Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-19

Fscts About Them which Are Not Pepa-
larry Known.

EoC8 Ao00t mem w men ArO Not foDu-
larry Known.
PUT ONE N 4 PAN OF SRA wArER AND OBSERVE
WHAT a WONDERFUL CREATURE IT rs-rHr
1ouSo CLAN N rHK SuRsERr-NDIaSs wso
AR FOND OF rHK NoLLusES
ss'THE CLAN IN POINT OF MERIT
u seems always 10 have been over
shadoved by the OYSTER" said an ichth voiogist
to STAR writer. Yet the more humble mol
lusk, which finds . domieile in sand OF mud. 10
. very useful as well as admirable creature.
You know the squirt clam which 10 20 justly
popular in New England, where il 10 some
times called the sand gaper' o. old maid IL
h an animal unattractive enough In appearance
when newly dug mp. But put it into pan Of
shallow sea water and You will presently OBJ
serve some things about il that will surprise
you
IN ITS NATIVE EIENEyr
AS soon 80 the clam, thus restored TO its
natura. element has regained confidence il
etretcnes out Its tube o. neck 10 . length Of
several inches. perhaps nearly foot Then IL
| 10 seen that this important organ has two oren-
ings at the END. fringed with appendages Ike
.lue leeiers Two tubes pass through The neck
to the body OF the clam, and If Won watch Won
viii see a current Of water flowing into eue
tube ana out OF the other. Tins current Is pro-
duced by tho motion Of small hairliLa ella
lining the interior Of the animal The clam
mas vlscera, heart, q stomach into which the
mouth opens almost direc,ly-but did not in.
tend 70 give You an sna.nmlcsi lecture
WHERE THEY ARE FOND
These squirt or long clans are found
pientifuily as far north 40 the arctic ocean.
| where the seals. walrus. polar bears and foxes
feed upon them greediv Their habitat
extends as far south Cape Hatteras, below
which they are scarce They thrive also slon:
the northern coasts Of Europe and on the
shores of Japan. Alaska and noEtheas tern Asia
The Young clam. as soon as he Is old enough
to establish q dwelling for himself. prot-uGes
his foot, which is ut the opposite end from the
neck. and proceeds to dig with it, This foot
II really very remarkable Instrument mas
much as the animal can alter its shape at viii
90 that it becomes 9 spade, hook. a sharp
wedge or pointed craving tool With IL the
clam digs down for six or eight ches into tho
sand, leaving extended behind him his siphon-
like neck.
DRINKs WITH 4 sIPaox.
ut is by means Of this siphon that the clam
maintains communication with the surface.
Having neither the means nor the inclination
for roaming. il depends for food upon micro
scopic articles which are sucked IN with the
current OF water through the tube, the water
bringing oxygen also TO the gills Its burden
unloadsd, the water flows out through the dis
charging tubes, carrying with it all excremep-
utlous matter. This current is continuous, SO
that 1t il never long between drinks with this
bivalve. which fact may perhaps account for
the origin of the phrase, happy as a clam
The spawning season of squirt clans comes
In June and July. In issuing from the ovaries
OF the female the eggs find their way into the
cavities OF the outer Sills. where they fructi
fed There they develop into little clans just
big enough to be seen with the naked eve.
when they are discharged by thousands into
the water aud left to tako care of themselves.
As individuals their chance of surviving Is
small, inasmUch as fishes and many other
enemies are always on the lookout for them.
However. each one anchors Itself to the bottom
by slender thread, holding on with all its
might against the currents and making the best
OF the situation. After a while. though Just
when is not known. they make burrows IN the
sand or mud, thus rendering themselves COM
paratively secure against foes of all sorts
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
Hogs on Long Island and elsewhere know
how to dig for clans very we'll They 60 out
upon the flats at low water and root wherever
the pressure of their weight causes a squirt to
appear. This is very cheap and profitable
method OF keeping swine. In winter the clans
bury themselves deeply, but icicles are often
found in their shells. These mollusks. which
as human food and for bait, constitute an i'm
por.aut element Of the marine wealth of the
United States, have been recently transplan ted
to the Pacific coast being carried across the
continent with the oyster seed which is annu-
ally transported in large quantities from the
eastern states. They have thriven greatly.
succeeding where the oysters have failed, and
have stocked San Francisco bay with . new
food supply.
INDIANS Al CLAN HuSrERa
1.-THE pilgrim fathers and other early colon
lists in this country found the Indians 'treading'
and diving for round CLANS otherwise known
in the aboriginal tongue as 'quhaugs.' They
adopted the former method, and to this day
their descendants in New England can be seen
| all along the coast vading in the water and
feeling with their toes for the mollusks. which
lie buried usually in mud that is thickly over
grown with seaweed. The animal always lies
with the edge of its shell out of the mud in order
mistakable. Diving and 'treading for qua
haugs among the Indians used to be performed
by the squaws and older children, such labor
being beneath the dignity of the men. At
present oyster tongs, rakes and dredges are
employed for the purpose. The aborigines
manufactured money out of the shells, AS well as
arrow points, scrapers, spoons paint holders
and other utensils. In their time
90" the dainty Indian maize
Was eat with clam shells out Of wooden trays.'
THE ORIGIN OF THE CLAM BAKE.
THE Indians in the old days were great eat
ers Of clans, as is proved by the enormous de-
posts Of the shells which remain along the
shores OF bays and estuaries. They dried clans
rs well as oysters in the sun on pieces of bark.
thus preserving them for purposes OF trade.
The coast tribes conquered by the powerful Six
Nations paid large tribute of clans. which
were regarded as u great luxury in the interior
not only the interior of the Indian. mean
but of the country. In the summer and fall
the savages came 10 the seashore for the pur-
pose Of celebrating their great festival Of the
green corn. on which occasion CLANS succrlent
ears OF corn aud seaweeds were roasted together
1t is from this custom that the modern clam
bake was derived.
TIE PROPER KIND OF A BAKE
'The art Of preparing q clam bake is re-
gardsd as Of no small importance in New Eng
land, where men who have obtained celebrity
in this line Of cookery travel about the country
every summer and charge big prices for
ministering on such occasions. To begin with,
| hearth, which may be circular or quad
rangular, is made with fat stones, upon which
fire Is kept up until they are red hot The fire
10 then removed and a layer of seaweed ID
placed over the stones. On top of the seaweed
is pat layer Of CLAIMS, then smother LAYER OF
seaweed and next q layer of green corn in the
husks, together with potatoes and other
vegetables. Then comes q layer Of oysters,
crabs in sacks, poultry dressed and seasoned.
and more seaweed on top OF all Finally canvas
10 laid over the smoking heap and covered with
wet seaweed to prevent the steam from escap-
g. Il ~