78 KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



years been calling the attention of the State to the fact that this species is not protected 

 during the spawning season, but may be caught and killed even when the parent fish 

 are on their nest guarding their eggs and defenseless young. Such disregard for the 

 elemental needs of the fish nullifies the work of the Bureau of Fisheries and indicates 

 an indifference to the future welfare of the fisheries and fish supply that is in strong 

 contrast to the attitude of other States. The necessity for amending the local fish 

 laws was actively urged on the State by the Department during the years 1915, 1916, 

 and 1917, is acknowledged by the State fishery officials, has been pointed out by 

 numerous public-spirited citizens, and has received the favorable consideration of 

 committees of the State legislature. At the recent regular and extraordinary sessions 

 of the legislature strong representations were made to the legislature and the gov- 

 ernor by citizens, by Department ofiicials, and by members of the Texas delegation 

 in Congress, but the legislature failed to act. 



The other phase of this matter was (a) the assertion by the Bureau 

 of the supposed right to take fish for brood purposes, rearing, and dis- 

 tributing, from the head of the San Marcos River, in accordance with 

 a distinct agreement with the local utilities company, that con- 

 trolled the water and with a citizens' committee wluch acted for the 

 town of San Marcos, at the time the station was located there in 

 1893 ; and (6) the recent denial by the townspeople and the local legal 

 officers of the right of the Bureau's agents to take fish from the shut- 

 off head of the San Marcos River that, from the very outset, had been 

 regarded as a part of the station's nursery system. Fortified by an 

 opinion of the attorney general of Texas, the local county attorney 

 gave notice that the continuance of operations in the water in ques- 

 tion would be followed by prosecution of the Bureau's representa- 

 tives. The Bureau could not consent to abandon operations it 

 regarded as rightful nor to subject its employees to arrest, imprison- 

 ment, and possible fine and conviction, for carrjdng on disinterested 

 work in behalf of the State, so the discontinuance of the station was 

 the only logical procedure. 



ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF FRESH-WATER MUSSELS. 



The usual work in the propagation of fresh-water mussels was 

 carried on at various points in the Mississippi Basin under the super- 

 vision of the fisheries biological station at Fairport, Iowa. By 

 means of this work, together with well-regulated protective measures, 

 it is expected to perpetuate the supply of commercial mussels. 



During the year a total of 252,486,200 mussels in a condition of 

 parasitism on fishes were planted in suitable waters, as compared with 

 331,451,490 for the preceding year. Tliis decrease was due to very 

 unfavorable river conditions and to an unprecedented scarcity of ripe 

 mussels. Wliile an abundance of female mussels with eggs was avail- 

 able, it was not until very late in the season that many ''river muck- 

 ets" sufficiently ripe for the work could be obtained. 



Five species of commercial mussels were propagated in 1917, of 

 which the principal ones were the common mucket and the Lake 

 Pepin mucket. The inoculated fish hosts were liberated in the 

 Mississippi River off Fairport and in Lake Keokuk, Iowa; in Lake 

 Pepin, Minn.; in the Black and Wliite Rivers in Arkansas; and in 

 the Cumberland River in the vicinity of Kuttawa, Ky. 



The actual cost of production was 2.72 cents per thousand, but if 

 allowance is made for overhead charges the cost per thousand was 

 3.73 cents. In connection with this work 57,839 adult and 921,915 

 fingerUng fish were reclaimed from landlocked ponds in the over- 



