THE NAUTILUS. 39 
materials used by the oyster planters for collecting the spat or form- 
ing spawning-beds, certain shells were mentioned by him that were 
systematically collected and sold to the oystermen. These shells 
were locally known by the names given in the above title. On 
looking into the matter, the “ Quarter-decks ” proved to be Crepi- 
dula fornicata Linné, and the ‘“ Jingles” a species of Anomia, pre- 
sumably A. simplex Orbigny. As popular names go, these are not 
so bad, for there isa peculiar jingle produced by Anomia valves 
when many are shaken together, and the septum in Crepidula con- 
sidered in connection with the boat-like shape of the species, C. 
fornicata, suggests a partially decked vessel. 
The abundance of these forms in the region referred to, is indica- 
ted by the following data kindly furnished (July, 1889) by Dr. H. 
M. Smith, of the Fish Commission, on ‘‘ The Fertilization of Certain 
Shell-fish at Greenport, N. Y., locally known as ‘ Jingles’ and 
‘ Quarter-decks.’”’ 
Since 1880, these shells have been extensively used for the pur- 
pose of forming spawning-beds for oysters, the idea of so employing 
them having originated with Captain James Monsell, of Greenport. 
The shells are taken with dredges between the first of October and 
the first of July, and are sold by the fishermen to dealers at the rate 
of four cents a bushel. At times they bring more, according to the 
demand. A law prohibiting the taking of them between the first 
of July and the first of October went into effect in 1888. The shells 
lie on the docks until July, when they are taken to the planting 
grounds and sold to the oystermen. Unlike the scallops used for 
the same purpose, the jingles and quarter-decks are not opened when 
caught. 
The Crepidulas or quarter-decks being gastropods (univalves), no 
opening is possible, and the two pieces or parts of the bivalve 
Anomias or jingles, readily separate when dead and dry. The scal- 
lop or Pecten shells (P. irradians Lam.) are opened in order to ex- 
tract the meats, the sales of which yielded the men engaged in the 
scallop-fishery of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, 
principally the two first States, in the year 1892, $114,695, the pro- 
duct of 137,284 bushels of this species of Pecten. The emptied 
shells, a residual product, are utilized as before indicated. 
“ Investigations by an agent of the U. S. Fish Commission show 
that in 1887 there were taken 130,000 bushels of ‘ quarter-decks’ 
and ‘jingles’ valued at $5,200. In 1888 the output of the fishery 
