THE CONCHOLOGICAL M AGAZI NE 



Vol. II. February, 1908. No. 2. 



TALKS ON SHELLS (V) 



(In these talks on shells by Mr. Iwakawa, we have only 

 selected a lew interesting Tacts.) 



PECTEx(n>/<r) laou.etus Sozub. — Itayagai. 



In some provinces, this species is sometimes mistaken for the 

 Hotategai of which we have spoken in the last December number. 

 These creatures are mostly found in southern seas, especially in 

 the Kagoshima Bay and also in other parts of our eastern region. 

 Like the 'Hotategai; the ' TtayagaV is considered as a delicacy. 

 The chief use of these shells to-day as from very remote times is 

 for dippers; handles of bamboo sticks are stuck at the end of the 

 valve. It is said that in Osaka they are commonly sold to be 

 eaten, while we have never seen them in the Tokyo market. 



Pecten souamatus Gtnel. — Nishikigai. 



There are several different names of this species according to 

 the varieties of its colors, such as Itaragai, Ezo-nisftiki, Azuma- 

 nishiki, Sliokkono-nisliiki and Nhlnkigai. These creatures are found 

 in all of our adjoining seas, especially in the Aomori Bay where 

 the natives call them Akajyara. 



Mva aken'Akia japonica Jay. — Oluwgai. 



This species is so widely distributed in many parts of the world, 

 such as our eastern sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Baltic Sea, English 

 seas, and northern parts of America, that it is not only eaten by 

 us, but also by people in some foreign countries. 



Lutraria maxima fonas. — Mirukui. 



This species is called also Minigai, of which Ryoan Terashima 

 writes as follows: — "The shell has a kind of sea-weed grown on 

 its top when very old and turns deep blue in its color. So it is 

 called Mirukui." Mini is a kind of sea- weed and Kid means to 

 eat. There is another tradition of it that the creatures eat Mint, 

 which usually grows thick near them. When I bought some of 



