REPORT OF DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1900 r227 



4 feet apart. At the corner of the basin near the Gut chan- 

 nel and buried a few inches beneath the surface of the black 

 mud are a few hard-shell clams, Venus mercenaria, 

 which were formerly quite common in the basin. 



The scallop, Pecten, finds a natural breeding place in these 

 flats in and on the eelgrass. All sizes are found from a centi- 

 meter in breadth up to the adult. 



Near the bar and exposed at low tide are great numbers of 

 young Mya. Those measuring about 6 centimeters are taken 

 for food. The young are allowed to develop to that length. If 

 Mya is still immature at this length and if it continues to be 

 taken it will soon disappear from this region. The same thing 

 has caused the rapid decrease in the supply of clams, some 

 diggers taking clams as small as their thumb nail and they 

 can not be made to see that they are defeating themselves by 

 so doing. 



Along with Mya is the razor-shell clam, Ensatella. With 

 empty shells of this and other forms are the jingle-shell Anomia 

 and the' valves of Area and Crepidula. The gastropods, Fulgur 

 and Sycotypus are also occasionally taken while Natica and its 

 sand collar egg cases are very abundant. 



A few oysters are found on the bar and great beds of them 

 are cultivated outside. Some oysters are covered with the 

 eggs cases of the oyster drill, Urosalpinx, and others with the 

 red sulfur sponge, Cliona sulphurea. The oyster's 

 enemy, the starfish, is found in all sizes on the bar. Here too 

 breeds the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, pairs 

 being found partly buried in the sand in July. 



The spider crab, Libinia, is found in all sizes, some bearing 

 colonies of Hydractinia on their backs and on the surfaces of 

 their legs. One large blue crab, Oallinectes hastatus^ 

 about 10 inches in breadth, was taken. 



Many marine worms are found here. Lumbriconereis and 

 Rhyncobolus in the gravel of the banks of the channel. Nereis 

 higher up in the same, Cerebratulus along the edge near the 

 water, Amphitrite, Cistenides and the Holothurian, Synapta. 



