176 Tzvcnfy-niiith Annual Meeting 



THE BREEDING HABITS AND GROWTH OF THE CLAM.* 



BY PROFESSOR A. D. MEAD, PROVIDENCE, R. I. 



In view of the deplorable decrease in the production of soft- 

 shelled clams on the shores of Narragansett Bay, the Rhode Isl- 

 and Commission of Inland Fisheries two years ago requested 

 Dr. J. L. Kellogg and myself to study the life history and habits 

 of this most valuable shell-iish, to ascertain, if possible, the true 

 reasons for its gradual disappearance, and to suggest a practical 

 means either for repleting the natural clam grounds or for estab- 

 lishing artificial clam culture. Since then the investigations have 

 been extended by the U. S. Fish Commission to other shores 

 than those of Rhode Island, but to these I shall not refer in this 

 paper. Without going into details or describing particular ex- 

 periments, tlie general conclusions drawn from the work in 

 Narragansett Bay may be summarized as follows: 



1. The preliminary survey indicates that there are mord 

 than fifty miles of Rhode Island shore in the Bay alone which 

 are more or less available for the rearing of clams. 



2. The range and adaptability of the clams ar(> great. 

 Thev will thrive in various kinds of soil ; in sand, mud, clay, and 

 among stones; from near high-water to considerably below lovo 

 water; from brackish ponds to the densely salt water of the out- 

 side shore and Seaconnet river. 



3. It is the general testimony that the clams have been de- 

 creasing in quantity gradually during the last twenty years, and 

 it is an undisputed fact that they are now comparatively scarce. 

 The disappearance has been nearly uniform in all parts of the. 

 Rhode Island shore of the Bay; in localities protected from the 

 wash of the steanners and not contaminated by the waste yi 

 towns, as well as in localities less fortunately situated. It is still, 

 in certain localities, comparatively abundant below the low-tide 



♦Received after meeting adjourned. 



