SHELLFISH RESOURCES OF NORTHWEST COAST. 9 



which are used to a <2:reater or less extent as articles of human food. 

 The refjion is a larjje and extensive one, comprising lon<2; stretches 

 of ocean beaches, a broad bay, and several miles of the Yaquina 

 Kiver with its muddy marjxins exposed at low tide. 



No single clam can be said to be characteristic of this region. 

 /Schhof/iaerus nutfallL the "great blue clam,'' is abundant on both 

 sides of the river between the towns of Newjiort and Ya(]uina. It 

 lives in the soft mud here and is easily removed, as it is quite near 

 the surface, which is unusual for this species. The "• great blue 

 clam " is one of the principal clams used as food hy local consumers. 



In 1917, when tlie Avritcr first made observations on the shellfish 

 of this locality, Messrs. Keeves and Doig, fishermen who lived on 

 the bank of the Yaquina River, chiefly supplied tlie people of the 

 town of Newport with shellfish. Local fish markets also handled 

 the product and there was a brisic dcnuind and a supply always on 

 hand. 



Associated with '^ the great blue clam," but more abundant on the 

 south side of the channel, are Cardium corhh, the "cockle," and 

 Paphi/a stamhiea, the '' little neck clam." These are also used by 

 local consumers to a considorabU^ extent. Maconut nasuta, tlie 

 " bent nose clam," was quite abundant on the north side of the 

 bay in 1917 and 1918. This clam was found to be used as food to 

 a limited degree. Those who were accustomed to make use of it 

 commended its flavor very liighly, stating that it was more like the 

 oyster than any of the others. For this reason it has been given 

 a local name of " oyster clam." One of the chief objections to this 

 small clam is that it ingests so much sand that it is somewhat dis- 

 agreeable if ]:)repared immediately after having been removed from 

 the M'ater. If the clam is ])laced in clean fresh water, however, a 

 short time before it is to be j^repared, most of the sand will be 

 ejected and the clam will be much more desirable as food. 



Mj/a arenaria is also found on the markets of Newport and is much 

 sought after by shellfish consumers. The species is taken from the 

 river above the town of Yaquina and brought down to the Newport 

 markets at irregular intervals, but usually two or three times every 

 week. 



The beach immediately north of the mouth of the Yacpiina River, 

 known as Nye Beach, is abundantly sui)plied with a rock borer, 

 Pholadidea penita (Conrad), which is considered a great delicacy 

 by local consumers of shellfish. The soft sandstone rocks which 

 parallel the beach and are exposed at low tide offer favorable 

 habitats for this bivalve. The species occurs at other localities along 

 the northwest coast, but this region may be considered a center of 

 great })roduction. Tourists who spend a few months at Newport 

 during the summer frequent the beach at low tide to break out 

 the rock borers with i^ick and crowbar. There is great destruction 

 of the young mollusks as well as of the old, as a result, and the 

 species in the rocks near the shore was ai)parently well dej)lefed 

 in 1918, How long the sj^ecies will survive here is a question which 

 can not now be answered as its life history and rate of growth have 

 not been determined. 



Sea mussels thickly cover the rocks of the north jetty at the mouth 

 of the river, those that stand out from the shore at the north end 



