MOLLUSC A 147 



merciaJ fishing beats. South of Cape Cod it is 



restricted to the deeper cold water and while it is 

 known as far south as Hatteras, it is very rare south 

 of Cape May. Beds of the Sea Scallop off the coast 

 of New Jersey are occasionally visited by some of 

 the fishing boats. 



An omia simplex D'Orbigny (Toe Nail; Jingle) 



(.4. epMppium Linne ) 



PLATE XV. Fig. 4 



Roughly round in shape, up to 3 inches in dia- 

 meter; shells are very variable in color from pale 

 yellow to dark brown and black; especially char- 

 acterized by its pearl-like nacre. One valve is fiat 

 and there is a large oblong' hole near the beak; 

 through this hole projects a calcareous byssus by 

 means of which the animal anchors itself to some 

 hard object such as another shell or pebble; the other 

 valve is curved. 



Sometimes hundreds of these shells showing all 

 variations in shape and color can be found on the 

 Xew Jersey beaches; the toe nail can be seen alive 

 attached to larger shells, stones, etc. in shallow 

 water. The Toe Nail is known from Xew England 

 to Florida. 



Mytilus edulis Linne (Mussel) 



PLATE XVI. 



The mussel is abundant along the east coast 

 from the Arctic regions to North Carolina, although 

 it is more common from New Jersey northward. The 

 shell is easily recognized by its usual jet black color 

 and by its beak at the tip of the shell. There is a 

 form with green and yellow rays, sometimes called 



