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A. EH. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 710 
some were obtained, they were so few and small that the search was 
soon abandoned as unprofitable. 
Silvanus Jourdan wrote as follows: “There is great store of 
Pearle and some of them very fair round and orientall, and you 
shall find at least one hundred seede pearle* in one oyster.” 
The Mussle. (Arca Noe U..) 
It is curious that the name “ mussle”’ should have been transferred 
to this shell, which is fished up in considerable quantities for food. 
It is mostly obtained by means of “nippers ” in shallow water, for it 
often grows in large clusters, firmly attached to rocks, ete., and to 
each other, by a very strong byssus. Usually it is intermixed with © 
‘oysters ” in the clusters. It is still abundant in Harrington Sound 
and many other places, and perhaps it has not decreased to any 
great extent. It is not particularly well flavored and is rather 
tough, and therefore is not in much demand. 
A true mussle (Modiola tulipa), large enough for the market, is 
also found here, but I could not learn that it is caught for food, nor 
does it seem to be abundant. 
The “rock cockles” (Chama, sp. and Spondylus, sp.) are some- 
times collected to some extent for food, but not regularly. They 
are fairly well flavored, as I ascertained by trial. 
Some of the large species of Ze/lina are also used as food under 
the name of “clams.” But the large and common bivalve called 
“‘Spanish Clam” ( Codakia tigrina) is considered poisonous. 
33.—Introduction of Domestic Animals. 
a.—The Wild Hogs. (See p. 589.) 
In a previous chapter the introduction of the wild hogs has been 
described as probably due to pirates or buccaneers who visited the 
islands in the 16th century, rather than to the accidents of ship- 
wrecks, for in case of shipwrecks any hogs that might have been. 
saved would probably have been afterwards killed and eaten by the 
people who escaped. The chances of hogs escaping from a total 
wreck on the distant reefs would be very small. 
Henry May and his party, in 1593, found them there. He said : 
“In the South part of this Island of Bermuda there are hogs, but 
they are so leane that you cannot eat them, by reason the Island is 
so barren, but it yieldeth great store of fowle, fish and tortoises.” 
* It seems from another account that this referred to a single lucky find, 
which was not repeated. 
