THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 243 



Colander. — A large perforated tin basiu, similar to the cooking utensil of the same name, onlj- three or four 



times as large, in which the oysters are washed. 

 Conch. — Various large, univalved, and si)irHl inollusks, particularly Fulriur rarim. 

 Coon-heel. — A long, slim oyster. (Connecticut.) See Razor-blade, Shanghai, Babbifs-ears. 

 Coon Oystee. — Small, shapeless, worthless stock, growing in heavy clusters along the salt marshes, or forming 



great bars. (Southern coast.) At Cai)e May the word is restricted to young oysters caught on the sedges. 

 Cot. — See Finger stall. (Baltimore.) 



Count. — I. Method of selling oystei's in Philadelphia and Kew York, by enumeration instead of measurement. 

 Count. — II. In respect to terrapins, one of full size, i. e., six inches long; two or three small ones will make a "count". 



(Savannah.) 

 Count-clams. — Quahaugs large enough to count 800 to the barrel. (Kcyport, New Jersey.) 

 Cote-oystee. — " The term coi-c-oyster has a trade-signification differing from that in which it is understood by 



the oysterman. The packer, by cove-oysters, simply means steamed oysters packed in hermetically sealed cans. 



They may be, in fact they are, of any and every size and quality. By 'cove-oysters' the oysterman means the 



single oysters scattered through the bays and creeks and old iilanting-grounds, occurring too sparsely to be 



taken by the ordinary methods of tonging. When the water is clear and smooth the oysterman moves slowly 



over those grounds, and when he ' sights ' an oyster, which he can readily do in from 4 to 7 feet water, or even 



more, he picks them up singly with a pair of nippers. These oysters, as might be expected, are large, fat, and of 



good shape. They class as 'selects' and bring 'top' i^rices in the market, from 60 cents to $1 per bushel." — 



Colonel M. McDonald. (Chesapeake bay.) 

 Coving. — The business of picking up "cove-oysters" (q. v.) with nippers. (Chesapeake.) 

 Ceackee. — One who opens oysters by first breaking the shell with a hammer. 

 Ceacking. — The breaking of the oyster-shell before extracting the oyster. See Brealcing. 

 Ceacking-ieon. — A piece of hard iron, ^ inch thick, 2 inches long, and 1 inch wide, set upright in the bench upon 



which the opener rests the oyster, while he breaks the edge of the shell off with his hammer. (Fairhaven.) 

 Ceawl. — I. A pen or corral made of upright stakes wattled together, intended to hold sponges while being cleaned j 



or turtles awaiting a market. (Florida.) 

 Ceawl. — II. The track of a sea-turtle to its nest. (Florida.) 



Cull-boy. — A boy who goes in the small boat with tongers to pick over the oysters.- (Virginia.) 

 CULL-BOAED. — A hea^'y board laid athwart the gunwales, or elsewhere, uijon which the oysters are broken apart 



and sorted. 

 CuLLENS. — See Ctillins. 



CuLLEE. — One who picks over oysters, or etills out the worthless and smaller ones ; usually a boy. 

 CULLINS. — See CuUings. 



CuLLiNGS. — The poorer oysters remaining after the culls have been picked out. 

 CuLLiNG-TOOL. — A straight, stout, blunt, but thin-edged instrument of steel, about 10 inches long, having the 



heavy butt wound with cord to form a handle, used for knocking and prying apart a ckister of oysters. It is 



like an exaggerated and very heavy oyster-knife. But various rougher tools, of no i^articular form, are used for 



the same purpose. 

 CuLLiNTEENS. — The smaller grade left after "extra", "box", and "cuU" oysters have been picked out. (Kor- 



walk.) Formerly called "bushel oysters". 

 CuxLS. — CuUed-out oysters ; the next to the poorest grade ; 4 to 5 years old. (Few Tork and East river.) 

 CuLTCH. — The shells, gravel, fragments of brick, or any other material placed in the water to catch the spawn of 



the oyster. See Cutch. 

 CuLTiTATE. — To raise oysters artificially from spawn, or from transplanted young. See Plant. 

 CuNNEE. — A canoe. (Chesapeake.) 

 CuTCH. — An American spelling of cuUch. 

 Cut-out. — I. To open oysters. (Providence river.) 



Cut-out. — II. In respect to scallops, to open them, or remove the edible part from the shells. (Rhode Island.) 

 CuTTEE. — One who opens scallops on the boat, as they are dredged, and extracts the edible portion. (New 



England.) 

 Deag. — I. See Dredge. (Norwalk.) 

 Deag. — II. To dredge. 

 Deag-eake. — A large, heavy rake, having teeth crowded and much curved, which is often dragged (principally in 



search of clams) like a dredge. (New England.) 

 Deck-head.— The Crepidula. (East river.) See Slipper-limpet, boat. 

 Designation. — The right to plant oysters on a certain piece of ground designated by oyster-commissioners or 



other authority (Connecticut) ; also, the plat of ground itself. 

 Devil-fish.— Cuttle-fishes, chiefly octopods. 



