CLAM AND SCALLOP INDUSTRIES 627 



be remembered, however, that it has been completely exterminated 

 on some parts of the New England coast, and that, while the soft 

 clam can undoubtedly be made again to flourish on depleted flats, 

 it is to be doubted seriously if this can be accomplished with the 

 scallop. The time to conserve the supply is while we still possess 

 it. 



Very little can be said of the life history of P e e t e n. Beyond 

 the fact that it migrates and breeds during the summer (the limits 

 of the breeding season have not definitely been determined), little 

 is known of its life and habits. We do possess one other fact of 

 interest concerning it, and that is that, when very young, it, like 

 My a, develops a byssus. In this case the structure is relatively 

 large, and is made of many threads, by means of which the animal 

 attaches itself firmly to foreign bodies. This byssus is retained till 

 the shell is nearly or quite half an inch in diameter. 



Many difficulties probably would be encountered in an attempt 

 to rear P e c t e n by artificial means, the most serious of which 

 might be in the habit of migrating from shallow to deeper water at 

 certain times, though what the significance of these migrations may 

 be is problematic. It is one of the most highly specialized and 

 delicate forms in the group of mollusks, and the conditions neces- 

 sary for its existence may be very exact, and hence difficult to dis- 

 cover. The fact that the young attaches itself to foreign bodies 

 might be taken advantage of in the collection of large numbers, but 

 it would not be easy, probably, to keep them till they had reached 

 maturity, or to confine large numbers indefinitely on a restricted 

 portion of the bottom. The only safe method now is to watch the 

 supply as closely as possible, and to prevent its diminution by ex- 

 cessive dredging. 



RELATIONS TO THE OYSTER INDUSTRY 



In order to understand the clam problem in Long Island, it is 

 necessary to refer to an apparent clash in the interests of oystermen 

 and clam-diggers. It is claimed by the latter that the rapid exten- 

 sion of oyster beds in Great South and Peconic bays, as well as in 

 other waters, is rapidly narrowing the area available for taking the 

 hard clam. There is no question about the rapid spread of the 



