470 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI. 



be, we are far surpassed in this industry by both the French and the Americans, 

 who have applied even more scientific methods of economic cultivation resulting 

 in a far larger output. While it has been estimated that the annual production 

 in Great Britain is not less than sixteen hundred millions, that in France is 

 much larger, and in America the estimate has been put at over five thousand 

 millions. The artificial cultivation of oysters has engaged a good deal of atten- 

 tion too in Australia, but while it is an industry that might possibly develop 

 to some extent on the coasts of India, there is little likelihood ff its growing 

 into anything like the business it is in other countries owing to the climatic 

 difficulties of transport to large consuming markets, as oysters do not readily 

 lend themselves to preservation by the process of drying or otherwise. 



On the British coasts mussels and cockles are largelj collected for food and 

 form a welcome variety to the bill of fare of the poorer classes. Wherever 

 mussels can be dredged in large quantities they are shipped by the truck-load to 

 the large inland manufacturing towns. 



Our local representative of the mussel (Mytilus smaragdinus) on this coast is 

 considered one of the best of all shell -fish, and our large local cockle (Cardittm 

 coronatum) is also eaten, while the shells of the latter are sold in retail shops to be 

 burnt into a special lime for eating with pan supari. 



Besides the above species Mr. Aitken has kindly furnished me with the 

 following information about other shell-fish that are eaten on this coast : — 



" Meretrix morphina, Mero'e solandri, Chione pivguis and radlata, especially 

 the last two, constitute a large proportion of the food of the coast population. 

 At low spring tides the women turn out in hundreds and wade into the creeks to 

 grub them out of the mud. 



" Tapes malabarica is eaten even by the Mahomedans on the Ratnagiri coast, 

 who are not so particular as those of Sind, and allow some kinds of shell fish as 

 have not what they describe as ' black blood/ 



'' Donax incarnatus is considered a delicacy and much eaten. It is exceedingly 

 common on smooth beaches between watermarks. As the tide recedes each 

 wave leaves a number uncovered, and although they bury themselves very 

 nimbly, men on the watch rush in and pick them out. 



" Asaphis diphos and other species of this family (Psammobiida), as well as 

 Anatina labiata are eaten." 



Of univalves 'Gasteropoda) not mai<y are u?ed for edible purposes, but a 

 few _ e.g., Turbo intereostalis ( = elegans ), Purpura bufo and P. carinifera are 

 eaten. The latter is called bhihari (beggar) and not much esteemed. 



Fresh-water molluscs, owing to their insipidity, do not form a desirable 

 article of diet, but land snails have been looked upon as a delicacy in parts of 

 Europe ever since Roman days, though they are not generally eaten in the 

 British Isles, or, so far as I am aware, in India. Of their excellence, however, 

 I can personally vouch from my own experience. The large edible snail of 

 Europe {Helix pomatid) was introduced into England by the Romans at the 

 time they held the country and about the sites of old Roman habitations this 



