Culler. — Fish Cultural Work in Mississippi Valley. 189 



the larval mussel is ejected from the gill pouch, it drops to the 

 bottom and dies. It can be seen that nature is quite uncertain and 

 haphazard in her method of reproduction of commercial mussels. 

 By artificial propagation this can be remedied to a very great ex- 

 tent; nearly all species of game fish are suitable hosts for mussels 

 in greatest demand by the pearl button manufacturers, and these 

 fishes are infected with glochidia before they are liberated in the 

 river. As showing the success of this work, the muckets in Lake 

 Pepin have increased in the past six years from 28 per cent to 62 

 per cent. Also the yellow sand shell shows an appreciable in- 

 crease on the lower Mississippi River and the White and Black 

 Rivers in Arkansas. 



Inasmuch as the fish taken from warm water during the rescue 

 operations cannot safely stand a long railway journey, those in- 

 tended for distribution are taken to the nearest holding station, 

 where they are hardened for several days in cold running water. 

 After this they are shipped by messenger or in the Bureau's dis- 

 tributing cars to all parts of the country. Fish have been sent to 

 stock depleted waters in states as far east as Massachusetts, as far 

 south as Alabama, to Arizona in the southwest, and to Montana in 

 the northwest. In addition to its own distribution, the Bureau fur- 

 nishes fish to the states bordering on the Mississippi River, where 

 rescue operations are conducted. It is probable that many of these 

 fish are planted in waters connected with the Mississippi River 

 drainage system. Rainbow and brook trout are hatched and reared 

 at La Crosse, Wisconsin, for distribution in the states in this sec- 

 tion, with the idea of assisting the several states in keeping up the 

 supply of these species. 



At different points along the Upper Mississippi River eggs are 

 taken, fertilized, and planted on the natural spawning grounds to 

 aid in keeping up the supply of these valuable species of commercial 

 fishes. The eggs taken in this manner would otherwise be an 

 absolute loss, as they are from fish caught for the market. It is 

 the intention of the Bureau to extend this work as far as available 

 funds will allow. 



In Louisiana the Bureau has been operating the only buffalo- 

 fish hatchery in the country for the past four years. The hatchery 

 is situated in the middle of the Atchafalaya Swamp, one of the 

 greatest spawning grounds of buffalofish in the country. Appre- 

 ciable results are shown in reports received from the Conservation 



