easton's beach report. 185 



These clams first came on the shore in April and were most abundant the last 

 of June and July. At this time the entire beach was covered with them, and in 

 large drifts they were fourteen to sixteen inches deep. At first the west end of 

 the beach was covered deepest, but gradually the great bulk worked along to the 

 east end. After the fifteenth of August the continued carting had begun to 

 affect the numbers, though even in September they were abundant. 



The question was often raised by the visitors to the beach as to what these 

 creatures were and where they came from. This species is the true beach clam 

 {Mactra solidissima) . Many persons familiar with beach clams have been deceived 

 into thinking that it was a different species because the specimens were so small 

 and uniform in size and did not seem to grow during the summer. 



This extraordinary influx of small clams was due not entirely to the particularly 

 abundant set, but also to the fact that the storms occurred opportunely. There 

 has always been a bed of large clams of this species in the sand off Easton's 

 Beach and even there in the heavy winter storms in windrows upon the shore. 



24 



