The Oyster. 79 
must be explained; abduce, coming from the Latin 
abduco, means to separate, to draw away. Hence 
we have abduction. During the life of an Oyster, 
the usual and natural state of the shell is that of 
being kept open for a little distance, to allow the 
water necessary for its nourishment and respiration 
to flow in and out; but as asecurity against danger, it 
was necessary to furnish the animal with the means 
of rapidly closing the shell, and retaining the valves 
in a closed state. These actions being only occa- 
sional, yet requiring considerable force, are effected 
by means of a muscular power, for which purpose 
one or two, or sometimes more, strong muscles are 
placed between the valves, their fibres passing 
directly across from the inner surface of one to that 
of the other, and firmly attached to both; and these 
are called the abductor muscles, because their office 
is to draw or pull. How strongly they do this, 
those whose business it is to open Oysters can best 
tell. If the animal within were not alive, the 
process would not be a difficult one, as in that case 
the muscles would be relaxed, and the shell would 
come open of itself, so that actually people who eat 
Oysters directly they are opened, swallow them 
“all alive-O !” 
If a pair of the shells from which the delicious 
