103 THE ECONOMIC MOLLUSCA OF ACADIA. 



them, and congenial spirits from the border towns still delight 

 to return at times to the ways of their Clam-loving predecessors. 

 On some favored spot on the shores of that splendid river they 

 assemble by appointment ; a great fire is built and by it many 

 stones are heated and made very hot. The embers are then 

 raked aside and upon the stones is placed a layer of wet sea- 

 weed, on which a layer of Clams is laid. Then comes another 

 layer of sea-weed and another of Clams, and so on, the toj^ of 

 the whole being a cushion of sea-weed of extra thickness. 

 Over the whole mass is perhaps a piece of canvas thrown, 

 and in such an oven are the Clams slowly steamed to the 

 proper degree of deliciousness. A constant concomitant and 

 the most pleasing feature of these banquets is the invariable 

 good-nature and good-fellowship which prevails. 



The great heaps of shells on the Charlotte County coast, 

 made as we know by the Indians, show of how much import- 

 ance this species was to them. It doubtless formed the bulk 

 of their food during the summer, when large game was out 

 of condition, and possibly, as Mr. Matthew has shown, to 

 some extent in winter also. The heaps are sometimes two or 

 more feet deep, and cover several acres. It was probably 

 used quite extensively by them in Nova Scotia and Prince 

 Edward Island also, but as yet the shell-heaps of those 

 Provinces have received but little attention and we hardlj 

 know anything of their number, extent or contents. 



Clams as well as Oysters are sometimes found, in which a 

 considerable portion of the edible part is of a green or bluish- 

 green color. This has been repeatedly shown by chemists to 

 be non-metallic and perfectly harmless, though some think 

 they have a coppery taste. The color is due to the nature of 

 the food, being produced when they feed upon certain 

 diatoms or minute plants (chiefly Navicula ostrearia, var, 

 fusiformis). Experiments show that the green color can be 

 artificially produced by feeding them upon these diatoms, 

 and that it will disappear in a few days when they are changed 

 to other diet. The green Clams may be eaten with perfect 

 confidence. 



