82 Beautiful Shells. 



Again, by this allusion to the " tucking in" of 

 Oysters, a phrase more expressive than polite, we 

 have recalled to memory the saying of a quaint old 

 uthor, that they are u ungodly, uncharitable, and 

 unprofitable meat: ungodly, because they are eaten 

 without grace; uncharitable, because they leave 

 nothing but shells ; and unprofitable, because they 

 must swim in wine." Not, generally, however, are 

 they eaten in this luxurious manner; a little pepper 

 and vinegar is all that they commonly get in the 

 way of sauce, and those who swallow them thus 

 accompanied, seem to do so with infinite relish. A 

 very long chapter, if not a whole book, might be 

 written about the historical associations of Oysters, 

 for which our country has been famous, as far back 

 as the time of the first Eoman invasion ; much, too, 

 might be said about the Oyster beds and fisheries, 

 which give employment to thousands of our indus- 

 trious population; but all this has so little to do with 

 natural history, that we can find no excuse for 

 dwelling upon it here. It is quite within the range 

 of our subject, however, to state that the " spat " oit 

 €e spawn" of the Oyster is cast about the beginning 

 of May : at first it resembles a drop of greenish 

 tallow, but by the aid of the microscope it may be 

 seen to consist of a great number of minute parti- 



