The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-05
CLAN LIFE.
Some Things Not Commonly Set Down
About . Familiar Moliusk.

The common soft-shel clam has in its
neck two parallel tubes whose openings
are side by side at the neck's end. Through
one Of these tubes the clam takes In. along
with the water in which it In contained,
the food upon which il subssts; by the other
tube it expels the waste water alter the
. food has been taken from it,
At the other end from it's neck the soft
| clam has a member called a foot with which
| II Is enabled to dig in the sand or mud In
which Il b,iries itself. The soft clam may
| 20 down some distance and yet keep con-
nection with the bottom Of the water, at
| the surface of the mud or sand for the CLAIMS
neck Ia highly telescope.
The soft-shell clans seen in market, while
a few of them might have their neck some
! what extended, would commonly have 1t
drawn completely within their shell; but the
| soft clam can put out its neck TO three or
| four times the length OF its own shell 80
| n clam three or four inches long that had
buried itself q foot down in the mud might
| still be able TO keep actual connection with
it's source Of food supply in the water at tho
muds surface.
Plenty Of people walking at low tide along
| a shore under which many clans have
buried themselves have seen the tiny jets
OF water that the CLANS squirt up-water
which the clam had taken in and from
which it was extracting food. which
II now discharges as it suddenly contracts
it's neck on being disturbed.
Softshell clans kept in aquarium tanks
proyide themselves there with food a. they
would in nature, or they can there be fed
fled, there may be given to them tiny scraps
or shreds Of cut-up clam. II such food Is
dropped in the water an inch or two away
from il, the clam will nevertheless draw 1t TO
itself; for the clam has quite a power OF
suction in it's intake tube. and can draw 10
itself. with whatever food supplies in the
shane of minute forms OF animal life II
NAV contain, the water from quite little
radius about Things too big to be taken
| in through it's intake tube. which II
NAV have drawn to the end OF its neck.
10 the'opening in its intake tube. 1t will then
reject by blowing them away from the
Immediately adjacent end Of its outflow
pipe. sending against the food thus rejected
through the outflow pipe. a little column
OF water that blows 1t away like pellet
blown from a popgun.
Incidental TO the little temporary currents
set up in a tank in which soft clans are.
acme other curious things may happen.
II there are in the tank sea anemones. which
may be lying. their tenacles drawn in.
nattened out motionicss on the rock TO
which they are attached. these. struck by
one of those currents which the clans set
going, may he walked up and led 20 unfold
their tentacles. mistsking the current thus
set up for the first how Of the rising toe.
hat b.
Ing for SEA anemones al low tide they might
mis-. them lentirely. 30 nearly invisible
may they then he. plastered Nat on the rocks
but with the turn Of the tide the sec ane-
none- unfold and raise their tentaoles,
ready to grasp the food that nature brings
In 10 them on the rising waters.
such sOft-shell clans as are put IN aqua
rum tanks are likely To be put In smaller
tanks, where there would not h. on u,e
bottom sufficient depth OF sand 20 permit
them To bury themselves deeply. Here
the clam will stTstch lie neck out ~ great
rate, curvins around, conforming 10 Nh"
shal. on the side ~ a circular tank of
lar 90 Il may be rearing lie head 10 the v alter
searching out in thls inahb"f parts ~ "a.
baby of water which " liah hot YET eiha"~tu
81 IL iOOd suI,Islis.~
Ia this way aud what Nth their possr
81 SUCTION, clams get a. the whole Noiutns
~ water ~ taIk aiid Claihs afr some
tlnls.s pat Into email aquarium tAi,ks 80
that they sL.l ols.' VA. s.iHf w. Tot
.Ksnpls tNo Jars ssfs nl.s.d shh sstn'
tl.ai "a. a lifIr cloudy of fllsd 9th s@dl
u,..ili Aad lnto oils ~ tisss lAfs fpui 40
Ave clAhs s.is plsn"d. sills h"hs ss<
IllA, 81 90 che oll,si, the lsi without olsiiis
0l,ilds-i shils ils sstnf IA tils Jsi shi tl,.
sl.lns IA so,Ild 10 bflShi aud slssi u sould
oil hss. l.-an iaAsai To-. and pui o1 ssHin
iiihYs lis r..iinsaii p's'tiaaiiy Va" rlsias