OSTREA. 315 



at all, on artificial beds, so that they require to be 

 constantly restocked ; and when they do spawn under 

 such circumstances, the fry are said seldom to come to 

 perfection. On their natural grounds they spawn pro- 

 fusely during the season, i. e. during the summer months. 

 The developing spawn is technically called " spat. 1 ' 



The oyster has not a few enemies. Star-fishes, espe- 

 cially the Uraster rubens and Solaster papposa, are sup- 

 posed to do great injury to the beds ; the dredgers call 

 them five-fingers. Whelks, called by the fishermen whelk- 

 tingle, or sting-winkle, are also said to do much damage, 

 perforate the shells with small holes, selecting especially 

 those of from one to two years 1 growth. They are popularly 

 supposed to strike directly for the heart of the oyster. That 

 most curious sponge, the Cliona, perforates the shell in 

 all directions, and directs its operations, with a won- 

 derful symmetry as we now know through the curious 

 investigations of Mr. Albany Hancock. Milne-Edwards 

 states that in some places on the coast of France the 

 oyster-beds run a risk of being destroyed through the 

 tube-constructing powers of certain Annelides (hermella), 

 becoming buried under masses of their curious habitations 

 framed of agglutinated particles of sand. 



In London, the chief consumption of common oysters is 

 from the 4th of August to January, and of natives from 

 October to March. The consumption is said to be greatest 

 during the hottest months after the commencement of the 

 oyster-season ; the warmer the weather, the more oysters 

 are consumed. They are brought to market in craft of 

 various sizes ; they are packed in bulk closely in the 

 hold ; in some cases a cask of salt water is kept from 

 which to sprinkle them superficially. Those that come 

 by rail are packed with their convex shells downwards 



