696 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



rakes furnished with handles fifteen to twenty feet long. A 

 pair of these are mounted like a gigantic pair of scissors, the 

 pivot being nearer the rakes than the other end of the poles. 

 Taking an end of one of these poles in each hand, the fisher- 

 man sinks it to the bottom, opens it, and moves the handler 

 until a supply of oysters is scraped up between the rakes. 

 Then pulling up the instrument, he empties the oysters into 

 the bottom of his boat, and uses his rakes again. Millions of 

 dollar's worth of oysters is thus fished every year, and fleets ol 

 small sailing ships are constantly engaged in the traffic along 

 the coast. 



To an European, the American oyster at first appears enor- 

 mous, compared with those he is accustomed to. Their flavor 

 also is different ; they have not a peculiar copoerv taste 

 to which he is accustomed, and which most Americans in Eu- 

 rope dislike at first. A little practice, however, soon enables 

 the European to recognize the merit of our oysters, and they 

 become very fond of them. Both Thackaray and Dickens, 

 during their visits to this country, were loud in their praises 

 of the excellence of the oysters. 



The pearl oyster (Meleayrina maryaritifera\ is one of the 

 most iateresting and valuable of the varieties of the oyster. 

 The pearls are formed of the same substance which lines the 

 shells of so many shell-fish, and which as nacre, or mother of 

 pearl, is so well known for its iridescent beauty. It is depos- 

 ited by the animal K <ery thin layers, and it is the interference 

 of the rays of light in their reflection from this varying 

 surface which produces the phenomena of iridescence. It is 

 easy for any one to satisfy himself of this. Press a piece of 

 wax upon a piece of mother of pearl, or any other iridescent 

 body, and the surface of the wax when removed will itself ap- 

 pear iridescent. It has reproduced the fine lines of the irides- 

 cent body. Soap bubbles, being formed of films of the soapy 

 water, attain their brilliant coloring- from the sara* causa 



