iSS IldiUlc M dlliisiii of till- On'i^r;;/ Const 



others. Ill i<)i(j the clam could >lill he ohtaiiicd there hut in 

 fewer minihers than in former years, it may. Iiowever, rei^aiii its 

 previous ahundance as it is not much sought after and rarely 

 distm'hed. The species occurs in other localities toth north and 

 south of ^ atpiiua lUiy hut its economic value as human food oti 

 the northwest coast may he considered almost neii;"li,i;ihle. 



8. J'holadidea ])enita ( Conrad ).^ 



1 )istril)uted northward and southward on the Oregon coast 

 from .\\e lieach as the locality of greatest ahundance is the rock 

 horer. locally known as the "rock oyster," a bivalve mollusc of 

 recognized food value. The sloping ledges of soft rock paral- 

 leling the shore line just off Nye Beach al>)und with this species. 

 They can he reached during a moderately low tide and with an 

 extremely low tide large areas are exposed. The species is taken 

 at other ]M)ints along the Oregon coast both north and south of 

 this locality, but is nowhere else .so easily accessible or obtained 

 in such abundance. The mollusc is used as food Cjuite extensivelv 

 locally. esi)ecially during the summer months wdien manv people 

 visit this beach. Whether the species is being depleted <ir not 

 cannot he ascertained at this time. Naturally great destruction of 

 young' and immature individuals occurs during the process of 

 breaking the larger specimens out of the rocks. The inshore 

 ledges of rock also seem to be ((uite well wc^rked over but until 

 more is known of the life history and rate of growth of the s])e- 

 cies nothing definitely can be asserted as to its stal)ilit\' or de])le- 

 t'u^n. 



(). Mytilus edulis Linnaeus. 



This smaller and smoother of the two common sea mussels 

 occurs along the entire Oregon coast wdierever conditions will 

 sup])ort it. It is not only found along the open ocean from 

 Tillamook Mead southward but is common in ])rotected bavs and 

 frecjuently finds its way up rivers several miles from the ocean 



* The (Tretion ciiast is also witlitii the raiiye of :i clo.sely rehited species. IMiiiladideM 

 ovoidea ((Jould). A very hirjre rock lioier. prohalily I'arapliolas californica (foiirad), lias 

 heen taken hy the writer on the north shore of Vaciuina Bay. It is a ne^licible ("actor, 

 however, even in local food consumption, due to its scarcity. 



I ■-'! 



