160 New York State Museum 



inches high. The Magellan Scallop- (P. magelUmicus= 

 tenuico status) is the largest of the species of the east 

 coast, attaining a length and height of five to five and 

 one-half inches. Its color is reddish to brown or ashen 

 and, as in the preceding species, one valve is flatter, 

 smaller in size and lighter colored. The shell is marked 

 with numerous radiating striae which gave the name to 

 the North Atlantic form which later proved identical with 

 P. magellanicus of Patagonia, giving a long range to the 

 species. North of Cape Ann it is of common occurrence 

 in moderately deep water. This scallop is eaten along 

 the Maine coast where the deeper bays and arms of the 

 sea constitute its favorite resorts. 



Among the smaller crustaceans of the sandy beaches 

 are the Beach Fleas (Orchestia, Talorchestia) and the 

 Scud (Gammarus). The Beach Fleas live in the day- 

 time under the masses of seaweeds thrown up on the 

 beach and construct burrows in the sand under the de- 

 bris. These little creatures are beach scavengers, de- 

 vouring decayed seaweed. The Scud lives under 

 stones and Fucus at and near low-water mark. The 

 other crustaceans characteristic of sandy beaches are 

 the already described Green Crab and Rock Crab, the 

 Lady Crab or Sand Crab (Platyonichus ocellatus), 

 the Ghost Crab (Ocypoda arenaria) , the Fiddler Crab 

 (Uca pugilator), the Common Shrimp (Crangon vul- 

 garis) and the Horseshoe Crab or. King Crab (Limu- 

 lus polyphemus). The Ghost Crab ranges from Bra- 

 zil to New Jersey. It digs burrows three feet deep 

 into sandy beaches. The young are found on the 

 hot sandy beaches along the southern coast of Long 

 Island, but they probably do not survive the winter. 

 The shell of this species is dull yellowish white in 



