Our viands

The aquarium has revealed to us a great deal with regard to these as well as to other denizens of the ' vasty deep,' and it is a most amusing and interesting sight to watch two lobsters stalking, with measured strides, on their toes across the sand of their tank, and sitting down opposite to each other in a threatening attitude, each apparently waiting for the other to commence hostilities, and both being too lazy to begin ; whilst the frisky little shrimps go darting through the water at full speed as though bound on an errand of life or death. The fisher- men at Gordon Haven say, according to Mr. Peach, that they have often seen the old lobsters with their young ones playing around them, and that when they have found themselves watched, the mother lobster would give a danger-signal by rattling her claws, whereupon they would all rush to shelter under the rocks. FISH 141 Almost all these Crustacea change colour in boiling — a fact now known to everybody, but we have probably all heard the story of the great artist who, in painting the miraculous draught of fishes, took his models from the fishmonger's shop, and, all unconsciously, painted his lobsters red. Upon his error being pointed out to him he coolly exclaimed, 'That makes it all the greater miracle.' It is also well known that all these Crustacea cast their shells, and just before and after this performance they are soft and watery, and so unfit to eat ; but the hermit crab never possessed a shell on the hinder part of the body, so he requisitions disused shells of various species of molluscs, and uses them as his habitation, changing from time to time as need or inclination dictates. Among molluscs we find many dainty morsels, the prime favourite being the oyster. Nothing can exceed the delicate flavour of a ' Whitstable native,' but, unfortunately, not- withstanding the laudable efforts of the late Frank Buckland to preserve and cultivate this oyster, it continues scarce and dear, ' natives ' which come from beds at Whitstable, Rochester, Melton, Colchester, Burnham, and a few other places, being seldom, if ever, to be had under half-a- crown a dozen. There are, however, other kinds, such as the Anglo-Dutch, which are brought from abroad and laid down in English waters, which are cheaper, and fairly good j and, of late, deep sea oysters, in great, rough, heavy shells, but of good flavour, have been sold as low as sixpence a dozen. We get also great numbers of cheap American oysters — blue points— relished by some people, but the flavour of which does not commend itself to palates used to English ' natives.' There are such vast beds of oysters on the 142 OUR VIANDS shores of some of our Colonies — notably at the Cape — that we cannot help thinking a great industry might be developed in exporting them to Europe. Even in days when travelling was so slow that it probably took longer for vessels to come from Italy to Britain than it now does from the Cape, the Romans contrived to transport the highly-prized British oyster to gratify the palate of Roman epicures; and Juvenal speaks of the taste of one who — ' At the first bite each oyster's birthplace knew, Whether a Lucrine or Circsean he'd bitten, Or one from Rutupinian deeps in Britain.' *