sea-fisheries laboratory. 461 



Description of the Mussel Beds and Sewer 

 Outfalls. 



(1) The Roosebeck, Piel and Conishead Priory Mussel Beds. 



(Chart I). 



These beds have acquired considerable importance 

 during the present season on account of a flourishing 

 fishery on the Hoosebeck Scar. This began about the 

 end of September and reached a maximum during 

 November, when 95 tons of mussels were despatched from 

 Piel Station alone. Approximately a similar quantity 

 must have been taken to other centres, such as Baicliff, 

 and sent away from there. The fishery on this bed is a 

 very infrequent one, and except for a few mussels taken 

 occasionally, it is many years since such a quantity of 

 shell-fish have been removed from the Scar. 



Chart I shows the position of the bed, with its 

 surroundings. All the cross-hatched area bears shell-fish, 

 but those to the south-west end of the Scar are at present 

 small, though of good quality. In Dr. Bulstrode's 

 Report a considerable area of mussel-bearing ground is 

 shown to extend along the western side of Ulverston 

 Channel, but at the present time there are practically no 

 mussels there. The area fished during November is 

 surrounded by a continuous line : it is, roughly 

 speaking, about half a mile in diameter. During this 

 month it began to dry at about low water of a 14 feet 

 tide (Liverpool tables). It goes down to extreme low 

 water of full spring tides. 



There are various other mussel beds in Barrow 

 Channel. There are two small beds, one on each side of 

 the ferry slip at Eoa Island, one directly opposite on the 

 beach at Piel Island, and a larger bed further up the 

 channel, at the place locally known as Head Scar. In 



