at young mussels in great numbers were gathering on the
submerged stakes of his net, and being prolific of ideas, he promptly
had several hundred more stakes cut and driven into the mud. He found,
then, that mussels thus suspended over the mud grew fatter and of better
flavor, and accordingly designed frames with interlacing branches which
collected them by hundreds. This system, known as the 'buchot' system,
has been practiced continuously at the village of Esnandes during all
the centuries since that time, and the income to the little village last
year was over one hundred and twelve thousand dollars as a result of
the ingenuity of the castaway Irishman."

"Then mussels are fit for food," Colin said in surprise. "I thought they
were only used for bait."

"Mussels, sea-mussels that is, are as good a food as clams,--some people
claim that they are better,--and they have just about three times as
much food value as the oyster. That's why I told you the story. We
expect to make the mussel industry as important as the clam fishery,
giving employment to thousands of people and establishing what is
practically a new food supply in the United States, although it is
common throughout the shore countries of Europe."

"But the pearl mussels," queried Colin, "can you eat those, too?"

"It is doubtful," was the reply, "but their value lies so largely in
their use for mother-of-pearl in the button industry, that their food
value would be of only secondary importance, unless they could be
pickled or canned, as is done sometimes with the sea-mussels. But,
Colin," he added, "if you think that the mussel doesn't sound an
interesting subject, let me tell you that I think it is, in itself, one
of the most interesting creatures in the water. Its life history is
astounding, and there are scores of problems yet to be worked out. Read
this," he added, handing the lad a Bulletin of the Bureau; "it has only
just come out, and if I have judged you rightly, you'll come here on
June fifteenth so eager to get to a mussel-bed that there will be no
holding you!"

[Illustration: CLAMMING ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

_Courtesy of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries._]

[Illustration: BARGE-LOADS OF MUSSELS FOR THE MOTHER-OF-PEARL INDUSTRY.

_Courtesy of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries._]

Two hours later, the Deputy Commissioner, leaving the office for the
day, started on his walk home, going through the park in the direction
of the Smithsonian Museum. On h