FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 



and gravel, in which the huge mollusk was "at home." Its 

 communication with the water above being by means of a hole 

 in and through the sandstone capping — through this hole it 

 extended and protruded its siphons. The hole, no doubt, was 

 originally made by the clam, when quite small, in its younger 

 stages, in order to reach a permanent and suitable burrow or bed, 

 and of course the principal growth was attained after it had 

 reached the more favorable substratum of easier material; the 

 hole or perforation through the sandstone being enlarged, coin- 

 cident with its growth, as needed to meet its requirements. 



As may be supposed it is quite a job to remove a good-sized 

 geoduck from its native bed without injury; to do so with 

 proper care as many as three persons are needed, otherwise the 

 clam will be more or less mutilated. The length of the siphons 

 when extended indicates the depth of the burrow, if his word 

 may be used, and an excavation equal to the size of a flour barrel 

 has been made. The instance related of Capt. Lawson's specimen 

 shows the difficulties which are sometimes met with in collect- 

 ing these big fellows. 



This mollusk may well be called generosa, for its ample and 

 generous size makes it at least the mammoth clam of North 

 America. According to the testimony of Captain Lawson it has 

 been known to reach the weight of sixteen pounds and frequently 

 seven to ten pounds, while the siphon tube may measure one 

 and a half to two feet in length. Those collected and observed 

 by me weighed from three and a half to seven and a half pounds- 

 More might be said of the many virtues, which in connection 

 with high water, may be the cause of the clam's happiness, such 

 as pertain to its gastronomic excellencies, etc. Geoduck is 

 however, a real delicacy, and skillfully cooked, would completely 

 puzzle anybody tasting it for the first time, as to whether he was 

 eating fish, flesh or fowl. 



The nearest guess that I have heard was by a person to whom 

 I gave a piece, "That it tasted a little perhaps like nicely stewed 

 crab," which hits the mark very nearly. The proper way to 

 cook geoduck, or one way, is to parboil thoroughly, then remove 

 the skin and cut in strips about one inch and a half wide by a 

 half an inch thick (no thicker) and fry the pieces in good batter. 



