FOOD FROM THE MOLLUSCA AND EADIATA, 413 



times the oyster has been esteemed a luxurious food 

 delicacy, and those of Lake Lucerne were renowned 

 among the Romans. 



Oysters are met with more or less plentifully in most 

 seas, but according to Dr. Senoner, those which have the 

 most pleasant flavour are only found in seas where the 

 proportion of salt is about 37 per cent. 



Almost all the species are edible, and they are 

 numerous. The oyster of Great Britain, however, has 

 always been held to be superior to those of other Euro- 

 pean countries. 



Among the various " unclean " animals enumerated in 

 the Levitical law those creatures of the water " that have 

 neither fins nor scales," are specifically mentioned, and 

 it may be argued that oysters do not come within this 

 category, but do we not speak of green-finned oysters, 

 and are not the shells virtually " scales " ? On the other 

 hand snails are specifically forbidden, and it is claimed 

 that oysters are really snails, but then snails might be 

 said to be covered by the prohibition of "creeping 

 things," and those that " go upon the belly," so that the 

 mention of snails ought not to be taken as including 

 more than those particular creatures. Altogether the 

 problem is as delicate as it is curious and interesting. 

 It ought to be met fairly and settled authoritatively. 



Oysters in England may be generally divided into 

 " Natives," '* Commons," and " Deep Sea " oysters. 

 These again are sub-divided into many kinds; which 

 it is not necessary here to describe or enumerate. The 

 great deep sea oyster banks are situated on patches 

 in the North Sea, especially off the Dutch coast, where 

 they catch enormous quantities and the quality is very 

 good. They fetch from 5s. to 7s. 6d. a box and there 

 are sixty to seventy oysters in a box. They are of two 

 kinds : 1st, handsome white-shelled oysters ; and 2nd, 

 heavy brown-shelled specimens, with black ink-like spots 

 on the shells. They are sold retail at one penny each. 



It is commonly supposed that these delicious esculents 

 are rich in iodine, and Dr, Champouillon, of Paris, in a 



