THE OTSTEE. 37 



CHAPTEE Y. 



THE OYSTER IX ITS XEW SETTLE3IEXT. 



Dredg-ing for Oysters ; Oyster-beds and their formation ; Sergins 

 Orata ; Pliny the Elder ; Baia and the Lucrine Sea ; Roman 

 Epicurism and Gluttony; Martial and Horace, Cicero and 

 Seneca ; Masticate Oysters, and do not bolt them whole ; 

 Mediterranean and Atlantic Oysters ; Agricola and the 

 Eutupians ; Apicius Coelins, Trajan, Pliny, and the Viva- 

 rium. 



rpHE Oyster does not leave his home like the duckling, 

 -*- upon the call of '' come here and be killed/' If he 

 is wanted, like 'Mr^. Glasse's hare, we must '* first catch- 

 him." This is done by dredging, and this dredging for 

 oysters is performed by means of rakes and scrapers, on 

 which is fastened a bag of sail-cloth, leather, or net-work. 

 These are lowered into the sea by means of ropes and 

 chains, and are dragged along its bottom by boats in full 

 sail, or by rowing-boats. When the net or scraper is 

 drawn to the surface, the oysters are immediately 

 separated from all else which may be swept up. These 

 oysters are then stowed away and sent up to market in 

 due course. But it is not of these that are formed the 

 new settlements or oyster-beds, which I am about to 

 describe. 



These oyster-beds are cavities or reservoirs which com- 

 municate with the sea by means of canals, and are placed 

 in such manner that the level beds remain diT when 



