The Life History of the Soft Clam 295 



may be discerned through the transparent shell of its 

 victim. 



Escaping its enemies and becoming larger, the diminu- 

 tive clam begins to exhibit the digging habit, for now 

 and then it attempts to thrust the sharp point of its 

 foot down among the sand grains. At first, even when 



FIG. 57. Very small starfish devouring a young long 

 neck clam. /, sucker feet; s, everted stomach of 

 starfish seen through the transparent shell of the 

 clam. Drawn from the specimen. 



the sand is fine, it is unable to accomplish anything 

 because of the lightness of its body. Soon, how- 

 ever, when the shell has become about two millimeters 

 long, it is able to push and worm the foot into the bottom, 

 and the shell is then gradually worked in after it. Clams 

 six or seven millimeters long are able to burrow into very 

 stiff bottoms. 



Having thus completely covered itself, the young Mya 



