90 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
tides. It often inhabits the estuaries, where it most abounds. It burrows 
a short distance below the surface, but is often found crawling at the 
surface, with the shell partly exposed. It has short siphon tubes, 
united from the base to near the ends, and a large, muscular foot, with 
a broad thin edge, by means of which it can easily burrow beneath the 
sand w hen necessary** It clearly occupies much the same localities as 
the Oysters upon our North Shore, as it is along with them that it is 
usually taken. As it lives upon or very near the surface, it can be 
-captured by raking or dredging, just as Oysters are; in the United 
States it is taken either by long-handled tongs -or by the dredge. 
Economics. In the United States this species ranks next 
to the Oyster as an article of food. Its annual value was 
estimated in 1883 to be $657,747. that of the Oyster being 
$13,439,000. These figures will show how valuable a Mollusc 
of our waters we are almost totally neglecting. 
South of New York this is the common Clam of the 
markets. Between New York and Boston, this and the soft 
Clam, Mya arenaria, occur about equally in the markets, 
while north of Boston, the latter replaces the former. The 
best sell in New York for about three dollars per barrel, 
wholesale. Smaller ones are sold for sixty cents to one dollar 
per bushel. The smallest are used chiefly for pickling. 
They are taken from small boats by raking. It is also 
extensively used as bait. It sometimes contains pearls of white, 
blue, purple, violet or mixed colors, but they are rarely 
clear enough to be of any value. 
This species has been introduced into several places in 
Europe, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. It has been 
acclimatized in the Dee, and, perhaps, also on the Cheshire 
coast, and at Bordeau, in France, but at least one attempt to 
make it live at Arcachon, in the south of France, has failed. 
These efforts to introduce it into Europe show how highly it 
is valued by people who have it not in their own waters, and 
they should have a lesson for us who value it little though 
abundant on our own shores. 
In Acadian waters we cannot find that it is ever fished for 
separately. It is taken with Oysters and sold along with 
them. In St. John it is rarely or never sold separately, 
though in Halifax, where a few bushels a year are disposed 
