Lobsters

Are best in May and June. If fresh the elasticity of the tail will be a marked feature. If boiled remember that good ones are very heavy for the size, and that medium-sized ones are the best flavored.

Crabs must be judged by weight; if good the joints will be stiff and the odor agreeable. Eyes dull and sunken betray staleness.

Oysters

The small varieties have most flavor and make better stews and soup; for frying, large ones are more convenient. Many people keep live oysters, in some cool place, the cellar floor being usually chosen for this purpose. Sprinkle them thoroughly, night and morning, with meal and water, which is thought to flavor and fatten them at the same time.