34 THE OYSTER. 



The oyster is an hermaphrodite animal, and hence its 

 propagation is eJffccted by self-produced eggs, which it 

 bears within in the form of a greenish milky juice 

 which it casts as spat in May, and which, as has already 

 been stated, in this country is protected by mse and 

 prudent acts of the Legislature. ''The liquor in the 

 lower shell of the oyster," says a writer in No. 587 of 

 the '' Family Herald," ''if viewed through a microscope, 

 will be found to contain multitudes of small oysters, 

 covered with shells and swimming nimbly about — 120 

 of which extend about an inch ! Besides these young 

 oysters, the liquor contains a variety of animalcules." 

 Indeed, with the aid of a microscope one million of 

 young have been discovered in a single oyster. Guarded 

 by their two tender shells,, these swim freely in the sea 

 when ejected by the parent oyster, until, by means of 

 a glutinous substance, they fix themselves so fast to 

 some object that they can be separated only by force. 

 These young are very soon able to produce others, 

 many say at four months after their birth. When the 

 oyster attains the size of a crown the shell is still very 

 tender and thin ; it is only after the second, third, oi 

 fourth year that it becomes fit for human food. 



If we cannot answer the Fool's question in Lear, and 

 " tell how an oyster makes his shell," we can, neverthe- 

 less, tell by his shell what is his age. 



"A London oysterman," says a correspondent oJ 

 jS"©. 623 of the " Family Herald," " can tell the ages 

 of his flock to a nicety. The age of an oyster is 

 not to be found out by looking into its mouth 

 It bears its years upon its back. Everybody whc 



