MYTILID^. PEARLS. 53 



prevailing, which caused much distress, and that, in the 

 month of June or July, twenty poor families from the 

 interior of the country encamped on the roadside, near 

 the beach to the west of Holy wood, remaining there about 

 five weeks, subsisting partly on such vegetable matter 

 as they could pick up about the hedgerows and fences, 

 but principally upon the mussels which are so abundant 

 on the extensive mud- banks of the neighbouring coast. 

 No instance of disease from this diet occurred, and during 

 that summer the poorer classes in the village appeared 

 quite as healthy as in other years, though mussels formed 

 their chief food. 



Athenseus says that mussels are moderately nutritious, 

 and digestible ; the best being the Ephesian kind, which 

 are particularly good when taken about the end of au- 

 tumn (vol. i. p. 150). 



In the Feroe Isles, the large horse-mussel, Mytilus 

 modiolus, is eaten, and they call it in Feroese ova. Mr. 

 Alder tells us that at Rothesay they are collected for 

 food* (though not so delicate as Mytilus edulis), and in 

 the Shetland Isles for bait, where they are known by 

 the name of yoags. They are also eaten in the north 

 of Ireland, but not considered very good, on account of 

 their strong scent and flavour ; but they are capital 

 bait for cod. At Tenby they call Mytilus modiolus the 

 poisonous mussel, and affirm that no one ever ventures 

 to eat it. 



Pearls are occasionally found in the common mussel, 

 and also in the oyster, scallop, cockle, periwinkle, 

 and pinna; but they are generally inferior in size and 

 quality to those of the freshwater pearl-mussel, Unio 

 margai'itiferus ; and Mr. Beckman, in his c History of 

 * Forbes and Hanley, Brit. Mollusca, vol. ii. p. 185. 



