Show ia r 1 L H fa ran the e ure aris pam ceiaa the clams body is completely e eu shrouded in the mantle except for two openings through one of which the t toot can be pushed out theother la Is for the siphon or what Is comm commonly known as the neck of the vown lamin some respects the dam clam may te be a little oetter better off than we are for he has a I 1 i little brain in his toot foot and also a gland I 1 for secreting strong fibers I 1 wit jiin this ile he he can spins a by which attach himself to whatever he be hikell he does not even have to search for his big food but waits for it to come to him he makes a furrow in the mud or sand attaching himself to the he bottom by the then he pokes his siphon up through the mud and water until it reaches the surface the siphon I 1 is made up of two tubes the water flowing in through one and out the other when the inflowing flowing In current laden with pith minute plants and animals reaches es the gill chamber some of these are sifted out and retained for food and the water and waste me matter ater flow out through the other tube the me clams eggs are carried by he mother on her gills when there are fish in the water with them the mother discharges 11 the eggs which soon 1 hatch but if there are no fish they carry the he eggs until they decay the reason of this strange behavior is this when the eggs are set free in the water they soon hatch and the little ones swim about until they find some fish to I 1 which to attach themselves they live tor or a time upon the mucous of the fish b and then drop off I 1 sink to the bottom and form burrows for themselves this curious semi parasitic life is no doubt a reversion to the habit of so some me ancient ancestor Apple tons monthly |