The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-03-14
A FIGHTING OYSTER.
In Battle with = starn-h the wHtchfui
BIyAlxe KILLED It Zoe.

BlvAlve Killed Its Foe
ITO look at an oyster you would never
imagine that there was any fight In 1t,
would your" asked an observant fisherman
as he pried open the shell OF one OF the
bivalves he was talking about. ono one
would think an oyster could and would
fight unless he had been witness some
time or other Of tho oysters fighting quail
ties.
Zone OF the most exciting contests I
ever saw was between an oyster and ono
OF the most deadly enemies OF the oyster
family, and am glad to say that the oys-
ter won the fight. The enemy was star
fish, and II all OF its kind were as fresh
and indiscreet as this one was they
wouldn't be q source OF so much dread to
the oyster farmer.
Every person who has anything to do
with raising oysters has seen many bat
tie between them and starflsh. These de-
structive enemies of the oyster grow fast,
but seldom attempt TO attack tho bivalves
before they are months old, and then
their inexpericnce and overconfidence are
apt TO get them In a heap OF trouble. A
starfish that has cut its eyeteeth, so TO
speak, will get the best Of an oyster every
time, for 1t will mount the shell, drill
hole through 1t. inject it's Supplying liquid
into the oyster and envelope the whole
thing with its capacious and elastic mouth
stomach before the poor shellnsh knows
what has happened to it.
"A school Of starfish can 20 through an
oyster farm almost as quickly as a tornado
can wipe out a wheat farm In Dakota.
Starflsh are virtually walking stomachs,
and have found them stretched over
CLANS she'll and all, that were a great deal
bigger than the natural dimensions Of the
starfsh. When one Of these rapacious
marauders cnvelops a clam or an oyster, 1t
simply turns itself wrong side out and
pulls itself over its victim, as you would
pull on pair of new socks.
This fight / was speaking about 90
CURED In shallow water and 1 had a good
sight Of 1t. / saw the starfish work warily
along over the oyster, and then settle upon
IL. The bivalve was on the lookout,
though, and when the starfsh was near
enough the oysters shell closed like steel
trap on one Of the starfsh's five rays and
cut It off as slick as II 1t had been done
with knife. A starfish doesn't mind the
loss of ray or two-in fact, 1t can stand
the loss of four OF its rays and then make
its way off, In a short time spreading and
growing the lost members again. But II
the starfish loses oil five OF its rays It's
doom is sealed. 1t will die almost imme-
diately.
The oyster had no sooner clipped of
one OF its foes legs than it set its trap
again and waited for a renewal OF the at
tack This was not long In coming. The
starfish dropped itself slowly, with SC
much confidence that could almost see IL,
and was soon astride the oyster again.
Again the trap flew shut, and the starfish
rose with but three OF its five rays left.
But 1t was plucky. and with confidence
unimpaired returned for the third round
with the prompt and watchful oyster. The
round was a repetition of the other two,
and the starfish was bercft of another leg
The persistent enemy Of the oyster had up
parently set its mind ON having that par
ticular one, and without a moments hest
tation turned its crippled body to the
fourth assault.
The oyster was now mad all the way
through and shifted its position, turning
its open shell upward as the starflsh drop
ped toward it. This was the last round Of
the fight, for the oyster caught both re
naming rays Of the starhsh in the trar
and shipped them off at one bite Tn,
rayless starfish turned over and sank t
the bottom dead. New York sun.