BIOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY 185 



pend upon this bait. During periods of scarcity surveys for their presence 

 in North Carolina waters may prove of direct economic benefit. Squid are 

 voracious destroyers, especially of the young, of many species of fish. 



PERIWINKLES 



These small snails (Littorina sp.) from one-half to one inch in height, 

 abound in great numbers in the intertidal zone on exposed flats. Littorina 

 Uttorea is believed to have been introduced accidentally from Europe about 

 1857 in Nova Scotia and has spread southward to New Jersey. In Europe 

 tons of these small snails are roasted and sold from push carts. They are 

 sufficiently abundant along the Atlantic coast for commercial exploitation. 

 However, the demand would probably be small in North Carolina, for the 

 demand of foreign population in the northern cities can readily be supplied 

 from more northerly sources. Production of periwinkles in 1945 (including 

 cockles) was as follows: 



Pounds * Value 



Maine 51,000 $ 6,128 



Massachusetts 2,300 650 



Rhode Island 112,500 28,125 



Total 165,800 $34,903 



* Edible portions, exclusive of shells. 



COQUINA 



These small, wedge-shaped clams (Donax variabilis) are found on the 

 beaches from North Carolina to Texas. They burrow in loose sand in the 

 intertidal zone, frequently in large numbers. Despite their small size, about 

 three-fourths of an inch long, they are gathered and used to make "coquina 

 chowder." Florida was the only state reported to market these clams in 

 commercial quantities in 1945, with a production of 54,000 pounds valued at 

 $13,500. Coquina clams are abundant on some beaches of North Carolina 

 and it is recommended that a survey be conducted to determine their dis- 

 tribution and abundance. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



Anderson, A. W., and E. A. Power. 



1949. U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Fishery Statistics of the United States, 

 1945. Statistical Digest No. 18 (1949), 372 p., illus. 

 Baughman, J. L. 



1947. An annotated bibliography of oysters, with pertinent material on 

 mussels and other shellfish and an appendix on pollution. The Texas 

 A. & M. Research Foundation, 1947, 794 p. College Station, Texas. 



