36 



THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



BECHE DE MER. 



At least oue species of the Beclie de 

 Mer or Treijang, best known to most 

 people as a delicacy in soup, is com- 

 mon on the Lord Howe Island reets. 

 Extended uj^on the sandy bottom of a 

 pool, it appears as a black sluglike crea- 

 ture about twelve inches in length, with 

 a disc of branching tentacles at one 

 end. It engulfs sand, as fast as its im- 

 perfect constitution will allow it, with 

 the object of sorting out some nutritive 

 matter therefrom, just as do its rela- 



coral-breccia which is piled up by suc- 

 cessive storms, where, apparently, they 

 have been driven by the competition of 

 a burrowing sea-egg. The latter disor- 

 ganises tlieir establishment by burrow- 

 ing under their attachments, and, as the 

 clams appear to be rendered quite help- 

 less when once detached from their bases, 

 they have perforce retired to this rather 

 barren zone where the sea-eggs do not 

 intrude. 



The colours of the clams are endless 

 in variety and, though all appear to be- 

 long to one species, 

 no two individuals 



are 

 quite 

 have 

 plain 



ornamented 



alike. Some 



mantles of 



chocolate, 



others are lighter in 

 tint and pencilled 

 with brown, while 

 opalescent streaks 

 and dashes of blue 

 or green upon 



cliocolate grounds 

 are quite common. 

 The reason for this 

 variation is not ap- 

 parent, the brilliant 

 ornamentation hav- 

 ing no obvious 

 value, while the 

 less ornate indi- 



tives the sea-eggs and star-tislies. Not viduals do not appear to suffer in con- 

 that it resembles either of these, being sequence of their homeliness, 

 far less graceful, and it has the unplea- Tj^^g^ ^^^^^^^ ^^.^ wonderfully hardy, 



sant habit of ejecting (luantities of ^^^^^1 ^ble to withstand an "amazing 

 sticky white threads if it be lifted from amount of ill-treatment. Though accus- 

 its sandy environment. These threads ^^j^^g^j ^^ ^i^g f^esh sea-water brought to 

 attach themselves to anything they come ^1-,^^^ y^^ g^^]^ successive tide, they en- 

 in contact with, and serve as anchors to -^y ^he" glare of the hot sun when left 

 enable the beast to recover its equili- exposed; lying with their convoluted 



valves agape, they close up with a snap 



The main road of the island. Carts are scarce, their place heing 

 taken by sleighs with smooth runners. 



Photo — A. R. McCunoch. 



brium when overturned by untoward 

 circi;mstances. sucli as an unduly large 

 breaker. 



CLAMS ( Tridncna). 

 On tliose parts of the reef adjuining 

 the volcanic rock at its southern and 

 northern ends, one finds many small 

 clams, eight inches in length, which are 

 dwarf relatives of the giants wdiose 

 valves are familiar objects in sul)urban 

 gardens. They lie u]>on the flat sur- 



only wdien alarmed, and at the same time 

 squirt a jet of water from their gill- 

 chambers. Specimens torn from their 

 bases lived at least fifteen hours in the 

 air, and ojiened out freely again when 

 placed in a tin of sea-w^ater. Efforts 

 to anaesthetise them by means of nap- 

 thalene and formalin were unsuccessful, 

 and some lived in foul water for over 

 two davs. Even fortv hours out of 



face of the reef just in fi'ont of the their element was not fatal to them, 



