Little-Neck Clams.—From the first of September until the first of May in the following year, the clam—which is richer in nutrition than the oyster—is as meek and as gentle as a clam can be. Yet it submits to all sorts of indignities from the oyster, and has never been known to talk back during the period mentioned. After the first of May, however, its manner changes, and it assumes metropolitan airs. It lords it over the oyster as a bantam struts around a helpless foe; and it plainly intimates to the oyster that moving-day was invented to celebrate its departure.

After May 1, the clam must be recognized as the avant-coureur of all dainty feasts. No summer dinner or supper of any pretensions is considered complete without the small clam. All the small clams in market are supposed to come from Little Neck, Long Island. Not one-quarter of the supply comes from this locality.

Soft Clams in Chafing-Dish.—Select a dozen large Guilford clams, wash them thoroughly, and plunge them into boiling water for a moment. Drain and open them, and use the round plump part only. Put in a chafing-dish a pat of butter, and when quite hot add a dash of flour, and cayenne to suit the taste; add the clams, and when they are slightly cooked add a gill of light sherry. Cover the dish, and allow it to simmer five minutes. Have ready three slices of toast, put four clams upon each slice, add a little of the hot sherry, and serve.

Stewed Little-Neck Clams.—Get two dozen freshly opened, very small clams. Boil a pint of milk, a dash of white pepper, and a small pat of butter. Now add the clams. Let them come to a boil, and serve. Longer boiling will make the clams almost indigestible.

Soft Clams.—Select a dozen soft-shell clams; wash them well; remove the shells; trim off the tough neck; place each clam on a half-shell, and add to each half a teaspoonful of finely-chopped bacon, a little cayenne, a very small bit of onion, and a pat of butter rolled in flour; strew over the top a little grated Parmesan cheese, and bake to a delicate brown. Cracker-crumbs may be used instead of the cheese if preferred.

Soft-Shell Clams, Scalloped.—Purchase a dozen large soft clams in the shell, and three dozen opened clams. Ask the dealer to open the first dozen, care being used not to injure the shells, which are to be used in cooking the clams. Clean the shells well, and put two soft clams on each half-shell; add to each a dash of white pepper and half a teaspoonful of minced celery. Cut a slice of fat bacon into the smallest dice, add four of these to each shell, strew over the top a thin layer of cracker-dust, place a pat of table butter on top, and bake in the oven until brown. They are delightful when properly prepared.

Clam Toast.—Chop up two dozen small clams into fine pieces; simmer for thirty minutes in hot water enough to cover them. Beat up the yolks of two eggs; add a little cayenne and a gill of warmed milk; dissolve half a teaspoonful of flour in a little cold milk; simmer all together; pour over buttered toast, and serve.

Clam Broth.—Procure three dozen Little-Neck clams in the shell; wash them well in cold water; put them in a saucepan, cover with a quart of hot water; boil fifteen minutes; drain; remove the shells; chop up the clams, and add them to the hot broth with a pat of butter; salt if necessary, and add a little cayenne; boil ten minutes, pour into a soup-tureen, add a slice of toast, and send to table. This is the mode adopted when we do not have a clam-opener in the house.

Raw, freshly opened clams should be chopped fine and prepared in the manner above described. The large clams are better for chowders than for stews and broth.

Clam Fritters.—Chop medium fine twenty-five large quahaugs, or seventy-five Little Necks. To a pint of flour add the beaten yolks of three eggs, half a teaspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, a dash of cayenne, and an ounce of melted butter. Mix well, and make a batter by adding about a gill of milk. Add the clams, and if the batter is too thick add a little of the clam broth. To make them light, beat the mixture well; drop spoonfuls in hot fat, and fry brown, as you would doughnuts.

Fried Soft Clams.—Select half a dozen of large Guilford clams. Remove the shells, and trim off the dark tough parts. Cut into dice a quarter of a pound of salt pork, and fry it. In the pork-fat fry the clams, but first dredge them with flour. Serve with a slice of broiled or fried fat pork.