126 



SEA-SHORE LIFE 



Labrador to the Florida Keys. The shell becomes about six inches 

 long and is only one inch wide. The clam has a long muscular foot 

 which can be withdrawn within the shell but may be protruded 

 fully five inches out from the anterior end. By means of this foot 

 the clam burrows through sandy beaches with wonderful rapidity, 



Fig. 84; RAZOR CLAM. Annisiiuam, Mass. 



SO that it is practically impossible to capture one of them with a 

 spade after it has once buried itself JDeneath the surface. At low 

 tide the clam often comes to the surface and remains with the pos- 

 terior end of its shell projecting, allowing the short siphon to pro- 

 trude into the air. If it be disturbed it darts rapidly back into its 

 burrow. This clam is very palatable, but the difficulty of capturing 

 it prevents its being sold in any quantity in the markets. It is 

 found commonly within sandy sea beaches or sand bars where the 

 water is not brackish. 



The Sand-Bar Clam, fSiliqaa costata, Fig. So J. This shell is 

 about one and three-quarter inches long and three-quarters of an 



inch wide. It lives within 



loose sandy beaches and 

 bars, in shallow water, but 

 does not extend above low 

 tide level. It occurs from 

 Nova Scotia to the Carol i- 

 nas but is found only in 

 situations where the ocean 

 water is pure. The shell 

 is covered with a rich brown skin, which gives it a polished sur- 

 face. The siphon is slender but quite long, while the foot is broad 



w 



m — 



fig. S3; SAND-KAR CLAM. Cape Ann, Mass. 



