40 MUSSEL FAUNA OF THE KANKAKEE BASIN. 



SMALL FISHES FOUND ON THE MUSSEL Biff>S. 



Key to Table.— I, the undredged portion of the Yellow River from Plymouth to Ober; II, the un- 

 dredged portion of the Kankaltee River from Riverside to the State line; III, the Iroquois River; IV, the 

 Kankaiee River in Illinois; V, the lakes. 



Catostomus commersonii 



Catostomus nigricans 



Schilbeodes gyrinus 



Cottus ictalops 



Lucius lucius 



Lucius reticulatus 



Pimephales notatus 



Semotilus atromaculatus 



Abramis ehrysoleucas 



Cliola vigilax 



Fundulus dispar 



Fundulus diaphanus 



Percina caprodes 



Notropis blennius 



Notropis whipplii 



Notropis cornutus 



Notropis umbratilis atripes . . 



Notropis heterodon 



Ericymba buccata 



Phenacobius mirabilis 



Hybopsis amblops 



Hybopsis kentuckiensis 



Labidesthes sicculus 



Pomoxis annularis 



Perca tlavescens 



Microperca punctulata 



Micropterus dolomieu 



Micropterus salmoides 



Chaenobry ttus gulosus 



Ambloplf tes rapestris 



Lepomis pallidus 



Eupomotis gibbosus 



Hadropterus phoxocephalus . 



Iladropterus aspro 



Boleosoma nigrum 



Etheostoma coeruleum 



Etheostoma iowsR 



Maxostoma aureolum 



DISCUSSION OF MUSSEL SPECIES. 



1. Quadrula tuhcrcnlata {Rafinesqxe). Purple icarfy -hack.— This 

 mussel akhouo-h it attains considerable size and weight, rivaling 

 or exceeding the common warty-back {Q. pustulosa) in this respect, 

 is of no value whatever to the button industry on account of the dull 

 purple nacre. It nowhere forms large beds and wherever found 

 usually constitutes a small per cent of the mussel fauna. 



Of all the heavy-shelled species examined anywhere, however, 

 this is the most liable to infection by distomids, perhaps on account 

 of its immense inhalent aperture, which allows a larger and greater 

 variety of objects to enter than is the case of other strong-shelled 

 mussels. This makes it among the greatest producers of dorsal 

 baroques and, generally speaking, it is the species most likely to 

 produce genuine pearls. The baroques may be either purple or pale, 

 almost white, and generally are rather lusterless and of low value. 

 The pearls are always purple, sometimes almost black, and, when 

 formed near the iridescent tip of the mussel, may have a very good 

 luster. The clammer cleans all shells he obtains, whether valuable 

 for buttons or not, in the hope of finding pearls. 



