38 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQTJAKIUM. 



Court of England, in days of old, threatened a severe 

 penalty upon those " that do not tread under their 

 feet, or throw upon the shore, a fish which they call 

 a Five-finger, resembling a spur-rowel, because that 

 the fish gets into the Oyster when they gape open, 

 and suck them out." 



The question as to whether it preys upon the 

 Oyster or not, has given occasion to no small discus- 

 sion even amongst scientific men. Some deny the 

 alleged fact altogether, while less sceptical observers 

 are unable to understand the mode in which the Star- 

 fish could injure an animal apparently so capable of 

 self-defence as the Oyster. According to certain 

 authors, the Star-fish encircles the Oyster with its 

 " five fingers," and by some clever process of suction 

 destroys the unfortunate mollusc. Others, again, 

 maintain that the first step of the attack is the injec- 

 tion of some marine chloroform between the shells of 

 the Oyster, and that, during the insensibility that 

 follows, the Star-fish effects an entrance. 



Such are the opinions of learned authorities upon 

 the matter ; but the young zoologist may be reminded, 

 that he will occasionally obtain some trustworthy 

 hints from a class who make no pretence to scientific 

 accuracy namely, fishermen. Some of these, with 

 whom I have conversed, are of the same opinion as 

 Bishop Spratt, and believe that when the Oyster is 

 gaping the Star-fish insinuates a finger, and hastily 

 scrapes out the delicious bonne bouche; nay, further, 

 maintain that the Star-fish is far from being at all 



