Edible Molhisca of the 0/v_i,'7;;z Coast 185 



the west coast. It tlirives well and reaches a laroe size in Wash- 

 ington and Oregon where the species lias taken possession of 

 nearly all of the prominent bays. On the Oregon coast it is 

 especially abundant in Netarts Bay. where it is the dominant spe- 

 cies, being well protected in the gravel beds. This clam is also 

 abundant in the nnid flats of Yaquina River on both sides of the 

 channel between the towns of Yaquina and Newport. The species 

 is a conspicuous one in the coastal waters of Oregon, where con- 

 ditions are favorable for it. as far south as Coos Bay (Figures I. 

 II. I\^). Winchester Bay at the mouth of the I'mpcjua River 

 is well supplied with this clam but it is entirely wanting in the 

 tide flats of the Siuslaw River. 



Schizothaerus nuttalli is very short lived when removed from 

 the water and, therefore, is chiefly used as food locally. Quan- 

 tities of this species, however, are canned by tourists on visiting 

 the coast during the summer and carried away for future con- 

 sumption. This is also one of the species made use of by the 

 cannery at Tillamook City in the i)reparation of minced clam 

 products. 



4. Mya arenaria Linnaeus. 



The "long neck clam." which was transported from the Atlan- 

 tic coast manv years ago, probal)l\' with oyster spat, has become 

 well adapted to conditions in many localities on the Pacific coast 

 where it inhabits the mud flats of bays and rivers often advancing 

 u]) the latter several miles from the ocean ]:)ut always remaining 

 within the influence of salt water. The species has established 

 itself on the Oregon C(jast in nearly all of the protected bays and 

 manv of the rivers from Coos Bay northward. In the Siuslaw 

 River, between the towns of Florence and Acme about 4^2 miles 

 from the ocean, are very extensive beds and the finest specimens 

 of Mya arenaria that have come under the writer's observation 

 in the northwest (Figure III). Here on both sides of the chan- 

 nel, but mostly on the north shore, large areas of mud flats are 

 exposed during even a moderately low tide, ^fany of the shelN 

 of clams taken here measure more than six inches in length. 

 This locality supplies the local demand as well as the markets of 

 the upper Willamette \ alley towns. Although the species has 



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