25 
TRANSPLANTATION OF MUSSELS AT 
HOLY ISLAND. 
Fenham Flats, the wide expanse between Holy Island and the 
mainland has on several occasions been surveyed with the view to 
increasing the mussel resources of the district, v. Report for 1898, 
and the paper by Miss Lebour in the Report for 190G. It was 
suggested that a portion of the grant received last year from the 
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries might be usefully employed in 
determining how far the area would respond to some method of 
cultivation. The flats were in consequence again inspected on 
December 80th, 1909, and more thoroughly explored on March 
29th and 80th, when the general nature of the experiment was 
determined upon. Arrangements were entered into with the agent 
of the Earl of Tankerville and with Mr. Leyland, of Ilaggerston, 
and permission was obtained to make the experiments. A local 
committee of representative fishermen, viz., John Beadnell, John 
Wilson, Thomas Walker, Thomas Kyle, Thomas Cromarty, 
William Wilson, George Cromarty, with Mr. H. G. Win ship and 
the Rev. Irvine Crawshaw was formed. An assurance was given 
to the members and to the fishermen generally that the rights they 
at present enjoyed would not be interfered with, and in consequence 
the committee and the whole of the fishing community are joining 
in the attempt to make the experiment a success. 
The region of the flats communicates with the sea to the north 
at high tide, and to the south-east there is the wide and deep 
harbour which opens by a narrow channel into Skate Roads. A 
great portion of the ground is exposed for a long time when the 
tide ebbs, and it is at these periods that the flats are visited by 
many men and women from the island for the purpose of gathering 
periwinkles. These exposed regions through which two or three 
streams and drainage systems from the slake have excavated 
channels, naturally at various parts support large patches of 
mussels. The mussels, however, which obtain a footing in these 
places are too long exposed to grow satisfactorily. On the other 
hand the “ mussel scaup ” which is at least a square mile in area 
is practically bare, although it gives every appearance of being in 
every way favourable for the growth of mussels, and it is almost 
