The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-18
srARFIsH AND DRILL.
The Most voracious Enemies Of
the Peaceful and Popular oys-

uO MO0y V0F0Vt0uD Eu0GUu0B ot
the Peaceful and Popular oys-
ter.
The presence of the United States
steamer Fish Hawk In Rhode Island
waters created in the mind Of the Prov
idence journal reporter suspicious that
the steamer was looking after pirates or
searching for the sea serpent. Investi-
CATION proved that the reporter was
wrong in his surmises, for the men on
board the Fish Hawk were investigat-
ing the habits of the starfsh, the drill,
and the winkle, the devourers and ene-
mics Of the oyster. Starfish infest the
coast from New York to Cape Cod, but
ure not found in any appreciable num-
bers south of Sandy Hook. They come
TO Long Island Sound and stay all the
time, and their favorite summer resort
is Naragansett bay and Providence
river, where they also pass tho winter
and raise family in the spring, spawn
ing with tho oysters in May and June.
They are the worst enemy of the lus-
cious bivalve on earth except voracious
man. The work of the steamer, which
Is in the employ of the United States
Fish Commission, has been lately to
thoroughly patroling Naragansett bay
and tho oyster beds in tho river, make
scientific tests of the temperature of the
water, us we'll us of its specific gravity
Or salinity-with tho salinometer,
thus determining how cold or warm, and
just how salt the starflsh likes to have
the water where he lives. In the
course of these researches it has been
ascertained that he does not care for
too warm or brackish water. but prefers
tho cool and salty waters OF tho Narra-
gansett bay and river. Besides tho
starfish, there are the "drill' and win
kle" and mud. The drill" is IL very
likely worker. with IL she'll like snail
or winkle.and attacks young oysters, es-
pecialiy the two-year-olds. They do
nearly as much damage as the starish.
They drill circular hole In the shell Of
the young bivalve by means Of inserting
from the inside of their she'll u tongue
which is armed with rows of saw-like
teeth. which rasp like file. and bore
little circular hole into the interior of
tho oystor, Or clam, or mussel. The
"winkle" has penetrating way of in
Producing the proboscis of his shell,
and then projecting his tough nozzle
and sucking out the shell containing
the innocious mollusk.
But the star-fish is truly the 'star"
operator of the Shiny depths. He is
partial TO mussels because he can coax
their shells open easily. and no frc.
quently will devour six or eight of
them in a day. The oyster attacked
depends on its size, as compared with
his enemy. Large starfish attack large
oysters, and vice versa, though the two
ycar-old oyster is the favorite size.
His method Of opening the bivalve is
to lay himself above or on the fiat up
per shell of his victim. If the oyster
opens his shell, he takes advantage Of
it. and proceeds to dine; but if the VIC
tim declines to furnish his interior for
the starlishe's interior, the latter pro-
ceeds to chip away the delicate edge Of
the shell, and will actually force open
the shell by mere muscular strength.
He lifts it, and embracing the helpless
oyster, who can not move away from
his unwelcome visitor, proceeds to in
sert his stomach, which envelopes the
gills and pulpy body OF the oyster, and
the process of digestion begins, the
oyster being speedily assimilated by the
greedy stariish, who cmpties the she'll,
and then travels away for fresh con-
quests.
There seems to be no way of getting
rid of these pests unless they are re-
moved bodily.