82 | Beautiful Shells. 
Again, by this allusion to the “tucking in” of 
Oysters, a phrase more expressive than polite, we 
have recalled to memory the saying of a quaint old 
uthor, that they are “ungodly, uncharitable, and 
unprofitable meat: ungodly, because they are eaten 
without grace; uncharitable, because they leave 
nothing but shells; and unprofitable, because they 
must swim in wine.” Not, generally, however, are 
they eaten in this luxurious manner; a little pepper 
and vinegar is all that they commonly get in the 
way of sauce, and those who swallow them thus 
accompanied, seem to do so with infinite relish. A 
very long chapter, if not a whole book, might be 
written about the historical associations of Oysters, 
for which our country has been famous, as far back 
as the time of the first Roman invasion ; much, too, 
might be said about the Oyster beds and fisheries, 
which give employment to thousands of our indus- 
trious population ; but all this has so little to do with 
natural history, that we can find no excuse for 
dwelling upon it here. It is quite within the range 
of our subject, however, to state that the “ spat”? or 
“ spawn” of the Oyster is cast about the beginning 
of May: at first it resembles a drop of greenish 
tallow, but by the aid of the microscope it may be 
seen to consist of a great number of minute parti- 
