REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CXXIX 



" pocketbooks " {LampsiUs capax and L. rentricosus), "deerhorn" or 

 "buckhorn" {Tritigonia verrucosa), "butterfly" [Plagiola securis), and 

 " hatchet- back " or " hackle-back " ( Symphynota complanata). The lead- 

 ing species are the "niggerhead," "yellow saudshell," and "mucket," 

 the first-named being more important than all others combined. It is 

 shapeed like the common quahog ( Venus mercenaria), and has a very 

 thick and heavy shell, with a black or dark-browu epidermis and a 

 glistening white nacre. The maximum size is 4^ or 5 inches and the 

 average about 3 inches. It is often found over large areas, preferring 

 muddy sand and muddy gravel, but also frequenting sandy bottom. 



The mussel fishery is conducted along about 200 miles of the Mis- 

 sissippi, in Iowa and Illinois. The shoalness of the river makes 

 every part accessible to rakes and tongs of the fishermen and renders 

 the exhaustion of the grounds more certain, speedy, and complete. 

 Although the fishery is under ten years old and in most i)laces began 

 within two or three years, it has already had such a marked effect on the 

 mussel supply that the early exhaustion of the beds seems inevitable 

 under present conditions. While physical and natural agencies — such 

 as fresbets, droughts, muskrats, etc. — are known to destroy at times 

 large quantities of mussels, overfishing, the unnecessary destruction 

 of snuill mussels, and the absence of any seasonal restrictions on the 

 fishery, combined with the slow growth of the mussels and the long 

 time required for the recuperation of the beds, are undoubtedly respon- 

 sible for the recent great reduction in the supply. 



The industry has attained such proportions, it represents so much 

 invested ca])ital, and employs so many people as factory-hands and 

 fishermen that its suspension would prove a calamity to many com- 

 mnnities. During the first six months of 1898 there were 49 button 

 factories in opeiation along this part of the Mississippi; these employed 

 over 1,400 people, wlio received $134,000 in wages. Upward of 1,000 

 additional persons were engaged in fishing. The mussel output during 

 this period was about 4,000 tons, for which the fishermen received about 

 $39,000. The output of factories was over 1,160,000 gross of buttons 

 and "rough blanks," with a market value of $253,000. 



In view of the general desire of those pecuniarily interested in the 

 industry that the Commission recommend measures which seem neces- 

 sary for the preservation of the mussel beds and the consequent main- 

 tenance of the industry, the following suggestions are given in the 

 re|)ort cited, attention being directed to the fact that the States have 

 sole jurisdiction over the matter: (1) The gathering of small mussels 

 should be prohibited and a minimum legal size for each important 

 species should be prescribed by law; (2) immediately previous to and 

 during the spawning season the principal species should be unmolested, 

 and a close season should be fixed by law; (3) provision should be 

 made for the prevention of damage to the beds by sewage and factory 

 refuse; (4) button manufacturers should exercise greater care in util- 

 izing the shells, in order that the waste of raw material, which is now 

 considerable, may be reduced. 



F C 99-IX 



