ing. In some places this shell is used as food for swine and other 

 animals, and it is said to be preyed upon by starfishes as Avell as by 

 gastropod mollusks." 



While Professor Parker was telling us about the Donax and Mactra, 

 George had walked ahead, and w r e suddenly heard him call to us. 

 "Come over here," said he, "here is a whole case of razor clams, and 

 some of them are very large ! ' We hastened to his 

 side, the Professor smiling at his enthusiasm. "Yes," 

 said the Professor, " these are the razor clams, or 

 ' spout fishes, 1 so called from their habit of spout- 

 ing water when disturbed. There are about thirty-five 

 species in this family, living in all seas except the 

 Arctic. They burrow in the sand, at extreme low 

 water mark, at an angle of about sixty degrees. They 

 are said never to voluntarily leave their burrows, and 

 if removed will instantly bury themselves again. They 

 are great diggers, and the collector must indeed be 

 agile who can catch one of these creatures when 

 it once starts to bury itself deeper in the sand. This 

 clam is said to be an excellent article of food when 

 cooked, and the fishermen of Naples have a unique 

 method of catching it. They wade out to where the 

 water is shallow, and feel for the Solen with the foot. 

 When the clam is felt, it is caught between the great 

 toe and the next one and fished up. Frequently the 

 fishermen's feet are badly lacerated (although pro- 

 tected by linen bands) by the sharp shell of the Solen 

 in its frantic efforts to bury itself out of harm's way. 

 It has been known to bury itself to a depth of three 

 feet below the surface. 



"We must not forget to see the different kinds 

 of clams, since we gathered such a nice lot of the 

 soft-shelled ones on our last excursion. There are 

 not many species of the genus Mya, and they are 

 rather small, and confined to northern seas. It is 

 said that the large walrus feeds entirely upon clams, 

 and various species of crabs love the esculent bivalves. A related genus 

 contains some large species, the most notable being the Washington 

 clam, Tresus nuttall'd, whose shell is ten inches long, and whose siphon 

 reaches the astounding length of two feet, and is of correspondingly 

 large diameter. This clam inhabits the western coast of the United 



79 



Ensis directus, a 

 razor shell which lives 

 on the eastern shores 

 of the United States. 

 (Ball.) 



