52 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



Clams. — This term Includes the hard clam, quahaug, 

 or round clam ( Venus mercenaria); soft or long clam 

 {Mya arenaria); razor clam, or razor fish (Ensis 

 americana); surf, sea, or hen clam (Spisula solidissima); 

 and various other species. 



Clams are bivalve mollusks largely used for food and 

 bait, and are found on all our coasts. Various species, 

 most of which are edible, are known as "soft clam," 

 "long clam," "butterfish," "mananose," "nanni- 

 nose," "squirt clam," "quahaug," "hard clam," 

 "surf clam," "sea clam," "hen clam," "beach clam," 

 "dipper," "skimmer," "painted clam," "cuneata 

 clam," "round clam," "little-neck clam,," "gapers," 

 "teUens," "flat clam," "razor clam," "razor fish," 

 "knife-handle," and "bullnose." For the purposes of 

 of the census, however, all species are classified as 

 either hard, soft, razor, or surf clams. 



The clam product of the United States in 1908 

 ranked sixth in value, amounting to 1,900,000 bushels, 

 valued at $1 ,917,000. While the quantity of the hard- 

 shell variety but little exceeded that of the soft-shell, 

 the value of the former was nearly two and one-half 

 times that of the latter. The statistics of the clam 

 product reported, by class of product, are given in the 

 following tabular'statement: 



' Includes Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. 



Hard clams were reported from all the Pacific coast 

 states, from Florida and Louisiana on the Gulf of 

 Mexico, and from all the Atlantic coast states except 

 Maine and New Hampshire. The entire soft-clam 

 product, with the exception of 1 per cent of the total, 

 taken in California and Oregon, was from the North At- 

 lantic coast, none being reported south of New Jersey. 



1 Includes Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. 



Razor clams were reported from Washington and 

 Massachusetts, and surf clams from New York and 

 New Jersey. The statistics of the clam product, by 

 states and varieties, are given in the above tabular 

 statement, in which the states are ranked according 

 to the value of their catch. 



It is not possible to compare the statistics for the 

 different varieties with those for previous years, 

 owing to the fact that at the earlier canvasses in many 

 instances no distinction of varieties was made. A 

 comparison of the figures for the total clam product, 

 however, shows a slight decrease in quantity since 1880, 

 accompanied by an increase in value. The statistics 

 for the various canvasses are as follows: 



The entire clam product was taken with tongs, 

 dredges, and similar apparatus. 



Cod (Gadus callarias) . — The cod is caught most ex- 

 tensively along the coast of the Middle states, New 

 England, and British America, and is not taken in the 

 Atlantic Ocean south of New Jersey. It is most plenti- 



