1222 



Magalhaes, Hulda. 1948. 



An ecological study of snails of the genus Busycon at Beaufort, North 

 Carolina. Ecol. Monogr. 18(3): 377-409. 



Next to Tagelus gibbus, the favorite food of Busycon in laboratory tanks, 

 Chione cancellata and Venus mercenaries tie for 2nd place as food. Max and 

 min lengths of Venus eaten were 90.2 and 11.6 ram, heights 77.8 and 10.1mm, 

 and widths 54.7 and 5.6 mm. Busycon consumes hard clams by 2 methods: 1) 

 the snail waits until the shell opens slightly, then inserts the edge of 

 the outer lip of its own shell, forces the valves apart until the proboscis 

 of the snail can reach the soft parts of the clam; 2) the prey is grasped 

 by the foot muscle of Busycon and held so that the columellar muscle can 

 contract and bring the outer lip of the snail shell against the ventral 

 edges of the clam shell, often with such force that the clam shell, the 

 snail shell, or both, are broken. This hammering of the edge of the clam 

 shell can occur as often as 6 times/min. When the hole is large enough, 

 Busycon inserts its sharp shell lip between the valves of Venus and pries 

 it open. All 3 species of Busycon may feed on clams this way. Photographs 

 of Venus shells showing chipped edges made by Busycon are reproduced. 

 Shells of clams recently eaten by Busycon, or in process of being eaten, 

 are always covered with a thick, sticky material, probably saliva. This 

 contains a proteolytic enzyme. - J.L.M. and M.W.S. 



1223 



Mahoney, John B., and John J. A. McLaughlin. 1977. 



The association of phytof lagellate blooms in Lower New York Bay with hyper- 

 trophication. J. Exper. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 23(1): 53-65. 



Mevcenavia (Venus) mercenaria is not mentioned. - J.L.M. 



1224 



Mahoney, Paul, Gerald Fleischner, Irving' Millman, W. Thomas London, Baruch 

 S. Blumberg, and Irwin M. Arias. 1974. 



Australia antigen: Detection and transmission in shellfish. Science 183 

 (4120) : 80-81. 



Australia antigen was found in clams contaminated by drainage of untreated 

 sewage from a coastal hospital on the Atlantic coast of Maine. In closed- 

 system aquariums, the antigen was ingested by clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) 

 and transmitted to previously uninfected clams. In open-system aquariums, 

 the titer of Australia antigen decreased with time, suggesting viral con- 

 centration rather than replication. - modified authors abstract. - J.L.M. 



1225 



Maier, F. J. 19 47. 



Present status of shellfish cleansing and conditioning processes. Natl. 

 Shellf. Assn., Convention Address 1941, from selected addresses 1941-1946, 

 4 p. 



At present the only commercial shellfish cleansing plant in operation in the 

 United States is in Massachusetts. Yearly volume of clams treated varies 

 from 19,000 to 58,000 bu. Cost of treatment averages 27C per bu. On the 

 whole, the plant has accomplished the results for which it was designed. 

 - J.L.M. 



1226 



Malek, Entile A., and Thomas C. Cheng. 1974. 



Medical and Economic Malacology. Academic Press, New York, x+398 p. 



Mevcenaria mercenaria belongs to 1 of 6 classes of mollusk, Class bivalvia, 

 also known as Pelecypoda or Lamellibranchiata. They are bilaterally 

 symmetrical, have a shell of two valves with corresponding lobes of the 



343 



