PERILS OF THE OYSTER. 2 19 



What a world of beautiful expression and of moving 

 sympathy for this humble Martyr of the Sea, bounded per- 

 haps in a nutshell's space of heart-born eloquence, would 

 that Master-Mind have jewelled in some undying Hymn to 

 The Almighty Architect, who framed this Ocean's Mockery 

 of Earthly Meekness ! Note well how the small, weak, 

 light, harmless, delicious-tasting creature, has locked the 

 doors of its calcareous house, and that so securely that you 

 cannot open them save with violence. How insignificant 

 it looks ! this headless animal ! Possessed of a nervous 

 system of great simplicity, we cannot expect an oyster to 

 be a highly-gifted animal ; its sensibilities are obscure and 

 its instincts limited ; nevertheless, as has been well ob- 

 served 



"The enjoyments even of the oyster are not so few 

 and unvaried as on a first glance we might deem they were. 

 Among the numberless happy creatures which crowd our 

 world, the shell-fish, and the still more helpless ascidiae, 

 play, it is true, no obtrusive part, yet neither do they mar 

 the scene by their deprivations. The performance of every 

 function with which their Creator has endowed them, 

 brings with it as much pleasure and happiness as their 

 organisation admits of ; in the gentle agitation of the 

 water which floats around them, in its varied temperature, 

 in the work of capturing their prey, in the imbibition and 

 expulsion of the fluid necessary to respiration, &c., they 

 will find both business and amusement ; and in due season 

 love visits even these phlegmatic things, whose 'icy bosoms 

 feel the secret fire.' 



But this imaginary young oyster of ours. What shall 

 we do with it ? Well, were we in English waters we 

 should throw it back into its native element, and leave it 

 to grow to edible maturity ; but you will please to bear in 



