MYTlLIDiE.-— -MUSSEL. 
63 
and Unio lit or alls ^ whicli are found near Granada^ in 
the river Jenil^ are often brought to the market ; but 
when the fish are taken out of their shells and cooked^ 
they are described as very tough food. Anodont(E and 
Unionidm [Anodontes et Mulettes) are employed by the 
fishermen in the neighbourhood of Nantes for bait ;* and 
I have occasionally used Dreissena polymorpha for the 
same purpose, which seemed to be greatly appreciated 
by the fish in the pond where I was fishing, as they 
greedily sucked off the bait as fast as it was put on the 
hook. The Dreissenm were brought from the canal at 
Sawley, Leicestershire, and turned into the ponds, where 
they have thriven wonderfully, and are the favourite food 
of water rats, if one may judge from the number of 
empty shells deposited on the banks amongst the rushes, 
in small heaps sometimes two or three inches deep. In 
some countries the shells of the large Anodontm are used 
for skimming milk. 
In the north-western part of Australia, a freshwater 
mussel forms a staple article of food, while in the south- 
western part of the continent the natives will not touch 
them, but regard them with a superstitious dread and 
abhorrence. In Grey^s ^ Australia,^ he gives an account 
of a native, Kaiber by name, whom he ordered to ga- 
ther some of these shellfish for food, as they were nearly 
dying from hunger, but the man steadfastly refused, as 
he affirmed that by touching them, the native sorcerer, 
or Boyl-yas, would acquire a mysterious influence over 
him, which would end in his death. At last, however, 
he was ordered to bring some instantly, as Mr. Grey 
intended eating them. After thinking for a moment or 
so, Kaiber walked away for this purpose, but bitterly 
* ‘ Catalogue des Eadiairesf etc., par Frederic Cailliaud de Nantes. 
