"64 THE ECONOMIC MOLLUSCA OF ACADIA. 



of Fundy, common, one to one hnndred and nine fathoms, 

 Verrill. St. Croix River, near Dochet Island, not plenty, 

 Fuller'. L'Etang and Chamcook Harbors, abundant in former, 

 'Gnnong. Mace's Bay, Perley and G. F. Matthew. Northum- 

 berland Strait, Whiteaves. Between Tracadie and Shippegan, 

 JPerley. (In N. S.) Bay of Fiindy Coast, large, Verkruzen. 

 Bear Island Bar, Annapolis Basin, extensive beds, Perley. 

 Bedford Basin and Halifax Harbor, H. Piers. Whole coast? 

 Jonesdindi Willis. Prince Edward Island, i)a?^so?i. Probably 

 not so abundant in Gulf of St. Lawrence as in Bay of Fundy 

 and on the Atlantic coast. 



Habits. This is one ot the most attractive Molhiscs of our whole 

 coast. Its smooth, nearly circular valves, one flat, the other convex, 

 and its large size (live to six and even eight, in an extreme case, inches 

 in diameter) will readily distinguish it from any other species in our 

 waters. The under or flat valve is very smooth, free from parasitic 

 growths and of a white or cream color. The upper, usually of some 

 reddish color, while free from the pronounced ribs that so many of this 

 genus have, frequently bears many parasitic forms. Barnacles, Bryozoa, 

 ■ etc. Very many have this valve covered with a gelatinous coating which 

 • can be easily removed; this is not an epidermis, but colonies of compound 

 Ascidians of the genus LeptocUnum. It is really a beautiful shell, the 

 interior being smooth, white and satin-like; the exterior, especially in 

 young shells, presents delicate and attractive colors, some of them show- 

 ing beautiful pink and white radiations; while its valves can be utilized 

 for many decorative and artistic purposes. 



Our Scallop lives upon hard, sand, or mud bottoms, feeding upon 

 microscopical animals and plants. It has the advantage over all others 

 of our shelled Molluscs in the ease and speed with which it can move 

 about. The powerful adductor muscle can bring the valves together 

 with great force and quickness, ejecting the water on the side opposite 

 the hinge, and thus shooting the animal several feet in the opposite 

 direction. The young Scallops can swim in this way better than the 

 adults, their shells being much lighter. The southern Pecten irradians 

 often swims in schools, all together in some definite direction, but Ave do 

 not know that this has been observed in the species we are considering. 

 The young are eaten by cod and probably other fishes. 



Economics. Our Scallop is not the species which is of so 

 much commercial importance in the United States. The 

 hitter is a much smaller species, Pecten irradians, the shell 

 of which is covered with very large radiating ribs. But those 



