4 HISTORY OF THE OYSTER. 



Aldrovand, in his voluminous work published in 

 1606, quotes tlie account of Sergius Grata from 

 Pliny, and also an account of the luxury of vEsop's 

 son in eating oysters. This author's account is alto- 

 gether indeed very amusing. 



Jonston, in his ' Historia Naturalis de Exsangui- 

 bus Aquaticis,' published in 1657, gives a wonder- 

 ful story of the earth having subsided in the time 

 of the war with INIithridates, when lakes and rivers 

 appeared, some fresh and others salt, stocked with 

 oysters and fish. He also gives an account of the 

 manner in which the crab enters the shell of the 

 oyster, by inserting a stone between the valves when 

 open, and devouring the fish at leisure. The Ponti- 

 fical suppers in ancient Rome appear to have begun 

 with echini, or sea-eggs, and oysters. 



Dacosta's work, ' Historia Naturalis Testaceorum 

 Britannise,' appears to have furnished matter for most 

 of the modern works on the Oyster. He mentions, 

 quoting from Jacob's ' History of Paversham,' that a 

 company of free dredgers existed there in the time of 

 Henry II. (1154), and that they paid for their right 

 the sum of twenty-three shillings and fourpence 

 annually to the Crown ; — that two annual Admiralty 

 or Water Courts were held for the fisheries and of the 

 oyster-trade, which, he says, received generally about 

 £3000 from the Dutch. The same author states, 

 " that from the mouths or entrances of Sandwich Bay 



