The Carpet Shells

THE CARPET SHELLS Genus TAPES, Muhlf. (PAPHIA, Bolt.) Shell transverse, ovate, inequilateral, margins entire; hinge three-toothed; siphons united to middle, divergent, incurrent tube with arborescent tentacular filaments; foot lanceolate, spinning a byssus.

351 The Venus Clams and Carpet Shells The Wavy Carpet Shell (T. fluctuosa, Gld.) has a thin, pod like shell, oval, with lamellate, concentric waves vanishing on the sides. A yellow epidermis overlies the white valves. Length scarcely an inch.

Habitat.— Newfoundland.

The Ribbed Carpet Shell (T. staminea, Conr.) is obliquely oval, radially ribbed, and brownish, often marked with chevrons of darker shade. It occurs all along the west coast, especially north of San Francisco. It is the "hard-shelled clam" of the markets. Length, 2 inches.

The Netted Carpet Shell (T. laciniata, Cpr.) is distinguished by the very fine criss-crossing of sharply chiselled lines on its valves. Prickles often stand at the intersections of these lines.

The clam-digger takes these to market with the ribbed species; the two betray their hiding-places under the sand by jets of water that spurt up when the siphons are withdrawn by the startled clams. Length, 3 to 4 inches.

Habitat.—Southern California.

The Finest Carpet Shell

(T. tenerrima, Cpr.) is so finely cancellated as to feel like a file. The shell is large, oval, with small beaks far forward, strong, divergent hinge teeth, and a long external ligament. The mollusk is somewhat rare. It has very long siphons, as the deep pallial sinus on each valve proves. It can go deeper than its kindred. The colour is brownish gray. Length, 5 inches.

Habitat.

West coast of United States.