THE NAUTILUS. 39 



materials used by the oyster planters for collecting the spat or form- 

 ing spawning-beds, certain shells were mentioned by him that were 

 systematically collected and sold to the oystermen. These shells 

 were locally known by the names given in the above title. On 

 looking into the matter, the " Quarter-decks " proved to be Crepi- 

 dula fornicata Linne, and the " Jingles " a species of Anomia, pre- 

 sumably A. simplex Orbigny. As popular names go, these are not 

 so bad, for there is a peculiar jingle produced by Auomia valves 

 when many are shaken together, and the septum in Crepidula con- 

 sidered in connection with the boat-like shape of the species, C. 

 fornicata, suggests a partially decked vessel. 



The abundance of these forms in the region referred to, is indica- 

 ted by the following data kindly furnished (July, 1889) by Dr. H. 

 M. Smith, of the Fish Commission, on " The Fertilization of Certain 

 Shell-fish at Greenport, N. Y., locally known as Mingles' and 

 ' Quarter-decks.' " 



Since 1880, these shells have been extensively used for the pur- 

 pose of forming spawning-beds for oysters, the idea of so employing 

 them having originated with Captain James Monsell, of Greenport. 

 The shells are taken with dredges between the first of October and 

 the first of July, and are sold by the fishermen to dealers at the rate 

 of four cents a bushel. At times they bring more, according to the 

 demand. A law prohibiting the taking of them between the first 

 of July and the first of October went into effect in 1888. The shells 

 lie on the docks until July, when they are taken to the planting 

 grounds and sold -to the oystermen. Unlike the scallops used for 

 the same purpose, the jingles and quarter-decks are not opened when 

 caught. 



The Crepidulas or quarter-decks being gastropods (univalves), no 

 opening is possible, and the two pieces or parts of the bivalve 

 Anomias or jingles, readily separate when dead and dry. The scal- 

 lop or Pecten shells (P. irradians Lam.) are opened in order to ex- 

 tract the meats, the sales of which yielded the men engaged in the 

 scallop-fishery of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, 

 principally the two first States, in the year 1892, $114,695, the pro- 

 duct of 137,284 bushels of this species of Pecten. The emptied 

 shells, a residual product, are utilized as before indicated. 



" Investigations by an agent of the U. S. Fish Commission show 

 that in 1887 there were taken 130,000 bushels of 'quarter-decks' 

 and 'jingles ' valued at $5,200. In 1888 the output of the fishery 



