Animals of the Mississippi Bottoms near Quincij. 127 



QUINCT BAT. 



The four bodies of water just described are within the 

 levee. Quincy Bay extends from the levee where this reaches 

 the Illinois bluff (about three miles and a half north of (Quincy) 

 directly southward along the foot of the bluff to the tow-head 

 opposite the center of the city, at which point it opens to the 

 river. It varies little in width and will average perhaps a third 

 of a mile. It is little more than an inlet of the Mississippi con- 

 taining back-water during the latter part of the year, the water 

 in much of it becoming theu very shallow and the current al- 

 most disappearing. During the month spent at Quincy this 

 year, the water did not reach its usual low stage, and the cur- 

 rent due to waters received from Bear Creek, and the sloughs, 

 creeks, and springs, was sufficient to keep the bay quite clear 

 of the algfe which would otherwise have appeared upon it. Its 

 bottom is commonly muddy and no promise of other aquatic 

 vegetation could be seen in it. It is edged with woods quite 

 continuously on the west, and on the east also there is some 

 growth of forest where the strip of level soil between the bay 

 and the bluff gives room for it. 



WILLOW SLOUGH. 



This narrow channel extends obli(|uely across from the 

 river to the bay outside of and parallel with the levee. It en- 

 ters the bay about one and two thirds miles above the south 

 end of the tow-head, and leaves the river a little over four 

 miles north of the same point. Its length is about two and 

 two thirds miles. At high water a current from the river 

 sweeps through and reaches the bay; but at the time it was 

 seen but little water ran out; and in the lower part of its 

 course it consisted of stretches of water connected by narrow 

 rivulets. Some of the pools were of considerable depth. The 

 bottom is commonly muddy, but occasional beds of sand occur. 

 There was no vegetation, 



WOOD SLOUGH. 



Wood Slough is also a narrow channel extending oblique- 

 ly across the lower part of the Illinois bottom-land from river 



