OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND OTHER MOLLUSKS 249 



shells, otherwise known as frills or fan shells, has 

 been known for many years. Centuries ago the 

 medieval pilgrims, returning from the shrine of St. 

 James at Compostella, Spain, decorated their hats 

 with scallop shells. The American Indians used scal- 

 lop shells as the raw material for the making of many 

 of their shell ornaments. Even to-day the ingenious 

 Yankees make many beautiful ornaments from these 

 shells. In colonial times, scallops were much more 

 plentiful than they are to-day. During severe storms 

 large numbers of these moUusks were killed and 

 washed ashore. The farmers residing along the coast 

 utilized some of them as fertilizer and as feed for 

 their hogs and chickens. It was not until 1870 that 

 the scallop came to be generally eaten as human food. 

 To-day scallops are rather scarce and are highly 

 esteemed as one of the finest delicacies among sea- 

 foods. 



Although four species of scallops are found along 

 the Atlantic coast, only two are of commercial im- 

 portance. The shallow-w^ater scallop, Pecten, is found 

 from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. The sea- 

 scallop, Placopecten, lives in deeper and somewhat 

 colder water. 



Scallops are much more independent than clams 

 and oysters, as they are able to swim through the 

 water. This is accomplished in a curious manner. 

 The shell-fish rotates slowly, opening and closing its 

 shell, alternately discharging water first near one 

 lobe and then the other, until it reaches the sur- 

 face, when its motion ceases, and it slowly sinks to 

 the bottom. Shallow- water scallops often lie on the 



