150 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSCA. 



stones, showing the marks of having been subjected to 

 fire, but no weapons. The heap occupies an irregular 

 space of two hundred feet long, and sixty feet wide, 

 and ranges from six to eight feet deep. There are 

 various traditions as to the age of the heaps ; and it is 

 said, that ninety years ago a series of high tides cast 

 up the heap of shells from adjoining beds.* 



Dr. Schliemann found oyster-shells in large numbers 

 in the ruins of all the five prehistoric settlements at 

 Hissarlik, showing that oysters must have been a 

 favourite food with all the early settlers, and their 

 abundance in the first and oldest city is confirmed by 

 Professor R. Virchow.f 



In an old kitchen-midden, in the Andaman Is- 

 lands, close to the landing-place at Hoinfray's Ghat, 

 Mount Augusta, the valves of oysters Arcidoe. and 

 Cyrenidce, are found in abundance, but the present race 

 of Andamanese are stated by Mr. Ball not to eat oysters, 

 which suggests the idea that possibly there were dif- 

 ferent inhabitants of this portion of the island at some 

 former period. J Saint-Hilaire describes heaps of oyster 

 and other shells, bordering the river Piriqui-assii, near 

 Aldea Velha, which are without doubt kjokkenmodding?. 

 Similar shell-heaps, or Ostreiras, as they are called in 

 Brazil, are found on the coast of Sao Paulo, and on the 

 Ilha do Governador, in the Bay of Rio. They often 

 contain human remains, pottery, &c § 



At the present day the Baltic appears to be almost 

 the only sea where the oyster will not grow, a fact 



* ' Field,' February 4th, 1865. 



+ ' Trqja, 1 by Dr. Henry Schliemann, see note vi. p. 285. 

 X 'Jungle Life in India.' 



§ ' Scientific Results of Agassiz's Journey,' by Charles Fred. Hartt. 

 Note. 



