156 
EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 
ciraen is about 3 inches, by 2J in breadth. Mya arenaria 
is larger than M. truncata, longer and more pointed at 
the gaping end, equally coarse and rugged in appearance, 
its colour varying according to the nature of the soil in 
which it buries itself. Montagu states that this species 
is eaten at Southampton, and called old maid 
but upon making inquiry there I cannot discover that 
they are now known by that name. In Chichester har- 
bour and in Fareham Creek the poorer classes collect 
them for eating, and call them pullers.^^ At Youghal 
the name for them is sugar-loons,^^ and in Dublin 
“ colliers,^’ and at both places they are considered good 
bait, and fit to eat ; but at Youghal they warn you to 
be careful to take off the skin which covers the outside 
of the shell and tube, as it is supposed to be poisonous. 
However, it is probably harmless, excejit in cases where 
it causes indigestion ; but I believe that Mya arenaria 
has been known really to disagree with some people, and 
Miss Ball mentions a friend being very uncomfortable 
after eating one. The Hampshire people do not seem 
to have noticed this peculiarity. I cannot let this op- 
portunity pass without expressing my sincere thanks to 
Miss Ball, for much valuable information, which she 
kindly sent to me from Ireland, respecting the various 
edible mollusks. 
Mya arenaria [Mye des sables) may occasionally be 
seen exposed for sale in the market at Bordeaux. 
Myadce are widely distributed, and are not only food 
for man, but for the walrus and other northern animals, 
besides birds and fishes, which relish them greatly. Cap- 
tain Tuckey, in his expedition to the river Zaire, or 
Congo, found that a species of Mya was much sought 
* Forbes and Hanley, ‘British MoUusca.’ 
