Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-28
STORY OF AN OYSTER
TOLD By HIMSELF ABOUT HIMSELF
AND HIS TRIBE.

rho Trials and Tribulations Of the
succulent Bivalve From the Time
of Planting Until Ills Appearance
on the Fish ongcr's Counter.
There were about 100000 of us when,
Us tiny fakes of spawn-or "spat," as
the oyster spawn is caled-we floated
out into the water one day on "the
| lats."
At first we were white and apparent
" lifeless. Then we turned gray and
finally black. AT this stage we became
visibly alive. For several days we
hoated, the sport Of waves and tides.
Some Of my brothers were carried out
TO sea and so vanished; others were
swallowed by fish. At last we all be-
gan instinctively to sink toward the
bottom.
| Then began again terrible dcstruc-
ton Many fell on mud-the most fa-
tai thing a young oyster can do. These
persisted at once. Others attached
themselves to plants and weeds which
grow Mt the bottom Of the sea. They
lived for timc--so long at least as the
plant remained alive. Then, when the
plnnt died, they persisted as well.
Fortunately for myself. drlfted on
10 a bit Of "cnltch"--that Is to say. one
of the old shells which the dredgers
and oyster men so carefully scatter all
over the sea floor of an oyster bed.
settled with my deep shell uppcrmost
and my fat or right shell nearer the
ground. At the time l did not know
why | did this. | have since realized
that It was because in that position I
should be more easily able to eject tho
sand and grit which n rough sea some
times stirs up in shallow water. at
tachcd myself firmly to my anchorage
Of "cultch" and felt myself at last fair
ly started in life
Soon noticed that every single NOR.
sol of shell or stone around me was
tcnanted by tiny oysters. all lying In
the same position rs myself and all
firmly anchored
There l lay, unmoving. for nearly a
year Food, in the shape of tiny ami
malculr, which an oyster loves best
was plentiful. When the waite, was
thick with 1t. we all opened our shells
Widc. and making currents in the wa.
ter by means of the tiny hairs which
fringe our gills and which men call ON
boards. we washed the dainties into
our mouths our choicest dclicac Giles
were the minute green align. which
give to full grown oysters that grccniSl
tinge that IS the mark of the aristo
cratic native.
When first anchored myself. I was
but the twentieth of an inch in diane
tcr-so small. indeed. that n microscope
would have been necessary to examine
me- AT that stage my shell was per
fcctly transparent.
At the end of ten months I had in
creased In diameter to fully the siz,
of n dime and become what is called
brood"
During all this time had been learn
ing many things. found out that I
was necessary to close my shell tiCh
| when dangers Of various kinds threat
cncd. when the tide was low or, in win
ter, when frost was severe. You ma!
perhaps imagine TINT an oyster is :
creature OF such low organism that i
cannot see or feel much of what is go
ing on round about it. But you ar
wrong. The mantle fringe Of nm oyste
Is very sensitive. If you watched III
from n boat in calm water. you woult
sec that the mere shadow of the boa
crossing an oyster bed will cause thos'
Of US upon whom it falls 10 close OIL
shells Immediately.
II was necessary to be most careful
Dangers We're many and terrible Set
urchins prowlod among lis and dc
vourcd many. But Of all our foes tn
worst is the five fingered starfish. ON
OF my sisters. anchored not yar'
away. fell victim to this terror 0
the oyster beds. 1t clutchcd her witt
It's long fingers She closed her she'll.
But the creature was not to be shnk
en- off. Hour after hour ii chung Their
until on tho second day after It's mrs
grip she. poor thing. opened her Shel
to gel mouthful OF food. AT once tn
starfish injected into her fluid whicl
stupetcd her so that she could no
close again. Then the monster turned
Itself inside ont. shot Itself into tn
open shell anl dcvoured her
1hcn. ono day Il year after l hat
foatod rs "spat." came n startlin
change in MY existence. Somethin
huge and heavy came out of the shad
ow Of a boat abov" and approached
raspng and grating along the bnttor'
1t was Il great triangular drcdge o
wrought iron. At the bottom was
fla: bar with n blunt edge, known t
the drcdgcrs as tho bit
AZ tho "bit" approached it scrapc'
the bottom Of tho sea clean. and ncv
instant |. too. found myself lifted an
dropped into the net together wit
hundreds like myself and Il msce
lanoous collection of small solcs an
other things.
one Of the mon sorted over the cat"
and. having selected all the oyster
and spat. "shndcd' the rest back int
the sea throuch a portfolio.
|. in company with enormous qual
"wash"-a mo0s sure holding five and
quarter gallons-and rclad. Here If
was less cNcntful and food most plcl
tiful. TO fattcn we'll an oyster mus
have a certain amount Of fresh water
In this snug retreat l passed frol