Scallops and Mussels. 193 



spatting on our southern shore and annual rate of growth there 

 is yet much to learn. According to Fullarton,* in the Firth of 

 Forth a few P. opercularis may be found in breeding condition 

 the end of February and beginning of March ; by July and 

 August the maximum is reached, the great mass having 

 spawned by mid-September. 



As scallops bear removal from the water badly, this con- 

 siderably detracts from them as a market commodity. Their 

 shells, however, are fashioned into fancy ornaments, which 

 meet a ready sale at our seaside resorts. Policy (loc. cit.) rather 

 prides himself on the fishermen's mode of cooking them. The 

 flesh is left in the hollow shell, placed on a gridiron over a slow 

 clear fire, thus well stewed in its own liquor, with butter and 

 bread crumbs and seasoned to taste, it becomes a tempting 

 fare. 



The Mussel Family (Mycilidae). Some half-dozen species, 

 with a few of their varieties, of this family are residents around 

 Kent and Essex. Excepting the Common and the Horse Mussel, 

 the former of which simply teems in the brackish estuaries, the 

 others are found scattered sparingly. The mussel has been 

 suggested as the poor man's oyster, a feature however shared 

 by the cockle, as evinced by its sale at many of our seaside 

 resorts. 



The COMMON MUSSEL (Mytilus edulis). Distribution. Re- 

 ferring to its natural distribution as in the case of the oyster 

 excluding the temporary cultivated grounds we may note 

 their presence from Dungeness to the North Foreland. On this 

 stretch of coast they are not so numerous or aggregated into 

 such great assemblages as in the muddy and brackish river 

 mouths of N. Kent and Essex. They are freely scattered about, 

 however, more frequently seen within harbours, or on piles, &c., 

 Folkestone to wit. Nor are they wanting off shore. For 

 example, the iron Light Vessels of the Trinity Corporation on 



* " On the Development of the Common Scallop (Pecten opercuJarh)," 8th Ann. 

 Rep., S.F.B., for 1889 (1890). 



