﻿OYSTER 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  CAROLINA. 
  

  

  319 
  

  

  strains 
  through 
  the 
  pores 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  tubes 
  the 
  food 
  particles 
  are 
  caught 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  gills 
  by 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  adhesive 
  slime, 
  which 
  covers 
  all 
  the 
  soft 
  parts 
  of 
  

   the 
  body. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  entangled 
  the 
  cilia 
  strike 
  against 
  them 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  

   as 
  to 
  roll 
  or 
  slide 
  them 
  along 
  the 
  gills 
  toward 
  the 
  mouth. 
  When 
  they 
  reach 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  gills 
  they 
  are 
  pushed 
  off 
  and 
  fall 
  between 
  the 
  lips, 
  and 
  these 
  

   again 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  cilia, 
  which 
  carry 
  the 
  particles 
  forward 
  until 
  they 
  slide 
  into 
  

   the 
  mouth, 
  which 
  is 
  always 
  wide 
  open 
  and 
  ciliated, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  draw 
  the 
  food 
  through 
  

   the 
  a^sophagus 
  into 
  the 
  stomach. 
  AVhenever 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  open 
  these 
  cilia 
  are 
  in 
  

   action, 
  and 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  oyster 
  is 
  breathing 
  a 
  current 
  of 
  food 
  is 
  sliding 
  into 
  its 
  

   mouth. 
  

  

  The 
  cilia 
  and 
  particles 
  of 
  food 
  are 
  too 
  small 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  without 
  a 
  microscope, 
  but 
  

   if 
  finely 
  powdered 
  carmine 
  be 
  sprinkled 
  over 
  the 
  gills 
  of 
  a 
  fresh 
  oyster, 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  carefully 
  opened 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  shallow 
  dish 
  of 
  sea 
  water, 
  careful 
  observation 
  

   will 
  show 
  that 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  colored 
  particles 
  touch 
  the 
  gills 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  slide 
  

   along 
  with 
  a 
  motion 
  which 
  is 
  quite 
  uniform, 
  but 
  not 
  much 
  faster 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  minute-hand 
  of 
  a 
  watch. 
  This 
  slow, 
  steady, 
  gliding 
  motion, 
  w'ithout 
  any 
  visible 
  

   cause, 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  striking 
  sight, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  care 
  the 
  particles 
  may 
  be 
  followed 
  

   up 
  to 
  and 
  into 
  the 
  mouth. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  trace 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  digestive 
  organs 
  the 
  visceral 
  mass 
  may 
  be 
  split 
  

   with 
  a 
  shai-p 
  knife 
  or 
  razor. 
  If 
  the 
  split 
  is 
  pretty 
  near 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  each 
  

   half 
  will 
  show 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  short, 
  folded 
  cesophagus, 
  running 
  upward 
  from 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  "and 
  the 
  irregular 
  stomach, 
  s 
  (see 
  cut) 
  with 
  thick, 
  semitransparent 
  walls, 
  

   surrounded 
  by 
  the 
  compact, 
  dark 
  -greenish 
  liver, 
  11 
  Back 
  of 
  the 
  liver 
  and 
  stomach 
  

   the 
  convoluted 
  intestine, 
  i, 
  will 
  be 
  seen, 
  cut 
  irregularly 
  at 
  several 
  points 
  by 
  the 
  

   section. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  accessory 
  organs 
  of 
  reproduction, 
  and 
  the 
  position, 
  form, 
  and 
  general 
  

   appearance 
  of 
  the 
  reproductive 
  organ, 
  plate 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  2, 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  both 
  sexes. 
  As 
  the 
  

   reproductive 
  organ 
  has 
  an 
  opening 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  spoken 
  of 
  

   as 
  double, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  ovster 
  it 
  forms 
  one 
  continuous 
  mass, 
  with 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  a 
  

  

  