154 ANIMALS OF THE SEASHORE 



water; it is found between Nova Scotia and the Gulf 

 of Mexico, but is more common toward the south. 

 Cardium is a more or less southern genus, a 

 goodly number of species being known from Florida. 

 The large, ribbed, C. robustum, which may reach as 

 much as 5 inches in height, is common from Virginia. 



Venus mercenaria Linne 



(Hard Shell Clam; Little Neck; Quohog) 



PLATE XIX. Fig. 5 



This is the common clam of the New Jersey coast 

 and the one most frequently used as food. It lives 

 in the sandy mud flats. It burrows into the mud, 

 and, especially when young, can dig or crawl fairly 

 rapidly by means of its foot. It obtains its food 

 through the small siphon or neck which is projected 

 upward. This small siphon has given the popular 

 name Little Neck as contrasted with the Soft Shell 

 ( flam or Nanny Nose {31 y a arenaria) which has a long 

 projecting siphon. 



The Hard Shell Clam was frequently used as 

 food by the Indians who gave it the name Quohog. 

 Large piles of the shells of this species will often 

 indicate tin 1 site of a former Indian village. The 

 purple portion of the inside of the shell was frequent- 

 ly used as wampum or money. 



The species ranges from the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence to the Gull' of Mi : co. The large shells, parti- 

 cularly those from the so, hern coast, are frequently 

 difficult to distinguish from Venus campechiensis', it is 

 highly possible that mercenaria and campechiensis 

 should be regarded as ecological or genetic varieties 

 of a single species. 



