Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-15
OYSTERS our OF WATER.
How Long the BIvaIves viii Live yf
Properly Kept.

properly kept
In a recent bulletin of the United States
Fish Commission is published the follow
ing statement by Prof. A. +. Verrill, OF
New Haven, Conn:
'My attention was recently called by
Capt. Q. H. Townsend to large cluster
| of oysters attached 20 an old boot which
had been hanging in the front windows OF
the fish market OF Charles Reed, in this
city, for long time. This cluster was
taken from the water in the early part OF
December, 1884 about the l0th,it is said },
and when l examined il on Feb. %
several OF the larger oysters were STR
| alive. am told that they continued to
live for some days afterwards. The larger
ones which were still alive were OF about
| the size ordinarily sold in the market.
Most of the smaller ones were dead, and
many OF the larger ones, OF which the
edges had been broken or Clipped, were
dead and dried up when | saw them.
Those that were alive mad all been hung
up with the front edge of tho she'll dov n
ward and the hinge upward. They had
been hanging in the show window, at
tached to gas-burner, during the whole
time (over ten weeks, freely exposed to
the air and light. The room was, of
course, rather cool, as such shops usually
are in winter, and the window space al
though open freely to the shop, was
doubtless still cooler, especially at night,
but the AIR must have been dry and the
temperature quite variable. The window
faces to the west and would have direct
sunlight in the afternoon. The remark
able duration of the life of these oysters
is undoubtedly due to two causes
! l. The perfect condition OF the edges of
the SHELLS, which allowed them to close up
very tightly.
2. The position, suspended as they were
with the front edge downward, is the
most favorable position possible for the
retention of water within the glll-cavity,
| for in this position the edges of the mantle
would closely pack against the inner
edges OF the shell, efectually closing any
small leaks, and the retained water would
also be in the most favorable position TO
m0isten the gills, even after part had
eyapOrated. 1t is also possible that when
in this position the oyster instinctivelv
keeps the shell tightly closed, to prevent
the loss of water. This incident may
| give a hint as to the best mode of
transporting oysters and clans long dis
tances. Perfect shells should be selected,
and they should be packed with the front
edge downward, and kept moderately
cool, in crate or some such receptacle
which will allow free circulation of air
! Under such favorable conditions selected
oysters can doubtless be kept from eight
TO twelve weeks out of water. Probably
] the quahaug, or round clam, which has
a very fredericksburg shell. when per-
feet, can be kept equally long in the same
way"
To'this Mr.. John A. Ryder adds note,
in which lac says: 81 have had oysters
live in the shell for two weeks, where the
temperature ranged from 80 to 40 degrees
| Fair. at night to over so degreesEFahr. in
the day, lying on shelves in the cases in my
work room. exposed the whole time TO the
air, without showing the slightest ten
dency to decompose, every specimen con-
tanning and holding liquid in its mantle
cavity. The position OF the shells / did
not notice. This was about two years
since, and the facts did not then seem to
me to have any practical bearing, as they
now appear to, as suggested by Prof. Yer
rill. A striking observation which
made at that time, and which | recorded,
| believe, in the sketch OF the life history
Of the oyster prepared under my direction
for the annual report of the geological
survey, was the following: The speci-
men which served me as my model from
which to sketch the external anatomy of
the soft parts, published in that report
and also in the fishery report of the CEN
sus. laid open for twenty-four hours with
one valve removed and the soft parts ex-
| posed TO the air for the whole time, and
! yet at the end of that time, when the ven-
! tricle was touched, 1t began to slowly
| pusate, and did so under this stimulus a
number Of times. This instance of tenac-
! ity OF life on the part of a mutilated hi.
valve is pretty hard to excel for incredl-
bility; in fact, had [ not witnessed the
facts as above stated, | would have been
disinclined to accept them as a statement
OF the truth"