V 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



67 



stones being pulled off after the wood is con- 

 sumed and the plate swept clean of ashes ; 

 when the stones are piled on it again. 

 Over the hot stones a mass of rockweed is 

 piled, and the sight of a line of waiters 

 with tubs of elams between them, running 

 at breakneck speed for the pile, forming a 

 circle about it, and emptying the tubs on top 

 with a concerted effort, is familiar. Over 

 the whole the canvas is laid, seaweed is 

 heaped and a fragrant steam arises from the 

 pile. Twenty minutes later the clams are 

 ready for the table. And the accompanying 

 dishes of clam-cakes, baked fish, fish chow- 

 der, lobster, green corn, brown-bread, and 

 water melon. Between twent3'-five and 

 thirty waiters are required to serve all up in 

 the larger dining-halls. 



The shells are about the only things left 

 after a well organized excursion part}^ has 

 attacked a clambake. These are carted off 

 and dumped on some stretch of waste land. 

 The accumulated shells of a season of some 

 eight}' days, is considerable. The}'^ lie in 

 the sun until the following spring. Then 

 they are spread over the roads, and prime 

 roads they do make. 



Said Capt. J. H. Northup, who has been 

 the captain of the Rocky Point clam gang 

 for some eleven 3'ears, " Do I expect the 

 clams will get run out entirely ? Well not 

 just yet, and at present the prospect is some- 

 thing wonderful for next year. I never saw 

 such a ' set ' of clams as are all along the 

 shore now ; if they all lived, there would be 

 enough clams to supply the world next year. 

 Just come with me and take a look." 



The tide was about half in, and the mud 

 flats were scattered over with all sorts of 

 refuse, shells and weed. The captain bent 

 down and picked up what looked at first 

 like a minute, broken-off bit of clam-shell, 

 but, as it lav in his hand, a closer look re- 

 vealed it a perfectly' formed clam shell, a 

 beautiful object, not as big as a babj-'s little 

 finger nail, as white as alabaster, and the 

 light showing pink through its delicate sub- 

 stance ; the least pressure would have 

 crushed it to almost invisible atoms. 

 "That's a clam," said the captain, " that's 

 maybe three weeks old, and you'll find mil- 

 lions about here. As quick as they get any 

 size they will begin to burrow down into the 

 mud. The whole shore is covered with them, 

 and in all my experience of thirt}' 3'ears I 



never saw such a ' set.' They are so thick 

 that the prospect is thej- will not grow fast, 

 and it will take two or three years for them 

 to get big enough to bake unless they die 

 off. A handful of these will make more'n 

 a bushel when they are grown up." 



Pawtuxet has very aptly been termed 

 " Clamtown," as that is the chief industry 

 of the village, there being no less than six- 

 teen firms and persons engaged as dealers, 

 employing during the summer season from 

 one to fifteen men each, making a total of 

 seventy-five men engaged in the business. 

 Besides furnishing the clams for several 

 shore places, each of the fifteen emploj'ers 

 deliver them in Providence b}' team, and 

 several barrels are shipped each day to dis- 

 tant places. The total number of clams dug 

 each da}' and delivered by the several deal- 

 ers, average, during the present season, not 

 less than one hundred and fift}' bushels. 



— Providence Joumai. 



One frosty morning, early in November, 

 as I was watching a small flock of Yellow- 

 rum ped Warblers skipping and frolicking 

 amongst the rustling plants in my garden, 

 I noticed one very peculiar bird amongst 

 them, and in a few moments had it in my 

 hand. It resembled a very small Vireo, and 

 a drop of blood on its beak, enlarging it, 

 strengthened the illusion, so that I was 

 confident that I had some new species of 

 that family. But upon examination I re- 

 cognized a rare old acquaintance, the 

 T ennessee Warb ler. I had never before 

 seen one so late in the autumn. 



J. N. Clark. 



The Rocky Mountain Goat. 



Aplocerus Montanus. 



Of late we have had from Europe several 

 calls for skins of this rare species. While 

 we hope in time to be able to supply these 

 specimens, the great diflflculty of obtaining 

 them should be appreciated. 



The creature has a general resemblance 

 to a goat, while the body is much like a 

 sheep, but it is after all more nearly allied 

 to the antelopes. It is rather larger than 

 the average domestic sheep, and the very 

 long hair, which is of a yellowish white 

 color, coarse and brittle, falls down all over 

 the body, tail, and upper part of the legs, 



/ 



