CONTENTS. IX 



XI. THE OYSTER. 



The OYSTER a favourite with the ancients "Oyster-enthusiasts" Professor 

 Wilson upon oysters Scallop-shells and oyster-grottoes Who first ate 

 an oyster? Physiology of the oyster Its mode of locomotion --- Deposit- 

 ing its spawn Longevity of the oyster Oyster-beds in the Thames At 

 Whitstable In the river Colne In the Firth of Forth Irish oyster- 

 beds Fattening oysters The science of oyster-culture Oyster-farms in 

 Italy At Lake Fusaro In England Facts about oyster-breeding 

 Oyster-farming in France The He de Rhe "parks" An oyster-farm at 

 Arcachon The secret of successful oyster-culture 238-268 



XII. PEARLS, AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL. 



The PEARL-OYSTER described Where found What is a pearl? Value set up- 

 on the pearl Its historical associations Some famous pearls How their 

 quality may be improved The pearl-fishery in Ceylon Divers and their 

 work Sifting the pearls British pearls Concluding remarks .. 269-284 



XIII. THE MUSSEL. 



Characteristics of the MUSSEL Its " byssus " described Its mode of loco- 

 motion Mussel-culture Story of the Irishman, Walton Mussel-farm 

 in the Bay of Aiguillon What is a bouchot? Mussel-culture the staple 

 of an important industry Fresh-water mussels .................. 285-294 



XIV. THE HOLOTHURIA, TREPANG, OR SEA-CUCUMBER. 



Natural history of the HOLOTHURIA, or SEA-CUCUMBER How it is fished 

 for The fishery on the Australian coast Its principal processes de- 

 scribed Trepang-fishery. in the Gulf of Manaar The European holo- 

 thuria 295-303 



XV THE SHARK. 



Description of the SHARK Kightly called the "ocean-pirate" Held in 

 abhorrence by the ancients Pliny's account of the divers and the shark 

 General hatred with which it is regarded A Sicilian scene Charac- 

 teristics of the shark The construction of its eye explained Sharks in 

 British waters The blue shark Its voracity The tenacity of life 

 The white shark described A pathetic story Fishing for sharks An 

 exciting event The shark comparatively worthless Its destructiveness 

 The neuse hound or cat-fish The thrasher or sea-fox The Greenland 

 shark The basking shark Hunting the sun-fish Characteristics of the 

 hammer-head shark" Sun-fishing" on the Irish coast A long chase 

 " Glorious sport " 304-337 



XVI. THE TURTLE. 



The TURTLE described The green or edible turtle How it is caught in the 

 Bahamas Green turtle in the Gallapagos Turtle and turtle-catching 

 at the Isle of Ascension In the East Indies Tortoise-shell The 

 hawksbill turtle Some interesting facts The coriaceous turtle The 

 loggerhead turtle Turtle in the South Seas 338-351 



