. Shells and sea-life. while Figure 45gives you an idea of the little AVedge-shell, whichlives so abundantly in the sand at Long Beach, inLos Angeles County. Although it is so small, itis used for food in the following manner. A shovelful of the sand in which they live isput into a sieve, and this is shaken in the sand all washes out and the shells are enough have been gathered, they are againcarefully washed, and then put into a kettle ofboiling water. 92 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. In this way they are killed instantly, and theshells open, allowing the rich juices of the c
. Shells and sea-life. while Figure 45gives you an idea of the little AVedge-shell, whichlives so abundantly in the sand at Long Beach, inLos Angeles County. Although it is so small, itis used for food in the following manner. A shovelful of the sand in which they live isput into a sieve, and this is shaken in the sand all washes out and the shells are enough have been gathered, they are againcarefully washed, and then put into a kettle ofboiling water. 92 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. In this way they are killed instantly, and theshells open, allowing the rich juices of the clamsto come out and flavor the soup. The emptyshells settle to the bottom, and now a little sea-soning is all that is necessary to prepare thedelicious soup for the table. As this is the smallest moUusk that is eaten onthis coast, it is proper that we should now pass onto the largest one. Figure 46, though a good-sizedpicture, is only one half as long as the real will call this creature the Giant Clam, though. Figure 46. A GROUP OF SAND-DWELLERS. 93 it has various names in the north, where it is dugout of a very deep burrow in the sand and mud. If you wish to know its true name, you can lookat the list of Names of Figures, at the end of thisbook. But it is very proper to call it a giant; forwhen you are making soup, you must rememberthat it would take more than a thousand of thelittle Wedge-shells to fur-nish as much meat as iscontained in a singleGiant Clam. There is just one moresand-dweller that we willthink of to-day, and heis very different indeedfrom those we have beenconsidering. His pictureis given in Figure 47, but Figure 47. that shows only the shell when the animal hasgone inside and has pulled in his door, or opercu-lum, as it is called. The shell is so big and round that it is some-times called the Moon-shell, though its color isnot pure white, but somewhat spotted like the realmoon. Sometimes it grows to a size three or fourtimes that of the picture. When
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectmollusk, bookyear1901
