The Opelousas courier., 1893-01-21
SOME POINTS ON CLAIMS
FACTS ABOUT THEM WHICH ARE
NOT POPULARITY KNOWN.

Observe What a Cfea-
ture 1t Is-Porcine Clam Hunters.
Y a talk on clans an ichthyologist
said to a Washington Star man !;
1.-THE clam in point of merit seems
always to have been o~ver-shadcwed
by the oyster. Yet the more humble
mollusk, which finds d domic:le id sand
or mud, is a very useful as we'll as cd.
mirable creature. You know the squirt,
clam. which is so Justly popular In New
England, where it is sometimes calico
the sand gaper' or 'old maid 1t is an
animal unattrati7e enough in appearance
when newly dug up. But put it into a
pan of shallow sea water and you will
presently observe some things about lt.
that will surprise you.
'sAs soon as the clam, thus restored to
its natural element, has regained conf
dence it stretches out its tube or meek
to a length of several inches, perhaps
nearly a foot. Then it is seen that this
important organ has two openings at the
end, fringed with apperdages like little
feelers. Two tubes pass through the
neck to the body of the clam, and, if you
watch, you will see a current of water
| flowing into one tube aud out the other.
This current is produced by the motion
| CT small hairlike ella lining the interior
| of the animal. The clam has ~viscera, a
| heart, a stomach into which the mouth
opens almost directly-but / did not IN
tend to give you an anatomical lecture.
'tThese squirt or long clans are
found plentifully as fat north as the Arc
tic Ocean; where the seals, Walrtts; polat
bears and foxes feed upon them greedlIy..
Their habitat extends as far south as
Cape Hatteras, below which they are
scarce. They thrive also along the north
ern coasts of Europe and on the shores
of Japan, Alaska and northeastern
Asia. The young clam, as soon ashe IS
old enough to establish a dwelling for
himself, protrudes his foot, which is at
the opposite end from the neck, and
proceeds to dig with it. This foot Is
really a very remarkable instrument,
ihasmuch as the animal can alter its
shape at will SO that it becomes d spadei
d hook; a sharp wedge or a pointed grav-
inc. tool: With it the Giant digs down
for six OF eight inches into the sand;
leaving extended behind him his siphon-
like neck.
SIT is by no means of this sipIlon that
the clam maintains communication with
the surface. Having neither the means
nor the inclination for roaming, it de-
ponds for food upon microscopic articles
which are sucked in with the current OF
water through the tube, the water bring
ing oxygen also to the gills. Its burden
unloaded, the water COWS out through
the discharging tubes, carrying with 1T
all excrementitious matter. This cur.
rent is continuous, SO that it is never
long between drinks with ethis bivalve,
which fact may perhaps account for the
origin of the phrase, thappy as a clam
Hogs on Long Island and elsewhere
know how to dig for clans very well,
They go out upon the fats at low water
and root wherever the pressure Of their
weight causes a squirt to appear. This
is a 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 Tor bait, con-
stitute an important element of the ma
rine wealth of the United States, have
been recently transplanted to the Pacific
coast, being carried across the continent
with the oyster seed which is annually
transported ID large quantities from the
Eastern States. They have thrlven great;
", succeeding where the oysters have
failed, and have stocked San Francisco
Bay with a new food supply.
'tThe Pilgrim Fathers and other early
c~olonists in this country found the In
dians 'treading' and diving for round
clans, otherwise known in the aborigi-
nal tongue as 'qubaugs.' They adopted ?
the former method, and to this day
their descendants in New England can
be seen all along the coast wading in
the water and feeling with their toes
for the mbllusks. which lie buried
usually in mud that is thickly 6vefgrown
with seaweed. The animal always lies
with the edge of its shell out of the mud
in order to breathe and the feeling of il
to the foot Is unlnistakeable. Diving
and '~treading' for quahaugs 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 we'll as arrow points,
scrapers, spoons, paint holders and other
utensils.
''The Indians in the old days were
great eaters of clans, as is proved by the
enormous deposits of the shells which
remain along the shores of bays and estu-
aries. They dried CLAIMS as we'll 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 a large
tribute of clans, which were regarded
as a great luxury in the in~terior--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 purpose of celebrating their great
festival of the green corn, on which oc-
casion CLANS, succulent ears of corn and
seaweeds were roasted together. 1t is
from this custom that the modern clam
bake was derived.
Hens and Ducks.