M. QUATREFAGE. 185 



about eight hundred years ago, has assumed a gigantic 

 extent. Both here and at the neighbouring villages 

 of Charron, Marsilly, Mussels are bred in an ingeni- 

 ous and systematic manner. At the level of the 

 lowest tide short piles or stakes are driven into the 

 mud, in a series of rows about a yard apart. This 

 palisade is then roughly fenced in with long branches. 

 On this structure the Mussel spawn is deposited, and 

 it is found that the molluscs thus produced in the 

 open sea are much finer than those which are bred 

 nearer the shore. 



These artificial Mussel beds are termed ' bouchots. 

 The fishermen who engage in this branch of industry 

 are known as ' boucholeurs/ 



1 The little Mussels/ continues M. Quatrefage, ' that 

 appear in the spring are known as seeds. They are 

 scarcely larger than lentils, till towards the end of 

 May, but at this time they rapidly increase, and in 

 July they attain the size of a haricot bean. They 

 then take the name of renouvelains, and are fit for 

 transplanting. For this purpose they are detached 

 from those bouchots, which are situated at the lowest 

 tide mark, and are then introduced into the pockets 

 or bags made of old nets, which are placed upon the 

 fences that are not quite so far advanced into the sea. 

 The young Mussels spread themselves all round the 

 pockets, fixing themselves by means of those filaments 

 which naturalists designate by the name of byssus. 

 In proportion as they grow and become crowded to- 



