— 44 — 



"CLAMS IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY 

 "By John P. Fisher. 



"As a boy the writer lived on the shore of Islais Bay, an area of 

 tidal flat on" the western shore of San Francisco Bay at the mouth of 

 Islais Creek. 



"This tidal flat was in the neighborhood of a mile in length from 

 north to south and at low tide about half a mile in width. The 

 bottom was black mud of unknown depth, composed of alluvial wash- 

 ings from the old Spanish Potrero Nuevo, as carried do-wn by Islais 

 Creek. 



"The shore line of this tidal flat was inhabited by a large number 

 of Chinese engaged in the occupation of shrimp fishing and clam 

 digging and it is with the clams dug by these Chinese that the writer 

 would deal at this time. 



"Up to 1876 but one species of clam was found in any cjuantity by 

 these diggers and that was a white-shelled variety {Macoma nasuta) , 

 about two and one-half inches in greatest length. * * * Provided 

 with a board 18 inches wide and four feet long with a strip one inch 

 thick nailed across each end, the digger waded out on the mud flat at 

 low tide, pushing a basket on this sled lioard ahead of him. On 

 arriving at a suitable place, he pushed his hands and arms, held 

 vertically in front of him, elbow deep into the soft mud and then 

 turned up the mud toward himself ; by straining this mud through his 

 fingers he found the clams, which were placed in the basket. This was 

 continued until the basket was full or the flood tide prevented further 

 digging. 



"Upon arriving at the camp with their catch of clams the diggers 

 at once placed their catch in shallow water-tight boxes about 18 inches 

 wide, 10 inches deep and 8 feet long, in one end of the bottom of which 

 a hole was bored for draining purposes. A layer of clams 3 or 4 

 inches deep was placed in each box. The box was then partially filled 

 with clean water from the bay and after 36 or 48 hours the clams were 

 marketed, the water being changed each high tide. This clean water 

 bath was intended to allow the clams to void all mud and sand con- 

 tained in the stomach and render the clams edible. 



"In 1876 the writer first noticed a few clams of another species 

 (since identified as Mya arenaria). * * * " 



Distribution — Found along the entire California coast. 



WHITE SAND CLAM 



Macoma secta Conrad 



Plate 12, figures 3 and 4; plate 13, figure 1 



Description — This form is distinctly larger, reaching as much as 

 four inches in length. The valves are not obviously elongated at the 

 siphonate end nor bent to one side as in the bent-nosed clam, but the 

 two valves are different, the left being much flatter than the right. The 

 valves are thin as in Macoma nasuta. 



