I I go OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



Or the coast lobster (feeding in the deep waters of 

 open bays, where the ground is covered with thick kelp 

 and other substantial marine weeds, rich in lime and other 

 salts), which has a dark shell, often prettily variegated 

 with green and other colours, but is less brittle, being 

 largely composed of calcareous matter. 



Or, finally, the larger, powerful deep-sea lobster, which 

 (frequenting calcareous bottoms, where the water and plants 

 are still more highly charged with lime,) has a hard, thick 

 shell, well developed all over its body, whilst its flesh is 

 more delicate than that of the coast lobster, illustrating the 

 usual rule that the flesh of fish and shell-fish improves in 

 proportion to the depth of the water habitually frequented 

 by the animal. 



To impress the great importance of this upon the 

 reader's mind, I may say that if a child is not supplied with 

 proper nourishment, notably lime, for the proper forma- 

 tion of bone, development is arrested, inanition ensues in 

 the form of rickets, and probably consumption, which, 

 possibly conveyed to others, creates eventually a colony of 

 disease. 



Is it too much, then, to ask or believe that this may 

 apply to the lower scale of animals. It is natural to the 

 oyster to develope shell, the only protection it has against 

 the multitude of surrounding life, only too eager for devour- 

 ing such luscious food. 



(5.) By the removal of its many enemies, such as 

 cliona, star-fish, mussels, dog whelks, &c. 



(6.) By analysing the water. 



(7). By having clean beds, for it is better to have a 

 slight excess of carbonate of lime than a diffusion of 

 weeds, or objectionable matter. 



