624 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the futility of a close season, and expressing' the opinion that the 

 lease to individuals is the only way by which this industry can be 

 established. And, when the lease is issued, also, it is absolutely 

 necessary that state — and not merely local — protection shall go with 

 it. 



To bring this about, many state and local laws must be repealed, 

 and new and adequate ones formulated, passed, and enforced. All of 

 which seems to the ordinary observer to be an almost impossible 

 task. 



That one of the north Atlantic states in which popular sentiment 

 is aroused to the extent of bringing about these changes is certain 

 to receive immense benefit from the effort. 



VENUS MERCENARIA 



Hard clam, or little-neck 



In tracing the present distribution of the little-neck clam about 

 Long Island, we reach essentially the same conclusion as with 

 M y a. In many localities where it has been taken most abundantly, 

 the failure has become alarming. 



At the east end of the island in Peconic bay and in the region 

 about Sag Harbor, the form still seems to be relatively abundant. 

 This entire region, where M y a also abounds, is apparently an 

 extremely rich one in its production of V e n u s. It is not possible 

 at present to form an estimate of the annual production in these 

 waters. We can only state that several centers are reported to ship 

 tens of thousands of bushels every year. It is the general belief, 

 however, that over the entire area the hard clam has been decreasing 

 rapidly during the last two years. Other beds on the island, just as 

 extensive- as those in Peconic and Gardiners bays, are almost de- 

 stroyed, but very fortunately the supply is still great here. 



On the south side of the island, Shinnecock and Moriches bays 

 have never produced many clams. The Great South bay, to the 

 west of them, however, has the remnants of a hard clam industry 

 with an eventful history. The clam supply from Patchogue to Free- 

 port has been enormous. Almost all of the intermediate towns have 

 had an extensive interest in clam tonging. The story of one of 

 these is mare or less typical of all. 



