VIRGINIA 83 



with time and favorable circumstances it would en- 

 tirely harden, losing the matrix, which now and then 

 is soft enough to come away by rubbing. These shells, 

 however, are so tightly closed, and their edges entire, 

 that it is a matter of wonder how even water could 

 penetrate, not to speak of earthy particles, with which 

 they are so full-stuffed that it must certainly have re- 

 quired many years. Here also we came upon nature 

 at work making similar bawbles, counterfeit clams, 

 pectinites &c, from hard, red, iron-bearing clay-earth, 

 of which I had already seen a few at Philadelphia, 

 that had been found on James River upon sinking a 

 well. Strange it is that many, indeed most, of the 

 thick shelled muscles especially, were bored through 

 at one or another spot with a hole, exactly round, 

 smooth, and in diameter from 3-4 lines. That this has 

 not recently happened, is plain to see ; but how did it 

 happen in the ocean whence the shell came? and what 

 other creature is the borer ? I have never observed the 

 like in the fresh shells, similar in character, of oysters, 

 cockles, and the clams. 



After a close examination it was found that the 

 muscles and shells accumulated here are of such 

 species only as are still to be seen almost everywhere 

 along the eastern coast of North America, even about 

 New York and Long Island. The following could be 

 plainly identified among the wrack: 



Ostrea; the common American longish oyster. 



Ostrea Pectines; Scollops and Cockles; with 18-20 

 ribs ; of these two sorts are clearly distinct ; one 

 with smooth and somewhat rounded veins, the 

 other with more deeply grooved, rough veins ; and 

 still smaller ones with fewer veins. 



