454 American Seashells 



fined radial ridges near the center of the valves. Common in mud in cold 

 waters offshore. 



Vanomya ampla Dall Ample Rough Mya 



Aleutian Islands to Puget Sound, Washington. 



2 to 3 inches in length. A peculiarly distorted, heavy shell which is 

 much gaping at both ends. Anterior end crudely pointed; posterior broadly 

 truncate. With 3 to 6 depressed scars on the white interior. Exterior con- 

 centrically roughened, ash-white in color, with a border of thick, irregular, 

 black periostracum. Hinge without definite teeth. Uncommon offshore in 

 cold water. 



Genus Panope Menard 1807 



Panope generosa Gould Geoduck 



(Goo-ee-duck) 

 Alaska to the Gulf of California. 



7 to 9 inches in length. Inflated, sHghtly elongate and rather thick- 

 shelled. Gaping at both ends. Coarse, concentric, wavy sculpture present, 

 especially noticeable near the small, central, depressed beaks. Periostracum 

 thin and yellowish. Exterior of shell dirty-white to cream; interior semi- 

 glossy and white. Hinge with a single, large, horizontal thickening. The 

 2 long, united siphons of the animal are half the weight of the entire clam. 

 Common in mud 2 or 3 feet deep in the northwestern states. Edible but 

 tough. Freaks have been named soJida Dall, globosa Dall and taeiiiata Dall. 

 For an interesting and well-illustrated account of this species, see Natural 

 History Magazine (N.Y.), April, 1948, on "We Go Gooeyducking" by the 

 Milnes. 



Panope bitriincata Conrad from North Carolina to Florida is 5 to 6 

 inches in length and resembles the Pacific geoduck. Dead valves are rarely 

 found, and I have never seen a live specimen. Possibly extinct. 



Super jamily MY ACE A 



Family MY ACID AE 



Genus Mya Linne 1758 



These are the soft-shell or "steamer" clams which are so popular in New 

 England. The valves are slightly unequal in size and have a large posterior 

 gape. Resilium internal, placed posterior to the beaks and attached in the 

 left valve to a horizontally projecting chondrophore. 



