MYTIHD^. — MUSSEL. 47 



fences, and men frequently went to a very great distance 

 in search of the young moUusks, — even as far as the 

 plateau of Chatelaillon." 



M. de Quatrefages further tells us that the little 

 mussels that appear in the spring are called seeds; 

 they are scarcely larger than lentils till towards the 

 end of May, when they rapidly increase in size, and 

 are then called renouvelains , and in July are ready for 

 transplanting. They are detached from the bouchots 

 which are situated at lowest tide-mark, and are then 

 put into pockets or bags made of old nets, " which are 

 placed upon the fences that are not quite so far advanced 

 into sea." The young mussels attach themselves by 

 means of their byssus all round the pockets or bags. 

 As they increase in size and become crowded together, 

 they are taken out and distributed over other poles 

 lying nearer the shore, and the full-grown mussels whicli 

 are ready for sale are planted on the bouchots nearest the 

 shore. The fishermen gather enormous quantities of 

 fresh mussels every day, and take them in carts or on 

 the backs of horses " to La RocheHe and other places, 

 from whence they are sent as far as Tours, Limoges, 

 Bordeaux." 



"It appears that the French mussel-breeders have 

 discovered that mussels which live suspended to piles, or 

 ropes of vessels, nets, etc., attain to a larger size, than 

 those which live on the bottom, be it sandy, rocky, or 

 muddy ; they therefore suspend thick ropes to wooden 

 piles, and the mussels adhere by their byssus to them, 

 the ropes are then tightened a little to prevent the ani- 

 mals lying on the bottom."* 



The Billingsgate market is chiefly supplied with mus- 

 * PhipBon's ' Utilization of Minute Life,' pp. 163, 164. 



