The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-02-18
IS AN OYSTER A FISH?

baltimore sun, Fch.4.
The biological department Of the
Johns Hopkins University was over.
run yesterday with visitors, who drop
ped In casually to ask:
us an oyster u fish ?"
The question was raised by the
statement In the Sun yesterday that
the special committee OF the Mary.
land Legislature, appointed to confer
with u similar body from the Virginia
Legislature regarding oyster dredging
and grabbing In the Potomoc, would
raise the point that oysters were not
flsh, and that, therefore, they were
not included in the compact Of 1885,
whereby equal rights, Of "Ashing'
were allowed to be enjoyed by the
Virginians with the Marylanders.
One OF the staff Of the biolugic ical de.
partnent said:
"The question il a very simple one.
| don't know what an oyster Is legally
or rcligi0usly, but zool0gically he Ger.
talnly isn't a fish. In the 1rst place,
Il fish is Il vertebrate animal and an
oyster Is q molusc. This difference oi
u backbone makes the two widely
separate in the animal kingdom. In
addition, u fish Is very highly organic.
cd, while an oyster Is lowly organized
animal. Fish In zoology is u definite
word, and is applied to fishes or pisces
but its popular use In law or religion
may have a much more extended
meaning"
A RELIGIOUS POINT OF VIEW.
Speaking Uf the same subject
Cardinal Gibbons said: 1.-THE churcl
has always regarded nsh, oysters ant
crabs as belonging to the same genus
and therefore permissible as food OF
fast days and in Lent. They all liv'
In the water, and are all alike, cold
blM,dcd.
"Indced, the church permits thu
use for food VI nearly all kinds .
living creatures that are taken out o
the water, including tcrrapin. II
some sections the Law il stretched
notably ut New Orleans, where Ger
tain kind Of water fowl IL pcrmitte'
to be eaten on fast days, because |
has u flshy taste"
The annual circular defining tn
lcnten regulations In the archdioccs
OF Baltimore will be issued next weck
It will be In all respects, with the e,
cepti0n Of the date, like the cirsnla
Of last year, and will c0untenancc I'll
eating 0f oysters on fast days. Card
nal Gibbons said this will continue
be the case, even though 1t should b
decided by scientists that oysters Al
not Hsll.
| CONSIDERED LEGALLYs
| City Counselor Thomas G. Hay,
discussed the subject from u lcg'
point Of view, saying: Oysters,
should unl,csitatingfy say are Isl
| Whether they arc Or not Is not y
open question, since Wharton "
Wise. l63 U. S., 10. In that Gus
Wharton, a Mary lander, was arreste
for taking oysters on tho Virginia sid
lof the P.cvmuke Sound. The con
| puct Of l7so, under which Wharton
was arrested, In terms only referrc'
| to fishing 10 the Potomac river an
Pocon,oke Saund. The Suprcul
Court say: 1T Is conceded that III
right II nshinx when both nOatiu
nsh and shell nsh.' And In not quail
1ed extends " the taking Of xn0th'
part Of tue c0urts 0plni0n, In speA
Ing Ut tito powers of Virginia
PUc0m0ke Sound, says that State h
power 70 pass I'll necessary laws 4
| the prOtcctl0n u nkh therein. wlcth
| fl0ating " she'll The court "A IN
oplnlon clearly puts oysters n u
genus nsh, Designating the tWo 6oci
~ fl0ating tlsl ard shell asll. ! sg