OYSTERS AND SMALL CLAMS 55 



But all that kind of oysters have been dead for 

 thousands of years; possibly they were all dead be- 

 fore there was a man upon the earth. Yet we now 

 find their shells in the rocks, high up on the Coast 

 Range of mountains, in the western part of Fresno 

 County and in other localities. The name given to 

 these huge creatures is Ostrea titan. 



Long, long ago the ocean waves must have rolled 

 over these places, for the land was much lower then 

 than at present. Apparently the big oysters must 

 have had a comfortable life; but there came a 

 change, and the ocean beach was slowly lifted 

 up and gradually converted into a range of 

 mountains, while the sea swept away to the west- 

 ward. 



Well, after this age of change and disturbance 

 there came one of comparative quiet, and the oys- 

 ters of this new age were far smaller than those of 

 the old one. In fact, they were very little fellows, 

 with thin shells about as large as the petals of a big 

 rose. The meats were good eating, however, — Dr. 

 LeConte says that they were probably much better 

 flavored than the huge Tertiary oysters, — but so 

 small that a man needed about a hundred to make 

 a good meal. These "native oysters" now live all 

 along the coast, but those about Puget Sound are 

 especially good. In some parts of San Francisco 

 Bay their shells wash up on the shore and are gath- 

 ered in large quantities. They are sold for making 

 walks and for feeding to chickens. This native 

 species is named Ostrea lurida, Cpr., the Lurid 

 Oyster, There are two fairly distinct varieties. 



