34 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



expense in bringing the young oysters from the 

 Atlantic, and they are anxious to get their money 

 back as soon as possible. And in the second 

 place, oysters, like many other creatures, have a 

 habit of dying after they have lived a few years, 

 and the owners would prefer to sell a hundred 

 dozen this 3^ear at thirty cents a dozen, rather 

 than run the risk of having only fifty dozen live 

 ones two years hence, worth even fifty cents a 

 dozen. 



Besides, the oyster has several enemies, some 

 of which are likely to break in upon the beds and 

 cause great destruction. One of these enemies is 

 the starfish, of which we will speak later, and 

 another is a big triangular fish with a huge 

 mouth that is so armed with teeth that he can 

 crush an oyster's shell and suck out the delicate 

 meat. This fish is called the Ray, and since he 

 has a sharp, bony thorn on his back, the boys 

 call him a sting-ray, or more commonly, a 

 stingaree. 



To keep these fishes out of the " oyster-pasture," 

 a close fence is made by driving poles or stakes 

 into the mud. This fence must extend entirely 

 around the portion of the bay which is to be 

 planted, and the stakes must be so close together 

 that the fishes cannot get through. They must be 



