The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-12-06

ABUNDANT IN every stream and pond In
bis vicinity. and he has seen collec-
lions Of the shells on the banks or near
by where muskrats have gathered for
a social feast al midnight AS he
grows older he will ponder deeply up
on the unselhshness which could
prompt and the self-eontrol which
could enable the unpretentious musk
rat TO make provision for the banquet
and TO share It with his friends. He
has probably noticed. too, that where
a clam has persisted In the water the
two shells commonly remain together.
like the empty covers OF an old book.
while at the remains of a muslIrats
supper they are always cut apart, un-
less the muskrats were frightened
away before the meal was completed.
These muskrat epicures learned long
ago how to open a clam by cutting
the ligature along the back and the
muscle that holds the shell tightly to-
gether when the clam shuts itself up.
Every such boy has seen, too, a LONG
line, or little furrow In the sand, un-
der water, sometimes nearly straight.
sometimes In graceful curves and has
often found, at one end, the clam that
made 1t, upright on edge, half buried
in the sand, but perfectly still and
tightly closed. 1t was walking to
the sand until the boy came splashlng
along; then 1t shut up, and craftily
looked like clam. If It is left alone
and everything is quiet for a long time
1t will begin to move again-very
slowly. Of course, but it can move, and
the way 1t moves is one way Of walk
ing.
The two shells of a mussel, or fresh
water clam, are alike-that is, the
creature is symmetrical" at least ex-
ternally. A narrow line of tough.
heshy substance, called the ligature,
holds the shells together along the
back, much as the leather binding of a
| book holds together the two covers.
The clam can open and close his shells
as he pleases, and when all is quiet
around him he changes from his unso-
cial, clamlike attitude toward the
world, and begins to relax and expand
a little. First, after opening his she'll
he puts out two fringelike pieces be-
| hind, and begins to take good, long,
full breaths again. For each fringe has
tube, or "orifice," in it, and through
| the lower tube the clam draws in q
current of water which he drives out
through the upper tube. So these tubes
| have been named the incurrent orifice
and the excurrent orifce. They are
not very hard words to remember
when we understand the direction OF
| the movements of water that they
stand for. Water contains air, and
the clam breathes this air, as fishes
do, and some snails and other Great
ures that live in the water. The wa
ter flowing in also brings with it
many tiny objects suitable for food,
which are carried along to the CLAIMS
stomach, and thus the clam is able
both to breathe and to feed by means
of current of water.
One might suppose that a creature
whose food came to it already pre-
pared would have no need to roam
about 1t is a fact that the oyster
settles down while still young and
never stirs from home again; but the
clam finds it worth his while to move
about, even though his steps are slow
and his journeys short The CLAIMS
natural position is on edge, about half
buried in the sand with the hinge of
its shell uppermost, with its fringes
protruding slightly behind and with
the two shells parted little beneath.
Between these the clam puts out it's
foot, and works it into the sand below.
This foot is soft and seemingly shape
less, but capable of expansion and
contraction to a remarkable degree,
and very strong. 1t is stronger, rela-
lively, than the propeller of a steam
ship, for while the propeller drives
the vessel through water, this soft,
shapeless mass, called a foot, is able
to push the CLAIMS body through the
compact sand at the bottom of the
stream or pond.
If some of these fresh water clans,
or mussels, are taken home and placed
in pan filed with sand and water,
they will, after a while, work them
selves upright, put out their fringes
behind and their foot below, and be-
gin to move very slowly along. But
with the slightest jar, as from touch
of the table or of the pan, or perhaps
from stepping on the floor, they will
shut up again. CLANS cannot see, or