TliG Oyster-. 79 



must bo explained ; abducej coming from tlie Latin 

 dbduco, means to separate, to draw away. Henco 

 we have ahthiction. During the life of an Oyster, 

 the usual and natural state of the shell is that of 

 being kept open for a little distance,, to allow the 

 water necessary for its nourishment and respiration 

 to flow in and out ; but as a security against danger, it 

 was necessary to furnish the animal with the means 

 of rapidly closing the shell, and retaining the valves 

 in a closed state. These actions being only occa- 

 sional, yet requiring considerable force, are effected 

 by means of a muscular power, for which purpose 

 one or two, or sometimes more, strong muscles are 

 placed between the valves, their fibres passing 

 directly across from the inner surface of one to that 

 of the other, and firmly attached to both ; and these 

 are called the abductor muscles, because their oflBce 

 is to draw or pull. How strongly they do this, 

 those whose business it is to open Oysters can best 

 tell. If the animal within were not alive, the 

 process would not be a difiicult one, as in that case 

 the muscles would be relaxed, and the shell would 

 come open of itself, so that actually people who eat 

 Oysters directly they are opened, swallow them 

 '^allalive-0!'' 



If a pair of the shells from which the delicious 



