FISHERIES OF KEY WEST. 61 



It is believed that long periods of high salinity have a deleterious 

 effect on the clams. 



Clams are found in varying abundance from Gullivan's Bay to 

 Shark Point. Tlie bed gradually widens from Coon Key to Pavilion 

 Key, and thence continues to Porpoise Point, after which it narrows 

 until Shark Point is reached. Below Shark Point the bottom is 

 mostly of firm sand and is unsuitable for the growth of clams. 



The clams are very plentiful over a large part of the bed, and no 

 difficulty is encountered in finding a suitable locality for digging. 

 The areas of greatest abundance occur immediately north to north- 

 west of Pavilion Key, between Seminole and Porpoise Points and 

 directly off Clam Point. There are places where few or no clams 

 are found, and as a rule none are present within a few hundred feet 

 of shore. 



The following data will illustrate the general abundance of clams 

 in the areas designated. The terms used can be interpreted as fol- 

 lows : " Scattered." where not more than five clams per square yard 

 are present. " Fairly abundant," " abundant," and " very abundant," 

 where from more than five to many clams per square yard are present. 



Coon Key. — Two and one-eighth miles southwest of Pyramid 

 Light ; depth, 4 feet, mean low water. Clams abundant. One mile 

 WSW. of Pyramid Light; depth, 4£ feet. Bottom of rather firm 

 gray mud with scattering shell. No clams found. One-half mile 

 SSE. of Pyramid Light; depth, 5 feet. Bottom of sticky mud with 

 much eelgrass. Clams very abundant. One-third mile S. by E. of 

 Coon Key, within a few hundred feet of Pyramid Light ; depth, 4 

 feet. Bottom of mud and eelgrass. Clams abundant. One and 

 one-fourth miles southeast of Pyramid Light ; depth, 6 feet. Bottom 

 of shell and hard mud ; eelgrass. Clams fairly abundant. One and 

 one-half miles southeast of Pyramid Light ; depth, 7 feet. Bottom of 

 mud and shell ; eelgrass. Clams fairly abundant. Two miles south- 

 east of Pyramid Light; depth, 7 feet. Bottom soft; broken shell. 

 Clams scattered. 



Horse Key. — One mile S. by W. \ W. of Horse Key ; depth, 7 feet. 

 Bottom of rather hard mud and broken shell. Clams scattered. One 

 mile "VV. \ N. of outer shore of Horse Key. Bottom hard : eelgrass. 

 Clams fairly abundant. Directly inshore from the last-mentioned 

 locality and 600 feet from the shore of an unnamed island. Bottom 

 hard mud and shell. No clams. One-half mile W. by N. of Horse 

 Key; depth, 6 feet. Bottom soft mud; eelgrass. Clams scattered. 

 Off Horse Key, close to shore; a reef of coon oysters surrounds this 

 key and is exposed at low tide. Tests for clams were made several 

 hundred feet beyond the reef, but none were found. 



Panther Key.— One mile SSW. of Panther Key; depth, 7 feet. 

 Bottom hard mud. Clams widely scattered. One-half mile SSW. 

 of Panther Key; depth, 6 feet. Bottom rather hard ; eelgrass. Clams 

 fairly abundant. 



Round Key. — Close to the shore of Round Key very few clams 

 were found. Offshore 1 mile clams were abundant. 



Tiger Key. — Three-eighths of a mile WSW. of the southeast end 

 of Tiger Key; depth, 5 feet. Bottom hard mud. No clams. One- 

 half mile S. by W. f W. of the southeast end of Tiger Key ; depth, 

 7 feet. Bottom rather hard mud. Clams fairly abundant, 



