The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-09-25
A LETTER ABOUT OYSTERS.

| want to JON your happy band OF over
Gi00 boys and girls. like to read tho
letters; | have Just finished reading them.
My faNorite writers are Sumpter Ether
cage, Thomas Taylor. Nicholas Dellon,
Henry Boyer, u. c, Stockdick, Joe Farmer,
Ernest Keeling, Cornelius Combs. Misses
Nettie Paige Scofeld. Ollie Fagon and
I Onyx. don't 1--we far from Sumpter Eta
ereuBc of hyie, | see some of the older
Haps are coming back. would like 60
correspond With Ernest Keeling, What do
you think about 1t, Ernest Please lei me
know through The Post In your next letter.
Will write something about oysters
The oyster bogius life next to the shore,
and in due time It leaves this shelter TO
make room for it's two million brothers
and sisters. 1t Is driven out into the watery
world, Though small 1t Is quite indepond-
snt nnd away 1t swims by the aid OF u
number OF queer. threadlike objects that
reach beyond It's thin. transparent shell.
Now. !. has two tiny red eyes, mere spots,
but can see very well the dangers that lie
ell around II.
When IL grows old enough TO settle
down and fasten Itself TO some rock or
stone, II loses these eyes. not because It's
| troubles are at an end. oh. no, for the poor
| oyster has many enemies besides man The
| little red worms work their way into hls
| shell, and then there Is the boring sponge
| called Cliona, that burrows into and grad
uaIly destroys the shell OF this molusk
| sometimes causing the strong house to fall
! 10 pieces, and frequently not satisfied with
this, the robber grows upon the grave OF
| his victim.
| species OF animal belonging TO the
| watering pot she'll family often acts In
1 similar manner, only IL cements all sorts
| of materials into flask-lIkc case into
! which II crawls then fixes its neck into the
hole 1t has bored In the oysters she'll
There are many odd varieties OF the
! oyster First comes the Chinese window
shel, This valuable shell is very fiat and
beautifully clear. In many parts OF China
| II Is used instead OF glass for windows.
as the light passes through quite readily,
but outsiders can not discern the objectA
within the house. In these very small,
pearls are found. utterly useless TO lew
where they are burned In the mouths of the
dead. and when calcined. formed into lime
for the wealthy betel ehewerg.
Large, nat buttons are made from this
she'll which IN their rough state resemble
gun wads.
The Lima or "filesheil" has a curious
fashion OF covering itself all over with
sand. coral or shells. fastening these ar
ticles together with slken threads OF It's
own manufacture II can pass through the
water very rapidly, pushing itself along
by the sharp closing of its valves In color
1t Is crimson the mantle is orange and tn.
shell itself is pure white.
The "thorny" oyster Is another odd spe
cies which is covered with long spines or
horns which seem TO grow from the she'll
This proves an excellent coat OF mail TO
repel the fish who have weakness for
oysters, and also a'ds In securing a etrong
hold upon the resting places where It In.
tends to make IT'S permanent home
There II the hammer shell" that looks
III III might he n rpllf Inn ~ h.. Ina,
headed shark, and the paddle shell !" beau
tifully rtffled and paper-ike In texture
and the pearl oyster that not only Sc
cretes pearls but the lining of the valves
Of whose shell forms the celebrated mother
OF pearl OF commerce. No fractures are
found within THIS oyster shell until It Is
or years old
The prima Is strange. wedgo-shaped
shell. fastened to rocks or stones by ellkep
threads that IL spins with lts feet These
threads are very strong, little crab lives
within the shell OF this mollusk Some
writers say IT brings food for It's host and
also acts RS sentinel but ! can not yonch
for the truth OF this statement
forgot to describe the oyster, so IN
tell about n. The she'll consists OF two
unequal and somewhat irregular-sbapeet
valves OF laminated and coareely folint.d
structure. and the hinge is Without tooth
or ridge The animal has no foot. and OK. |
cept when very young, has no power OF To-
comotion. Its food consists Of aninalcules
snd vegetable particles brought TO II by
the current. II is jagess and tootb.ess
Young oysters are 1-i20 Of an inch in
length when they 20 for their own living
and 1000 ono could be packed in the space
OF cubic inch. Young oysters really at
tach themselves to the shell Of tSe ola
ones, and thus form oyster beds very rap
l1ly and fl UP shallow parts OF the sea
The total number OF species is about
seventy-five. must close and will write
again some day. Your friend.