88 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



the auxiliary cat boat will take the place of the sail boat in the scallop 

 fishery. 



II. Preparing the Scallop for Market. (1) The "Eye." — The 

 edible part of the scallop is the large adductor muscle. The rest of 

 the animal is thrown away, though in certain localities it is used as 

 fish bait and in others for fertilizer. Why the whole of the animal 

 is not eaten is hard to say. Undoubtedly all is good, but popular 

 prejudice, which molds opinion, has decreed that it is bad, so it is 

 not used as food. This is perhaps due to the highly pigmented and 

 colored portions of the animal. Nevertheless, there is a decided possi- 

 bility that in the future we shall eat the entire scallop, as well as the 

 luscious adductor muscle. 



The adductor muscle is called by the dealers and fishermen the " eye," 

 a name given perhaps from its important position in the animal, and 

 its appearance. The color of the " eye," which has a cylindrical form, 

 is a yellowish white. 



(2) The Shanties. — The catch of scallops is carried to the shanty 

 of the fisherman, and there opened. These shanties are usually grouped 

 on the dock, so the catch can be readily transferred. Inside of these 

 shanties, usually 20 by 10 feet or larger, we find a large bench 3 

 to 3% feet wide, running the length of the shanty, and a little more 

 than waist high. On these benches the scallops are dumped from the 

 baskets or bags, and pass through the hands of the openers. Under 

 the bench are barrels for the shells and refuse. 



(3) The Openers. — The openers are usually men and boys, though 

 occasionally a few women try their hand at the work. Of late years 

 there has been a difficulty in obtaining sufficient openers, and the scal- 

 lopers often are forced to open their own scallops. The openers are 

 paid from 20 to 30 cents per gallon, according to the size of the 

 scallops. One bushel of average scallops will open 2V2 to 3 quarts 

 of " eyes." An opener can often open 8 to 10 gallons in a day, making 

 an excellent day's work. The price now paid is more than double that 

 paid in 1880, which was 12 1 /2 cents per gallon. Some openers are 

 especially rapid, and their deft movements cause a continual dropping 

 of shells in the barrel and " eyes " in the gallon measure. 



(4) Method of opening the Scallop. — The opening of a scallop re- 

 quires three movements. A flat piece of steel with a sharp but rounded 

 end, inserted in a wooden handle, answers for a knife. The scallop 

 is taken by a right-handed opener in the palm of the left hand, the 

 hinge line farthest away from the body, the scallop in its natural rest- 

 ing position, the right or smooth valve down. The knife is inserted 

 between the valves on the right-hand side. An upward turn with a cut- 

 ting motion is given, severing the " eye " from the upper valve, while 

 a flirt at the same moment throws back the upper shell. The second 

 motion tears the soft rim and visceral mass of the scallop and casts 

 it into the barrel, leaving the " eye " standing clear. A third move- 



