Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/335

Rh the Earth hath the greater power, Brickel-Sea Pits green both Winter and Summer: and for a further proof, a Pit within a foot of a greening Pit will not green; and those that did green very well, will in time lose their quality.

The Oysters when the Tide comes in, lie with their hollow shell downwards, and when it goes out they turn on the other side; they remove not from their place unless in cold weather, to cover themselves in the Ouse.

The reason of the scarcity of Oysters, and consequently of their dearness, is, because they are of late years bought up by the Dutch.

There are great penalties by the Admiralty-Court, laid upon those that fish out of those grounds which the Court appoints, or that destroy the Cultch, or that take any Oysters that are not of size, or that do not tread under their feet, or throw upon the shore, a Fish which they call a Five-finger, resembling a Spur-rowel, because that fish gets into the Oysters when they gape, and sucks them out.

The reason why such a penalty is set upon any that shall destroy the Cultch, is because they find that if that be taken away, the Ouse will increase, and then Muscles and Cockles will breed there, and destroy the Oysters, they having not whereon to stick their Spat.

The Oysters are sick after they have Spat; but in June and July they begin to mend, and in August they are perfectly well: The Male-Oyster is black-sick, having a black Substance in the Fin; the Female white-sick (as they term it) having a milky Substance in the Fin. They are salt in the Pits, salter in the Layers, but saltest at Sea. Rh