And What do you think of the oyster which
lights up the darkness Of his solitary dwell
ing By living lamp? Examine any CON.
mon oyster, and in the centre of most Of
the shells you will find blush spor,
resembling q star. apply to this a
powerful microscope, aud you will discover
that this bit of PHOSPHORUS consists OF three
different sorts Of animalcules. The largest
of these has foriy-eight legs attached to It's
slender body. black spot on the head
which is evidently its only eye, and back
exactly resembling an cells; the second In
sect has also one eye, humorous feet, dog +
nose and body composed OF several rings;
while the third has a speckled body and q
colts head, topped with a TUT OF hair.
Each Of these creatures is beautifully lumln-
GUS, and together they resemble a blush
star, which, perhaps, ike the enchanted
lamp of Armida, serves to lure wsnderer:
TO destruction in suppling the oysters
larder.
Not least interesting among the biyalVe
family are the scallops. The kind called
butterflies Of the ocean are frequently seen
fitting about over the clear waters, riVallng
the papilonaoeous tribes in beauty of color
ing. Though inclosed in a citadel Of con
siderable thickness, the animal can not
only float upon the waves, but can move
considerable distance on land. Sometimes
an adventurous scallop finds himself de
serted by the tide and left high and dry
above his native element. Then, by spread
ing his valves as wide as possible and shut
ling them with jerk, he propels him
self about FIVE inches, and continual
repetition of the operation gradu
sliy tumbles him forward into the sea. Ia
fair weather they congregate together ano
mount the billows forming little fleets, with
hall their shells erected to catch the breeze
and the other half, which holds the animal,
remaining immersed below. When aug TO-
appears, or sudden squall darienS the
surface OF the Deep each little cseAiGre In
stantiy shuts up shop, aud his pigmy vesae.
disappears. Doubtless it was this cirious
habit of the shelIfsh which suggested III
pcetic fable of sea gods taking their airing.
in scallop chsriots drawn by tritons Lk.
Neplu mes car, az ptr rsyad on the medal 't
Claudius. Here are also found numbers OF
the oyster iacobUa, like that worn By Pill
grims, who fixed the scallop in their haI
before" to prove they had crossed the sea
on their way to the Holy Land.
But,to us the most curious Of all is the
Buccinum purpure and its relative, the sta
tionary Murex, the same lit e creatures
which furnished the royal purple OF imper
ial Tyrne. Betsy and have been dabbling
in the same branch of business, aud in the
course of our experiments have converted
all our available paraphernalia into purple
of varying shades. The story that goes
that favorite dog Of the lyman Hercules
while prowliug about the sesshore, acct
dentalIy broke q buccinum shell which
stained his mouth such gorgeous color
rat Tyrus, Hurceius's sweetheart, vow,
ed never to see her lover again until
be should bring her a robe OF the
same hue. Thus constrained, Her
cules gathered great quantity of the shells
and persevered till the ndmph was grautied
and the art given to the world. A white
vein, growing transversely in little hollow
near the head Of the fish, holds the pre-
cious dye, Each tiny creature yields but
one drop, and hence the real TyriaD purple
wed in value with gold ITSELF If one wishes
10 try the experiment of Hercules, let him
proceed in this wise: After sufficient liquid
has been extracted, drop By drop, from tn
hroat Of the fishes, We. the wool or cotton
IN it and spread it in the sun. At first i,
appears pale green, then the color OF the
,ea. ard in q few minutes sky blue; then i,
ieepens to purpleish red, and in an hour or
more turns to gorgeous purple By wash.
ing the linen at once it changes TO bril-
liant crimson; but when the color Is once
set nothing can fade or turn it.
FANNIE B. WARD.