10 



MUSSELS OF CUMBERLAND RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 



white nacre it answers fairly well for button making. The condi- 

 tions are even better suited for mussel propagation than in the pre- 

 ceding section. 



The following table gives the percentages of the various mussel 

 species and other useful data: 



Second Section, Celina to Nashville, Tenn. 



In addition to the beds above enumerated, small and not very 

 profitable ones were reported by local clammers at Bullards Gap, 

 8 mUes below Simpsons Island; at Wartrace Creek Bar, 4 miles 

 further down the river; at Pinks Bar, 2 miles below; at Lower 

 Holliman Island, a mile below Phillips Branch; at the head of 

 SuUivans Island, 5 miles lower; at the foot of the sand shoals near 

 Haneys Landing; at Turkey Creek Shoals, just above Carthage; at 

 Hunters Point, a mile below Lock No. 5; at the mouth of Spring 

 Creek, 5 miles above Cairo; at the foot of Cunningham Island, 

 2 miles nearer Cairo; at Mauskers Island, just above Edgefield Junc- 

 tion; and at Priestly Shoals, 5 mUes above Nashville. 



At Gainesboro Landing the mussels were all obtained from Roar- 

 ing River, a tributary of the Cumberland from the south (see p. 29). 



At Cotton Bar 12 tons of shells were cribbed along the bank, of 

 which 60 per cent were pigtoes; washboards, monkey-faces, and 

 butterflies were also common. Simpsons Island was the highest 

 point on the river where clammers were found actually at work. 



Muskrats were making heavy inroads into the mussel beds at several 

 places, notably at Puryears Bar, at Mauskers Island, and Hills Island. 

 AU the piles of shells left by these animals showed that they have a 

 decided preference for pigtoes. 



