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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9286, 23 August 1893, Page 5

The oyster ab the commencement of its career is ho small that 2,000,000 would only occupy a square inch. In six months each individual oyster is large enough to cover half-a crown, and in twelve months a crown piece. The oyster is its own architect, and Iho shell grows as the fish inside grows, being never too small. It also bears its age upon its back, and it is as easy to tell the age of an oyster by looking at its shell as it is that of horses by looking at their teeth. Everyone who has handled an oyster-shell must have noticed the successive layers overlapping each other. These are technically termed shots, and each one marks a year's growth, so that by counting them the aye of the oyster can bo determined. Up to the time of its maturity—that is, when four years of age—the shots are regular and successive, bub after that time they become irregular, and are piled one upon another, so that the shell become bulky and thickened. Fossil oysters have been seen of which each shell was nine inches thick, whence they may bo guessed to be more than 900 years old. One or two million oysters are produced from a single parent, and their scarcity may be accounted for by the fact that man is not the only oyster-eating animal. The star-fish loves the oyster, and preys upon ib unceasingly. A variety of whelk is also very fond of young oysters, to pet at which it bores right through the shell and sucks the fish up through the hole thus made. j ■

Business men know only too well that weary, tired feeling which is the advance Rgeiil; of " brain-fagthe best tonic to be had is Klei.ti ie Blood kenewer. It will rapidly atinuiliite, .strunjjthen and restore, imparting a freshness and vitality, which is the product of only new blood.—3s 6d, all chemists.