228 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



from any amount of detailed description. The accom- 

 panying text figure is a reproduction from a photograph 

 of the Heysham ("Knott End") Skears, taken in April, 

 1905, immediately before transplanting commenced. It 

 gives a fair idea of the general condition of the beds at 

 that time. In some parts the mussels were much smaller 

 and even more crowded than is shown in the illustration, 

 occasionally three generations of mussels could be recog- 



■piG, 7. — An overcrowded mussel skear. 

 nised living together on the same bed. Other parts were 

 nearly clean, a condition due to the fishing that had 

 taken place during the season. The photograph 

 indicates roughly the depth of the mussels and 

 shows that they were simply growing one on top 

 of the other. At that part of the bed the shellfish 

 were nearly one foot deep, and about 18 per cent, 

 just failed to pass through the two inch gauge. The 



