﻿MUSSELS 
  OF 
  CENTRAL 
  AND 
  NORTHEEN 
  MINNESOTA. 
  

   Distribution 
  of 
  Mussels 
  in 
  Crow 
  Wing 
  Group. 
  

  

  15 
  

  

  Species. 
  

  

  Stations. 
  

  

  Shell 
  

  

  River, 
  

  

  Menahga. 
  

  

  Leaf 
  

  

  River, 
  

  

  Wadena. 
  

  

  Fish- 
  

   Hook 
  

  

  River, 
  

   Park 
  

  

  Rapids. 
  

  

  Crow 
  

  

  Wing 
  

  

  River, 
  

  

  Motley. 
  

  

  Lampsilis 
  ligamentina 
  (mucket) 
  

  

  Lampsilis 
  luteola 
  (fat 
  mucket) 
  

  

  Lampsilis 
  ventricosa 
  (pocketbook) 
  

  

  Lampsilis 
  recta 
  (black 
  sand-shell) 
  

  

  Anodonta 
  pepiniana 
  

  

  Anodonta 
  grand 
  is 
  ( 
  floater) 
  

  

  Anodontoides 
  ferussacianus 
  subcylindraceus. 
  

  

  Strophitus 
  edentulus 
  (squaw-foot) 
  

  

  Strophitus 
  edentulus 
  pavonius 
  (squaw-foot) 
  . 
  

  

  As 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  this 
  table, 
  the 
  mussels 
  are 
  quite 
  evenly 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  universally 
  distributed, 
  and 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  also 
  

   fairly 
  abundant 
  at 
  every 
  place 
  examined. 
  Hitherto 
  the 
  mussel 
  

   fishermen 
  have 
  worked 
  at 
  only 
  one 
  locality 
  in 
  this 
  drainage, 
  the 
  

   Shell 
  River 
  at 
  Menahga, 
  but 
  the 
  shells 
  obtained 
  here 
  were 
  so 
  excep- 
  

   tional 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  quality 
  that 
  they 
  brought 
  a 
  high 
  price, 
  and 
  many 
  

   of 
  them 
  were 
  exported 
  to 
  England 
  and 
  Germany. 
  

  

  QUALITY 
  OF 
  SHELLS. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  mussel 
  of 
  this 
  drainage 
  is 
  the 
  pocketbook, 
  which 
  

   attains 
  a 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  has 
  an 
  exceptionally 
  thick 
  shell. 
  It 
  also 
  

   shows 
  a 
  good 
  luster, 
  has 
  a 
  fine 
  texture, 
  and 
  is 
  free 
  from 
  stains. 
  Con- 
  

   sequently 
  it 
  ranks 
  as 
  a 
  first-grade 
  shell 
  and 
  will 
  cut 
  100 
  gross 
  of 
  20- 
  

   line 
  and 
  1,000 
  gross 
  of 
  16-line 
  buttons 
  to 
  the 
  ton. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  where 
  these 
  shells 
  are 
  obtained 
  is 
  covered 
  

   with 
  algae 
  and 
  water 
  weeds 
  to 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  12 
  to 
  18 
  inches, 
  and 
  the 
  

   thicker 
  the 
  vegetation 
  the 
  more 
  plentiful 
  the 
  mussels 
  beneath 
  it. 
  

   Two 
  men 
  were 
  actively 
  working 
  the 
  Shell 
  River 
  at 
  Twin 
  Lakes 
  near 
  

   Menahga 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  our 
  visit, 
  and 
  we 
  watched 
  them 
  rake 
  off 
  the 
  

   algae 
  and 
  weeds 
  and 
  then 
  dig 
  into 
  the 
  underlying 
  gravel 
  and 
  sand 
  for 
  

   the 
  mussels. 
  The 
  latter 
  are 
  often 
  buried 
  to 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  

   more. 
  This 
  is, 
  at 
  the 
  least, 
  a 
  novel 
  condition 
  and 
  one 
  which, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  

   is 
  known, 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  reported 
  from 
  any 
  other 
  locality. 
  

  

  The 
  Anodontas 
  were 
  also 
  very 
  thick 
  sheUed, 
  so 
  thick 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  easily 
  

   mistaken 
  for 
  fat 
  muckets, 
  and 
  to 
  cut 
  a 
  poor 
  quality 
  of 
  buttons, 
  

   Quite 
  a 
  large 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  black 
  sand-shells 
  had 
  white 
  nacre, 
  

   and 
  of 
  course 
  these 
  made 
  first-quality 
  button 
  shells. 
  

  

  