New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06
EYE" OF THE SCALLOP.
Only Edible Part of This SheItfsh
Good Catch This Season.

Tho scailon season is now in full swing on Long
Island and until next March this delicious olVaVe
will be fairly common in the markets as they
seem TO have come close inshore this season In
large numbers.
The scallop in general shape Is NOT unlike
large hard clam. quahog, though the smell OF the
latter is smoother and harder. The she'll or the
scaliop is regularly futed from back to edge ran
shaped and on the outside is dark in color while
the inner side covered with delicate coating or
pink pearly lustre similar to mother-of-peari
But little Is known of the general habits OF tho
scallop Early in September they begin to swarm
on the coast and remain until about March. Wheh
they disappcar as suddenly they came. In warm
weather they scatter around. while IN co!o "e'004
they gather in beds. Their movements are very
cratic \ whole bed Of hundreds OF oushels WIZ
move in a single night. and cannot DE louhu any
where in the vicinity the next morning. lhey are
graceful and rapid swimmers. and While engaged
IN this operation open and close their shells nne
pair of wings and with marvellous rapid1ty' Ihey
are never rest. except in the coIdest OF "e@e''
when they go into deep water
The only edible part of a scallop is the muscle
which OPENS and closes the two Shells called by the
fishermen the eye" The eye varies In size
according 70 the size OF the shells and the quahty
of the scaIlop. If the scallop Is fat and IN gooo
condition the "eye" is large, plump and hard and
Of a milky Wilderness, which is very tempt
ing If the scallop is poor the eye Is long anu
thin and blush in color The body of the bivaive
is not used for food but is sold to eel and lobster
fishermen who 1t for batting their traps
little is also used as bait in the line fisheries
Edible scallops are taken in all the NeW-bnglano
States and In New-Y York. this State furnishing the
bulk of the catch. In New-York the best fishing
ground is in Peconic Bay, at the eastern END Oh
Long Island. New-Suffolk is the headquarters OF
the fishery. although it is considerable INDUSTRY
in other Long Island towns. Non-edlbte scallopS
are also taken by the fishermen on the northern
shore OF Staten Island and the portion OF New
Jersey bordering on NewYork Bay. These are
used exclusively bait. The fishery is compare
lively modern. but it has made great strides In
recent years and in 1901 amounted in New-York to
1854 s54 bushels which sold for s10SS7 In 1881 only
$50 bushels were taken. which sold for s4SSAo.
The above prices those received by the fisher
men,
The boats used IN the fishery are mainly medium
sized saiboats although few rowboats are en-
ployed. Each boat carries from two to fifteen
small light dredges. similar IN design to an oyster
dredge. Two men form the crew an average
sized boat. Upon arrival at the beds the dredges
are thrown overheard to the windward, when the
boats drift to the eeward, dragging the dredges
over the bottom and scrapng up everything that
comes in their way. Sometimes the catch is clear
! scaops, but generally the quantity of seaweed
! and shells and what the fishermen call dirt"
makes IL necessary to pick out each scallop
| ately. The daily catch of boat varies consider
ably, sometimes one boat will get a single