22 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



because of the influence of the seaweed on so many beds. The 

 variation in the size of planted clams in this experiment was from 

 I y\ inches to iff inches in length, and this is not a very great 

 range. 



On a third bed, also situated well up on the beach, clams iy\ 

 inches long when planted had increased 155^ in volume in the six 

 months. Whether the amount of food in the summer is greater 

 than in the winter, I do not know. I have no doubt that the 

 increase goes on during the winter months, though, it may be, 

 with diminished rapidity. It would be extremely interesting to 

 carry out these experiments on a large scale through the entire 

 year. These facts certainly show that the possibilities of growth 

 in Venus are very great, and indicate that its artificial culture 

 between tide lines would be easy and inexpensive, and that it would 

 yield large results. Considering the place which the Httle-neck 

 has in the markets, it would seem that the artificial culture of the 

 form should yield a larger income than does the culture of the 

 oyster as carried on in Long Island sound. The latter is expensive 

 and laborious, and growth is very much slower than in the case of 

 either of the clams. 



Wandering habits of Venus 



The soft or long-neck clam, Mya, is capable of locomotion only 

 when very small. As the body increases in size, the foot, or loco- 

 motor organ, becomes relatively smaller. An individual 2 inches 

 long, while it can not move along the surface of the bottom, is 

 still able to use the foot as a burrowing organ. When it has 

 attained a length of 3 or more inches, however, it seems to be 

 incapable even of covering itself in the bottom. 



In the case of the hard clam, Venus, on the contrary, the foot 

 remains throughout life a very well developed locomotor organ. 

 Though no definite experiments have been made to demonstrate 

 what it is able to do, one might assume, from the size of the 

 organ and its power of extension as demonstrated in aquaria, 

 that the animal is able at all times in its life, not only to burrow 

 but also to move from one locality to another, as the fresh-water 

 clams, with a similar foot, are known to do. 



