24 



MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN 



VOL. XI, 



of preparation is a strong favourite with those who habitually 

 utilize this food. 



Probably no other bivalve is so universally valued on the shores 

 of Palk Bay as is this cockle-clam — everybody seems fond of it 

 with the exception of the higher caste Hindus. 



The empty shells are used for lime-burning on the shores of 

 Palk Bay, where it is the most abundant littoral mollusc. Along 

 the Coromandel coast, Circe .§/Ww is scarce and does not seem to 

 be used there as food. It is not found on the Malabar coast. 



Fig. 7. — DONAX SCORITM. xlj. 



Miscellaneous Marine Clams. 



Malay alam — Oraikai, Calicut. 



Besides Circe gibba and Donax ciiiieata, a number of other marine 

 bivalves, chiefly Mactrids and species.of related families are taken 

 for food when met with in the search for the first named. Among 

 the principal of these are Donax scortuni,a fine purple tinted species 



Fig. S. — Kakkama iri ( Mesodesma ^lahratiun). 

 The figure on ihc right shows the structure of the hinge 



growing to a length of 60 mm., strongly sculptured with coarse 

 concentric ridges, and several species of Mactra and Mcsodesma 

 One of the latter, called Kakkamatti (Mcsodesma glabraium, Lamk.A 



