210 Cockles, Growth and Habits of. 



ductive condition so closely as to be certain of the exact dates, 

 but end of April through May and June there is no doubt of 

 their being in a breeding state. Their very minute condition 

 we have not had full opportunity of studying, but competent 

 authorities aver that, having its short escapade as a tiny 

 swimming creature, it settles down to a creeping life about a 

 millimetre (^ inch) long. With us ordinarily a cockle " trayle " 

 on the sands is first noticed when the animal and its delicate 

 shell has attained nigh J inch or so. When the men see this 

 in quantity they take heed, and a year or two after expect to 

 find some better evidence of a future fishing ground. 



As to growth of cockle, at say a year or more old, it may be 

 J inch in diameters, or over this. At 2 years and above, from 

 \ inch to f inch diameters may be roughly the estimate. 

 Rising three years onwards they are of marketable size, and 

 the old ones range from 1 \ to 1J inches ; those of many years 

 age, as above stated, seldom passing If inch in greatest breadth ; 

 a 2 inch cockle is a rarity in our District. 



Habits and Use. Concerning their habits during the breed- 

 ing season, the cocklers find great congregations of them 

 crawling about and disporting themselves on the sands. 

 Should stormy weather intervene they are driven about pell 

 mell by the waves, and vast numbers then perish ; and remains 

 of cockle shell heaps attest their destruction. The cockle's 

 great muscular foot enables it to hop about with ease. 

 Doubtless they betimes shift residence, and even on occasions 

 may be met with among the shallow pools, feeding on the sea- 

 weeds, &c. Ordinarily, out of the breeding season they are 

 pretty much stay-at-home individuals. Unlike the mussel, 

 which as we have shown moors itself by byssus threads, the 

 cockle hides himself just below the surface of the sand. To 

 those accustomed to search for them, small holes in the sand 

 or a bit of seaweed partly drawn in generally betray their 

 whereabouts. In rare instances juvenile cockles either creep 

 into or get entangled among the network foot-threads of the 



