PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1921. 35 
FRESH-WATER MUSSELS. 
PROPAGATION OF MUSSELS. 
The Fisheries biological station at Fairport, Lowa, continued its 
practical propagation of fresh-water mussels in the Mississippi drain- 
age at Lake Pepin and Lake Pokegama, Minn.; at New Boston, Oqu- 
awka, and Dallas City, Ill.; at Fairport, Iowa; at Hannibal and 
Clarksville, Mo.; and in cooperation with rescue crews along the 
Mississippi in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The total number of glo- 
chidia infected upon fish and liberated in public waters during the 
year was approximately 648,445,000, including 478,705,000 infected 
-upon rescued fish by cooperative agents working in connection. with 
rescue crews of the division of fish culture. 
With a view to demonstrating the possibilities of mussel propaga- 
tion in connection with the rescuing of food fishes, the National Asso- 
ciation of Button Manufacturers offered to cooperate with the Bureau 
by providing men to accompany each rescue crew on the upper river 
and to inoculate all fishes with the glochidia of the Lake Pepin 
mucket, the most important of the local mussels. Seven agents of 
the button manufacturers cooperated with seven crews working under 
the direction of Supt. Culler, of the Homer (Minn.) station, and dur- 
ing October and November inoculated nearly 6,000,000 fish with 
glochidia. 
The localities in which the work was done and the number of fish 
subjected to infection in each locality were as follows: 
Teiy assay Le Wel Soe ee a ee ee ee eS 2, 025, 200 
(GSTNONG, AWARD Se te ee ee ee 1, 214, 900 
Tere arc eS VC eee Se ee ee See ee ee eee 907, 340 
EG Uimueine Gaiaye en IS ee te 8A ee De ee 86, 510 
INOUE eeGnesor Wowie = ts ee ees 2 676, 100 
SCE vires Owl ee ee A he ee es A ee Ses 931, 500 
DS oni eee eee eee A ON OAT DDO 
Material cooperation of this nature by an association of business 
men is a source of gratification to the Bureau, not only as evidence of 
a cordial spirit, but as evidence of faith in the practical value of the 
service rendered in the propagation of river mussels. 
PROTECTION OF MUSSELS. 
A prominent feature of the work of the Fairport station for sev- 
eral years has been the part which it has played in bringing about 
a strong sentiment for the protection of fresh-water mussels and 
the cooperation it has extended to the several States in giving aid, 
when solicited, in selecting the areas for closure to mussel fishing. 
Additional closures of streams or parts of streams has followed the 
beginning made in the past by Minnesota and Wisconsin. Minne- 
sota in April closed for a period of five years parts of the Minnesota 
River, and the entire Cannon and Straight Rivers. Iowa, in the 
same month, closed for a similar period parts of the Iowa, Cedar, 
and Des Moines Rivers, and the entire Shellrock River. 
