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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



that lay -with its valves open, in consequence of which it became shut 

 up a prisoner by the closing of the shell. In this case, however, the 

 shanny was more fortunate than the one taken the other day, for it is 

 stated that in this condition of confinement the fish had continued so 

 long that the oyster had been dredged and carried to a considerable 



SHANNT CAUGHT BT MUSSEL. 



distance. Upon opening it, the captive was again set free alive, and 

 without injury. Shanny are very retentive of life, and would be found 

 nice additions to salt-water aquaria. 



In our columns some years ago was recorded an even more extraor- 

 dinary capture than either of the above, by Mr. Frank Buckland. As 

 doubtless many of our readers have not seen it, we reproduce Mr. 

 Buckland's remarks and the illustration which appeared at the time : 



" Some time since, when examining the famous oyster-beds at Hel- 

 ston, near Falmouth, Mr. Fred Hill, of Helston, was kind enough to 

 accompany me and my friend Mr. Howard Fox, of Falmouth, in our 

 expedition. Mr. Hill mentioned to me at the time that he had a curi- 

 ous specimen of a bird that had been caught by an oyster. The bird 

 and oyster had been mounted in a case by Mr. Vingor, of Penzance. 

 I have received from Mr. Hill a photograph of the above event, which 

 I have since had engraved as above. The history is, that a woman who 

 sells oysters went one morning to the Helford River and found the bird 

 a common rail dead, with its beak held quite firmly by the oyster, 

 which was still alive. 



" The bird in all probability was wandering along the foreshore 

 looking for his dinner, and Mr. Oyster possibly left longer by the tide 

 than usual was opening his shells waiting the incoming water. The 

 hungry rail, seeing something that looked like a white and dainty bit 

 of food, pecked at the body of the oyster, and probably pricked him 

 sharply with his beak. The oyster then snapped his shells together as 



