MYTILIDJi:.--MUSSEL. 
47 
fences^ and men frequently went to a very great distance 
in search of the young mollusks, — even as far as the 
plateau of Chatelaillon.^^ 
M. de Quatrefages further tells us that the little 
mussels that appear in the spring are called seeds; 
they are scarcely larger than lentils till towards the 
end of May, when they rapidly increase in size, and 
are then called renouvelains , and in J uly are ready for 
transplanting. They are detached from the bouchots 
which are situated at lowest tide-mark, and are then 
put into pockets or bags made of old nets, which are 
placed upon the fences that are not quite so far advanced 
into sea.^’ The young mussels attach themselves by 
means of their byssus ail round the pockets or bags. 
As they increase in size and become crowded together, 
they are taken out and distributed over other poles 
lying nearer the shore, and the full-grown mussels whicli 
are ready for sale are planted on the bouchots nearest the 
shore. The fishermen gather enormous quantities of 
fresh mussels every day, and take them in carts or on 
the backs of horses to La Eochelle and other places, 
from whence they are sent as far as Tours, Limoges, 
Bordeaux.^^ 
“It appears that the French mussel-breeders have 
discovered that mussels which live suspended to piles, or 
ropes of vessels, nets, etc., attain to a larger size, than 
those which live on the bottom, be it sandy, rocky, or 
muddy ; they therefore suspend thick ropes to wooden 
piles, and the mussels adhere by their byssus to them, 
the ropes are then tightened a little to prevent the ani- 
mals lying on the bottom. 
The Billingsgate market is chiefly supplied with mus- 
^ Phipson’s ‘Utilization of Minute Life,’ pp. 163, 164. 
