8 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
other words, of their relations to man’s immediate interests, 
obviously includes a consideration of the injurious as well as 
of the beneficial forms. In the case of both of these, there is 
possible quite a natural division into those which are directly, 
and those which are indirectly, of injury or benefit, and this 
classification will be followed in this paper. 
Of the direct uses to man of the Mollusca, the most im- 
portant by far is that of food. The other uses must vary in 
importance with different ages, different localities, or different 
conditions of civilization. For our purposes we may consider 
the relative order to be as follows: 
(1) Use as food for man. 
(2) As bait in the fisheries. 
(3) As fertilizers for land. 
(4) For ornaments, including the production of pearl. 
(5) For money. 
(6) For the making of dyes. 
(7) For dishes and many minor uses. 
The most important of all food-molluscs is, of course, the 
Oyster. It is found in nearly all parts of the world except in 
the coldest seas, has been used from the remotest antiquity 
and is one of the most popular food-substances known. Many 
people have claimed that ours, of Acadia, are the best that 
are found in the world, and this much appears certain, that 
if not the best, they are among the best. Next in importance 
with us comes the soft-shell Clam, then the Scallop, the 
Quahog, Periwinkle, Kazor-fish, Mussel, Whelk, Squid and 
one or two others. In Europe the Mussel takes the place of 
the Clam and the Periwinkle, and stands before it and just 
after the Oyster. It is most remarkable that Molluscs esteemed 
in Europe should be neglected in Canada, and vice versa. 
Though our common Clam is abundant in the former country,, 
it is never used either for food or bait, while the Mussel and 
Whelk, highly esteemed and of great value there, are rarely 
utilized by our people. No doubt the greater variety of cheap 
food within reach of our poorer classes has something to do 
with this, for it is chiefly by the lower classes that those 
Molluscs are used in Europe. 
