198 OYSTER CULTURE. 
mother oyster. By an admirable provision of nature, 
this milky fluid now begins to dry up and thicken, form- 
ing a paste which deposits upon the ova exactly what is 
necessary to form a delicate shell in a few hours, when 
brought into contact with the salt water by expulsion 
from the shell of the parent oyster. No sooner is one 
brood thus sent out into the world of waters to shift for 
itself, than this process is immediately repeated, and it is 
known that an adult oyster produces between two and 
three million of young during a season. 
Although the oyster is so remarkably prolific, the 
“spat” or “spawn” has so many enemies who feast upon 
it, and there are so many chances against its safely finish- 
ing the second year,—when it is tolerably safe,—that 
an average of less than one-tenth is permitted to attain a 
merchantable size. 
The spawn does not escape of its own accord from the 
mother oyster, but is expelled (Jancé) with considerable 
force, forming at first a grayish cloud which soon dis- 
perses and disappears by motion of the water and by in- 
dividual action, as each young oyster—gifted with slight 
filial affection—seems eager to remove as far as possible 
from its parent and the place of its birth, and fearlessly 
swims away, henceforward to take care of itself and find 
its own means of existence. These independent little 
ones are provided with a special locomotive apparatus,— 
which is at the same time an organ of respiration, and 
perhaps of hearing and of vision,—by means of which 
they disperse themselves at the proper time in search of 
some hard and solid body like a stone, a branch, or a 
shell to which they can attach themselves and “settle 
down” for life. | 
“Nothing is more curious and more interesting,” says 
