Field. — The Sea Mussel Industry 133 



a separate name, may enter into this series. The general 

 term applied to members of this group is false crawls. 



The third series of buchots is situated in the upper 

 limits between tide marks where they are exposed sever- 

 al hours each day during low water. They are known 

 as the high crawls and serve to inure the mussels to 

 exposure and consequently make them keep longer and 

 fresher than those from the lower rows. 



The method of working the buchots is to collect the 

 seed mussels and transfer them successively from the 

 lower to the higher crawls at the proper times. Spat 

 is liberated in the Bay of Aiguillon during February 

 and March and is caught on the low crawls which are 

 situated in an ideal location for the preservation and 

 growth of the young shellfish since they are rarely 

 exposed to the air. When the set of spat first appears 

 the young mollusks are smaller than a seed of flax and 

 are called naissari. The young mussels grow rapidly so 

 that by July they reach the size of an ordinary bean. In 

 this condition they are termed renouvelain. They are 

 now ready for transplanting. 



The seed mussels are scraped from the low crawls by 

 means of a hook set in a handle and are placed in a 

 characteristic type of basket. The mussels are then 

 loaded into a special form of mud boat or "aeon" which 

 is also an invention of Walton's. The boat is made of a 

 plank about 10 feet long by 2yo feet wide bent up in front 

 to form the bottom and prow. The sides and stern are 

 each composed of straight boards about ly^ feet wide. 

 The boat is further reinforced by a shelf in the stern 

 and a narrow thwart close to the bow. A board may 

 extend across the middle to serve for a seat or it may 

 be replaced by a wooden stool. A paddle and a short 

 pole complete the equipment. When the boatman wishes 

 to travel over the mud flats he faces the prow of the 

 boat, puts his left knee on the bottom and thrusting his 

 right leg, encased in a long sea boot, over the side of the 

 boat, pushes it along. By this means he is able to glide 

 over the mud at a rapid rate. When shallow water is 



