CURIOSITIES OF OYSTERS. 903 



stage of their existence, became agglutinated together by 

 the union of their convex valves. Thus they grew, accom- 

 modating themselves to each other, with a certain degree 

 of distortion, which, with the ruggedness of the surface of 

 each, and with a crop of acorn-shells affixed thereon, 

 produced a singular and not unpicturesque effect. At the 

 time when this specimen came into his hands the oysters 

 were living, and the valves were opened by the knife for the 

 ordinary purpose. 



Carew (b) mentioned an oyster that closed its shell 

 on three mice. Some years ago a dish of oysters was laid 

 in a cellar of the New Inn, at Ashburton, when one of 

 them, soon opening its shell, was instantly pounced on by 

 three mice, only, however, to be as quickly crushed by the 

 valves. The oyster, with the three mice dangling from its 

 shell, was long exhibited there as a curiosity. 



According to an old number of the Inverness Courier, 

 a still stranger capture was made by a molluscous animal. 

 At Ardinisgain, on Loch Carron, mussels of an immense 

 size are found, some of them nearly as large as a man's 

 shoe. One of these mussels being left exposed by the 

 retiring tide, naturally enough opened its yawning mouth 

 when the sunbeams fell upon it, and in this attitude it was 

 approached by a prowling fox, whose hunger was sharper 

 than his discretion. The temptation was too strong for 

 Reynard to withstand ; but no sooner had he thrust in his 

 tongue between the accommodating shells than they closed 

 upon it, and he was thus held fast till drowned by the 

 returning tide. 



I think I cannot do better than include in this chapter 

 the story of the " whistling oyster." One day in the year 



(b) History of Cornwall. 



