146 The Commercial Prodtids of the Sea, 



Clams. — Many molluscs pass under the name of clams. 

 The sand or soft clam of the New England States is 

 Mya arenaria ; the round clam or hard-shell clam, Venus 

 mercenaria; and both these are brought to market as food. 

 The sea clam is the Mactra gigaiitea and M. solidissima^ 

 Gould ; the razor clam, Solen ensis, Lin. 



The soft clam is, next to the oyster, the most important 

 bivalve of the American coast, whether we view it as a 

 means of public sustenance, or as an addition to the fish- 

 ing industry of the country. Its great abundance on the 

 coasts Avhere it is found, the good market it commands, the 

 ease with which it can be obtained from the banks at low 

 tide, all render it a most valuable source of sustenance to 

 the poorer classes. Clam beds are found in sheltered parts 

 of the coast, or at least in places w^here the action of the 

 waves is not sufficiently strong to change the character of 

 the banks. The consumption of these molluscs is con- 

 siderable during every season, but especially in summer, 

 along the entire coast of the Northern States, from New 

 York to Maine ; but nowhere is it so great as at Boston. 

 The people of the United States use clams in a variety of 

 culinary preparations, the most popular of which is, un- 

 doubtedly, a kind of soup especially esteemed in Boston. 



Round clams exist in great abundance on the American 

 coast, from Cape Cod almost to the extremity of Florida. 

 They are generally found on the shores of gulfs and bays, 

 and of the mouths of large rivers which are less exposed 

 to the action of the waves than the open coast. Their 

 beds are at a depth varying from 6 to 25 feet below the 

 surface of the water at low tide. Like all the molluscs of 

 that family, they prefer a large proportion of mud with 

 the sand in which they live. 



Round clams are the object of an especial culture in 



