MARINE MISCELLANEA. 



249 



cherry-stones grow outside the fruit ; 

 flies eat the spider, and oysters grow 

 on trees, cum multis aliis. The last- 

 named quotation alone invites present 

 attention. The circumstance of oysters 

 growing upon trees is both illustrated 

 and described at some length in the 

 writer's previous volume. The two 

 descriptions of Mangroves, Rhizopkora 

 mucronata and Aricennia offirinalis, 

 popularly known as the Red and 

 White Mangroves, are there shown 

 to be the trees to which the Austra- 

 lian Rock Oysters most systematically 

 adhere. In the case of the Red 

 Mangrove, the oysters are usually 

 attached to the arched many-branch- 

 ing aerial shoots characteristic of that 

 species which are left high and dry 

 with every fall of the tide. When 

 growing on the White Mangrove, the 

 oysters adhere chiefly to the innumer- 

 able vertical respiratory shoots or 

 so-called " cobbler's pegs " that are 

 developed from the subterranean, 

 widely radiating, ordinary roots. 

 Commencing on these slender shoots, 

 the oysters frequently increase to 

 such an extent as to constitute solid 

 masses or banks of oysters that may 



be Several feet in thickneSS. Examples DWARF OYSTERS, Ostrtea ordmsis. ORD RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. NAT. SIZE. 



W. Satille-Kenl, Photo. 



II 



