36 LIVING CREATURES. 



The giant-clam is valuable to the South Sea Island- 

 ers. Besides providing an important part of their 

 food, its valves are of great practical use. On some 

 of these islands stones are unknown. Here the na- 

 tives can not make stone weapons and implements as 

 did the savages of more favored regions ; hence the 

 giant-clam shell is a great blessing to them. From it 

 they make their knives, hammers, axes, and weapons 

 of war. 



The giant-clam shell is convenient as a receptacle. 

 How immense it is ! Sir Joseph Banks, who accompa- 

 nied Capt. Cook on his voyage in 1768, possessed a 

 monster shell, one valve of which weighed two hundred 

 and twenty-two pounds, while the other valve weighed 

 two hundred and eighty-five pounds. 



This shell is lined with a beautiful, white, pearl 

 coating; and when the rough exterior is removed, the 

 valve is something quite ornamental. Many years ago 

 a giant-clam shell was presented to the Church of St. 

 Sulpice in Paris. The valves of this shell are used to 

 contain the holy water. 



A pleasant use of clams is observed in an old cus- 

 tom called the "New England Clam Bake." It ap- 

 pears that the savages who inhabited New England 

 from time immemorial, were accustomed to gather at 

 the sea-shore for great clam feasts. Both claim and 

 oysters, as any one might conclude, cease to hold their 

 valves together the moment they begin to be cooked. 

 Therefore it was easy for Indians, who had no knives, 

 to open their shell fish by heat. 



The modern clam bake, which is observed at several 

 points on the coast, but particularly on the coast of 



