THE ECONOMIC MOLLUSCA OF ACADIA. 
75 
France, they are considered good throughout the year, but at 
their best in August and September. 
In the United States, New York is the centre of its use as 
food. Considerable quantities are there pickled and sent 
inland. The total annual value of the Mussel fishery in the 
United States is estimated at about $37,500, but of this a small 
part only is for its use as food; its chief value is as a fertilizer. 
In Acadia, it is but little used for food. It is very rarely 
used by the fishermen, and is quite unknown in the markets 
of St. John. In Halifax, Willis said of it thirty years ago, that 
it could be purchased in the markets when in season, of large 
size and fine flavor, for about two shillings sterling per bushel. 
It is still sold in the Halifax markets, though in small 
quantities. The usual price is ten cents for a half-peck, or 
about fifty or sixty cents a bushel. 
In Prince Edward Island it does not appear to be used at 
all for food. 
As to its general excellence as an article of food there can 
be no question. Some tables, to show its value compared 
with other shell-fish, will be found in the introduction (p.9). In 
Europe, it is eaten by all classes, but is especially a luxury of 
the poor. Gould says that he has been “assured by a friend 
of acknowledged good taste, that when cooked it is more 
palatable than the common Clam;” and in this opinion many 
others will concur. But at the same time, it is undoubtedly 
true that there are persons who not only dislike them, but to 
whom they are very injurious. Each person must determine 
this for himself, using them at first with caution.* 
It is true, also, that in addition to this occasional constitu- 
tional danger, Mussels are sometimes, though very rarely, 
really in themselves poisonous, and injure everybody who may 
eat of them. Such cases, however, are no more frequent 
than poisoning by eating partridges in the spring is with us, 
and not nearly so frequent as is poisoning from eating canned 
fruits and meats. This, therefore, should be no hindrance to 
their use, proper precautions being observed. 
♦The symptoms, which must serve as danger-signals, are great swelling in the 
head and the abdomen and the appearance of red spots on both. 
