34 



MUSSELS OF CUMBERLAND EIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 



of depletion. Tlie detailed record of the 14 hauls made here is given 

 in the following table: 



Hauls Made at Owl Hollow Bak. 



This was one of tlie most important mussel beds visited, since 

 clamming was going on actively at the time of our visit, the shells 

 being used at the Clarksville blank factory. The bed has been 

 worked for 10 yeare with from three to six boats every summer, but 

 it shows very little sign of depletion. In sorting the shells the wash- 

 board (Q. heros) is piled by itself, because it is badly stained, and 

 sold at one-half or one-third the regular price. It forms about one- 

 fifth of the entire catch. 



Of the first-grade shells the pigtoes are much the most abundant, 

 followed by the niggerhead and the monkey-face. Mussel enemies 

 are scarce, most of the mink and muskrats having been trapped. 

 Pearls and baroques are rare, slugs run about three-quarters of an 

 ounce to the ton. A large number of the pigtoes obtained were 

 gravid and several had young in all four of the gills. 



At Clarksville June 12 the river w^as very low and a large sand bar 

 was being uncovered. The bottom was fine gravel and the water 

 rather shallow, with a slow current. The yellow sand-shells were 

 traveling rapidly into deeper water. Plagiola donaciformis was 

 gravid. 



At Red Rock Bar, below Clarksville, on June 6 the water was 

 unusually clear, about 8 feet deep, and there was practically no 

 current, the bottom firm gravel. Fourteen hauls were made here 

 under the same conditions as at Owl Hollow Bar, save that each was 

 300 feet long. The mussels found gravid here were 1 0. reflexa, 

 2 U. gibhosus, 3 Q. perplicata, 1 Q. pustulosa, 77 Q. ohliqua, and 10 

 Q. elena. This is the only place in the main Cumberland that we 

 found S. complanata . This bed has been worked eight years and 

 begins to show the effects of it. The shells obtained are of better 

 quality than when the work first began, but there are fewer slugs, 



