THE CLAM AND OTHER BIVALVED SHELL-FISH. 61 



In fact, there are not so many, for the Indians used to be 

 fond of clams. This is proved by the multitude of clam- 

 shells forming heaps along our shores from Nova Scotia to 

 New Jersey ; and now the white man is a great lover of 

 clams, eating them all the year round, not even giving the 

 clams a chance to breed during the forty days in early au- 

 tumn ; so that, upon the whole, the poor clam is in danger, 

 through our ignorance and carelessness, of dying out. Its 

 life in its hole seems an easy one ; but between human 



. 



FIG. 61. The enemies of the clam. A. the clam-worm (the line by the side 

 represents the length). B, the drill (natural size). 



clam-diggers and certain fish, such as flounders and eels 

 and skates, which also dig them out of their holes, or snap 

 them up if found away from home, and various other ene- 

 mies, some of which live in their shells, or at least are 

 troublesome boarders, the clam of late years, at least, has 

 had a hard time of it. 



One of these boarders which may be a great nuisance is 

 the clam-worm, which is sometimes found within the shell. 

 But the most deadly foes of the clam are certain snails, 

 like the oyster-drill (Fig. 61), which bores holes through 

 the shell, and kills the animal, feeding on its flesh. 



