88 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
eaten in almost any numbers with impunity. It may be 
boiled or roasted, eaten alone, or as a sauce to fish.” It is 
gathered all the year round and sells for five pounds a ton. 
So important is the fishery in England, that two bays alone 
produce £35,000 worth of Cockles a year, Morecambe Bay 
alone producing £20,000 worth annually. In view of these 
facts it is well for us to keep in mind that we have a Cockle 
upon our own coast.* 
The shells of our species are sometimes employed for 
making small articles of ornament. 
19. Venus mercenaria Linnaeus. 
Mercenaria violacea Schum. 
Quahog or Quahaug, Hard Clam, Round Clam, Little- 
neck Clam. 
Mic-mac , Boogunumowas-uk. Acadian French , Pal- 
lude (?). 
[Venus, Venus; mercenaria, used in trade]. 
Distribution, (a) General; — In shallow water. Florida 
to Massachusetts Bay. Casco Bay and Gulf of St. Lawrence. 
Has been introduced into Europe. 
(b) In Acadia; — (in N. B.) Caraquette, Bell. Bay 
Chaleur, Shediac, Whiteaves. (In N. S.) Halifax, Sable 
Island and Fishing Banks, Gould (on authority of Willis ). 
St. Mary’s Bay, “ pretty abundant,” Verhruzen. Whole 
coast, common, Jones. Prince Edward Island, Dawson. It 
* As this paper is passing through the press, the following appears in a Boston- 
newspaper, too late for its insertion in its proper place. 
“New Industry. — Manchester-by-the-Sea, June 23. A new industry has 
recently started in Manchester. The scarcity of bait has led the fishermen to bait 
their trawls with Cockles and they prove much better than herring, as dogfish will 
not touch them, and, as they are tough, they will hold on the hooks much better. 
It is not uncommon to see from twenty to thirty men on the flats picking Cockles’ 
and from fifty to seventy -five buckets are secured at each tide.”— Boston Record, 
June 2Uth, 1889. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Andrew Lee, 2nd, of Manchester, the writer 
received specimens of these “Cockles,” which proved to be not Cardium, but 
simply Buccinum undatum and Lunatia heros. 
