SHELLFISH RES0U5CES OF NORTHWEST COAST. 13 



Carclium and Paphya are associated with Schizothaerus, but are 

 much less numerous than the latter, their scarcity rendering them of 

 small significance as food products in this region. 



Saxidomus giganteus\ a very excellent food mollusk, was formerly 

 very abundant in Netarts Bay, but has become greatly depleted in 

 recent years. This depletion was more apparent during the summer 

 of 1918 than during the previous year. Excessive digging of the 

 clam seemed to be the chief factor making for its extinction. 



In former years the razor clam, Siliqua patula^ was a familiar 

 species along the ocean beaches outside of Netarts Bay as well as 

 within the bay. In 1917 practically no razor clams were found 

 along the open ocean beaches in this region, and the same conditions 

 persisted in 1918, but each year a few have been taken from the 

 sand beds in the bay proper. 



This region is one of the most fertile in the production of the 

 large sea mussel, Mytihis caUfornianus Conrad, of any part of the 

 territory surveyed. The coast north of Netarts Bay, in the vicinity 

 of Cape Mears, is very rugged. Here large areas of the rocks are 

 densely covered with masses of this large mussel. Aside from a 

 very insignificant local consumption as food, the immense beds of 

 sea mussels here and elsewhere along our northwest coast have not 

 as yet been turned into any economic value. 



During most of the year the village of Netarts, on Netarts Bay, 

 consists of a few scattered houses of permanent residents, but in 

 the summer season it becomes a tent town of considerable size. 

 From June until September, during the years 1917 and 1918, many 

 people from inland districts of Oregon and other States visited 

 Netarts for periods of from one week to a month or more. While 

 there, clams were a constant article of diet, and nearly every family 

 canned quantities of the shellfish to be carried away for future 

 consumption. 



Netarts is in an isolated region and at times is almost or wholly 

 cut off from communication with inland points, due to the bad con- 

 dition of the highway. During the rainy season of 1918 the road 

 from Tillamook City to Netarts was, at times, entirely impassable 

 for wheeled vehicles. With the improvement of means of trans- 

 portation from this region markets may more easily be established 

 for such species of shellfish as are suitable for distribution at points 

 some distance from the coast. The markets of Tillamook City, 9 

 miles from Netarts, are supplied in part from Netarts Bay, but the 

 quantity of fresh clams shipped from Netarts to more distant points 

 is not large. Portland is from 8 to 10 hours by rail from 

 Tillamook City, and to reach the upper Willamette Valley towns 

 requires an additional 4 or 5 hours, after one transfer is made. 



On consideration of the quality of the clams that were available 

 for export from Netarts Bay in 1918 and the uncertain means of 

 transportation, it was not deemed wise to encourage the shipment 

 of this product to inland markets. 



Trial shipments of Saxidomus giganteus and Schizothaerus nuttalli 

 were made from Netarts to Eugene at various times of the year. 

 Saxidomus is a very good shipper. The shell is heavy and firm 

 and the adductor muscles contract strongly when the clam is re- 

 moved from the water and remain in that condition for a long 



