682 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Mytihts edulis Continued. 



abundant), 25 (few shells), 26 (very abundant), 

 27 (very abundant), 28 (very abundant), 29 

 (few), 30 (few), 32 (i small living), 34 (few 

 shells), 35 (many small), 37 (fragments of 

 shells), 38 (few small), 39 (few shells), 40 (few 

 shells), 41 (few fragments), 42 (few shells), 

 43 (shells), 46 (few small), 47 (many very 

 small), 48, 49 (few small), 50 (i small), 51 

 (many small living), 52 (few), 55 (i shell), 56 

 (shells), 57 (few shells), 58, 59 (young very 

 abundant), 60 (few shells), 63 (i shell), 65 (i 

 shell), 66 (many shells), 68 (few shells), 69 

 (several), 71(1 living), 73 (few shells and frag- 

 ments), 74 (few shells), 75 (few shells), 81 

 (few shells), 82 (i shell), 83 (fragments and 

 young), 85, 92, 99 (few shells), 100 (few shells), 

 102, 103, 105 (shells), in (great beds, living 

 and shells), 112, 117 (few fragments), 118 

 (shells), 121 (shells), 122 (shells and fragments), 

 129 (i shell), 141 (shells and fragments), 165 

 (several fragments), 167 (many fragments). 



Prof. Verrill writes: "This species breeds early 

 in the spring. I have found immense numbers 

 of the young, about as large as the head of a 

 pin, . . . on the 1 2th of April." Ontheother 

 hand, Prof. I. A. Field, who has made a careful 

 study of the reproduction of the mussel at 

 Woods Hole, states that "no mature sexual 

 products were observed before July 3 [1909]," 

 when active spermatozoa were noted, though 

 material was examined at monthly intervals 

 commencing with February 7. The extrusion 

 of eggs and spermatozoa was studied in the 

 laboratory troughs on August 2 1 and 26. Field 

 believes that locally "the mussel does not 

 breed earlier than June, and continues to 

 breed on into September." 



The mussel is used extensively as food in Europe, 

 but only to a small extent on our own coast. 

 It is sometimes used as a fertilizer and as 

 bait. It is doubtless important as a food for 

 tautog and other fishes. For an interesting 

 account of the natural history of this species 

 see Field, 1911. 



? Modiolus hamatus (Say). 



Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 693, 374; Verrill, 

 18823, p. 577. 



Living animals not recorded from this region, 

 though Verrill states that shells have been 

 found in the poet-Pliocene of Nantucket. 



Modiolus modiolus (Lamarck). Horse mussel, 

 bearded mussel. [Chart 128.] 



Gould, 1870, p. 186 (Modiola modiolus); Verrill 

 and Smith, 1873, p. 693, 309, etc. (Modiola 

 modiolus); Dall, 1889, p. 38 (Modiola modio- 

 lus). 



Common and generally distributed throughout 

 Vineyard Sound; in Buzzards Bay it is far less 

 frequently taken and seems to be restricted to 

 the inshore zone. Large specimens abundant 

 at Crab Ledge. This species occurs from low- 

 tide mark to the greatest depths of the region, 

 attaining great size in deeper waters offshore; 

 sometimes taken on piles. Dredged by the 

 vSurvey in 3 to 25 fathoms, living specimens 

 being most common on stony and gravelly 

 bottoms. Several small specimens were taken 

 from the gill chamber of a living lobster, some 

 being even attached to the gills themselves. 



Fish Hawk stations: 7522 (several), 7523 (2), 

 7523 bis (few living), 7524 (many living), 7524 

 bis (many living), 7525 bis (few shells), 7526 

 (few), 7527 (i shell), 7528 (few living), 7529 

 (few shells), 7530 (many), 7530 bis (many 

 shells), 7531 (many shells), 7531 bis (few 

 shells), 7532 (2 small shells), 7533 (many frag- 

 ments), 7533 bis (i shell), 7534 (few shells) 

 7535 bis (several shells), 7536(numerousshells), 

 7538 (several shells), 7538 bis (few shells), 7540 

 (few fragments), 7541 bis (i shell), 7543 (few 

 fragments), 7544 (i shell), 7546 (fragments), 

 7547 ( few shells), 7549 (i living), 7550 (few 

 shells), 7551 (few shells), 7552 (i living), 7555 

 (few), 7558 (few), 7561 (few large), 7563 (few 

 living), 7576 (i shell), 7583 (i living), 7586 (i 

 shell), 7592 (i large), 7594 (i large shell), 7598 

 (few large living), 7600 (i large shell), 7604 

 (several shells), 7605 (2 very large), 7606 (many 

 very large), 7607 (several very large living; one 

 5^ inches long), 7608 (many very large living), 

 7609 (many large, living and dead), 7621 

 (small living), 7630 (i fragment), 7670 (few), 

 7672 (few shells), 7676 (i small living on algae), 

 7677 (many small living on algae), 7678 (few 

 shells), 7679 (i shell), 7680 (living and shells), 

 7681 (several large living), 7699 (i shell), 7702 

 (i large shell), 7706 (i large shell), 7708 (sev- 

 eral large shells), 7717 (i large), 7718 (i large 

 shell), 7719 (few shells), 7720 (i small shell), 

 7726 (i shell), 7732 (i shell), 7734 (i shell), 7740 

 (i), 7742 (i small living), 7749 (few living and 

 many shells), 7751 (fragment), 7752 (fragments 



