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the growth of mussels, although some years ago good bait was 
obtained from a bed lying about the Black Midden Rocks on the north 
side of the river ; this bed was, it is said, completely destroyed by 
starfish. The Blyth and the Coquet both offer favourable places, and 
Budle Bay yields the best mussels in all Northumberland, whilst 
the Scaup, Holy Island, and the Fenham Slakes yield the greatest 
number ; also there is a fair amount of mussels in the bed of the 
Tweed. The Ain had a good-sized mussel bed which flourished a 
hundred years ago, but the conditions are now unfavourable for any 
mussel growth. Although a search has been made along the coast 
for other likely places in which mussels might be planted, none has 
been found. A small experiment was made at Seaton Sluice, and 
mussels were planted, but it was unsuccessful. The available space 
at the mouth of the Wansbeck is really too small for any use to be 
made of it, although the beach on the north bank at the ferry 
landing seems suitable ground. The banks of the Lyne are too 
sandy near its mouth, and further up are too grassy to be useful 
for mussel planting. If ground for this purpose be wanted, it 
could, I think, only bo found at or near the places where the 
mussels already are, and there appears to be plenty of additional 
space available in some of these localities. 
I now proceed to give a brief sketch of each mussel bed in order, 
beginning at Blyth and going north. 
BLYTII (see Map I.). — The harbour of Blyth is a very good 
place for sheltering mussels. It lies just at the mouth of the River 
Blyth, where the numerous piers with woodwork and the nearly- 
enclosed harbour afford much protection, and where the pebbles 
and sandy mud on both sides, but more especially on the left bank 
of the river, offer excellent conditions for the mussel to live and 
grow. Blyth Harbour stands on the sandstones and shales of the 
Coal Measures, and some way up the river was an ancient forest, 
now submerged. Portions of large trunks of trees still remain on 
the river bank, and stags’ horns have often been brought up by the 
dredgers. It is on the site of this ancient forest that a thriving 
mussel bed formerly existed. It is a muddy flat on the left bank of 
the river, well above the harbour. Mussels also occur just opposite 
on the right bank, but are more thinly scattered. The ground is 
flat, and wet mud extends for some distance, with here and there 
sand and small stones, and the trunks of old trees on which grow 
Fucus and other seaweeds. A very small stream runs over this 
