216 
Part III. — J^inth Annual Report 
constructed a kind of boat, by wbich progress could be made over the 
mud to his structures for catching birds in his netting. This species of 
boat, which has maintained its primitive shape to this day, is known as 
an aeon. It is constructed of two planks of wood, which form the per- 
pendicular sides, and a flat or slightly-rounded bottom plank which is 
bent upwards at the prow, and also a small cross-piece joining the sides 
and bottom and forming the stern." It is 8 feet in length and 18 inches 
or so broad^ and is propelled by the houclieleur^ who rests one knee on 
the bottom, and with a hand on either ' gun wale ' uses the second foot to 
step on the mud and drive the aeon forward at each push of the foot. 
The houchdeuT makes wonderful progress in this way, and does not 
generally go in a straight line to the point which he wishes to reach. 
He selects the parts of the mud banks which are most easily traversed, 
and wherever there is a flowing rill he generally follows its course as far 
as he finds it convenient. When he reaches open water, where the aeon 
floats, he uses it as a boat, and pushes it forward by means of the long 
pole of 8 or 10 feet, which is his only oar. 
Alongside of this system of mussel farming no fishing of any great 
importance takes place, but a few aeons may be seen engaged in shrimp 
fishing. This fishing is carried on by means of hand-nets, not unlike 
the haaf-imts of the Sol way fishermen. The principal tidal currents run 
along the lines of the bouchot posts, so the shrimp fisherman moors his 
aeon to the end post of a bouchot and captures the shrimps, which move 
outwards with ebb tide or shorewards with the flowing stream. The 
shrimper begins operations at the higher situated bouchots, and as 
the tide recedes moves to the outer or seaward bouchdts, and when 
the tide turns he proceeds in a reverse direction, fishing during the 
journey homeward. The engine of capture is composed of a long handle, 
to which is affixed at its distal extremity a cross-piece. The net is laced 
to this cross-piece, and its breadth is gradually contracted towards the 
shrimper. At the distal end it will be several feet broad, gradually narrow- 
ing to about 2 feet at its proximal end, where it is fixed to a light movable 
cross-piece, which the fisherman holds in his hand. The modus operandi 
begins by the fisherman laying the broad end in the water in the direc- 
tion from which the current comes, and at the same time slacking the 
hand cross-piece, then making the net 'bag.' When a sufficient number 
of shrimps is obtained the net is raised, the short cross-piece is drawn 
towards the fisherman, and the shrimps are emptied into the boat by the 
narrow end of the net. The larger shrimps are selected from the catch, 
and the smaller returned alive to the sea. 
Bouch6t Experiment at St Andrews. 
The bouchot erected by the Board at St Andrews consists of arms 
with 47 yards of wattling — viz., north arm, 17 wattled posts; length of 
wattling, 25 yards: south arm, 14 wattled posts; length of wattling, 
22 yards. In addition there are 11 bare posts, with a flag-post at the apex. 
Following the thirteenth-century plan, it is V-shaped, the unwattled posts 
forming the apex. The posts are substantial trunks of trees, and the 
intertwined branches are somewhat thicker than are the French wattles. 
Notwithstanding, the whole structure is most substantial, and, unlike the 
first bouchot constructed on the Leuchars side of the Eden, it still exists. 
It is situated on the bank called the ' Green Dod ' on the plan of the 
mussel scalps belonging to the town of St Andrews. The apex points in 
a westward direction, and the lower arm is about the level of the lowest 
tides, while the other runs along the gently rising mussel bank. When I 
