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  MUSSELS 
  OF 
  CENTRAL 
  AND 
  XORTIIEEN 
  MINNESOTA. 
  

  

  The 
  lake 
  is 
  fed 
  by 
  numerous 
  large 
  springs 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  several 
  

   inlet 
  streams, 
  which 
  drain 
  the 
  surrounding 
  country. 
  The 
  lake 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  sunfish, 
  perch, 
  crappies, 
  wall-eyes, 
  and 
  bass. 
  

   On 
  the 
  northwest 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  lake, 
  within 
  the 
  city 
  limits 
  of 
  Glen 
  wood, 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  State 
  fish 
  hatchery 
  under 
  the 
  supervision 
  of 
  Supt. 
  J. 
  A. 
  

   Pinkerton. 
  The 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  hatchery 
  comes 
  from 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  

   springs 
  that 
  feed 
  the 
  lake, 
  while 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  fishponds 
  or 
  aquaria 
  are 
  

   built 
  in 
  the 
  lake 
  along 
  the 
  shore. 
  The 
  lake 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  contain 
  a 
  

   great 
  many 
  mussels, 
  which, 
  however, 
  possess 
  no 
  commercial 
  value. 
  

   These 
  include 
  the 
  fat 
  mucket 
  (luteola), 
  which 
  is 
  much 
  dwarfed 
  and 
  

   thin-shelled, 
  with 
  an 
  epidermis 
  which 
  erodes 
  easily 
  and 
  turns 
  dead 
  

   white 
  on 
  exposure, 
  three 
  species 
  of 
  Anodonta, 
  imbecillis, 
  pepiniana, 
  

   and 
  henedictensis, 
  and 
  Anodontoides. 
  The 
  profusion 
  of 
  these 
  mussels 
  

   and 
  the 
  rapidity 
  of 
  their 
  development 
  show 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  of 
  food 
  in 
  the 
  lake. 
  

  

  We 
  find, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  the 
  temperature 
  and 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  

   the 
  kind 
  of 
  bottom, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  numerous 
  shallow 
  sand 
  bars, 
  

   the 
  freedom 
  from 
  aquatic 
  vegetation, 
  and 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  suitable 
  

   food 
  combine 
  to 
  make 
  this 
  lake 
  an 
  ideal 
  one 
  for 
  the 
  artificial 
  propa- 
  

   gation 
  of 
  mussels, 
  particularly 
  the 
  Lampsilis 
  group. 
  And, 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  

   complete 
  the 
  requisites, 
  here 
  is 
  a 
  fish 
  hatchery, 
  in 
  whose 
  interests 
  

   hundreds 
  of 
  bass 
  and 
  wall-eyes 
  are 
  seined 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  every 
  

   spring. 
  Along 
  with 
  the 
  game 
  fish 
  Vv^hich 
  are 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  hatchery 
  

   there 
  are 
  always 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  seine 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  sunfish 
  and 
  

   yellow 
  perch 
  which 
  are 
  simply 
  thrown 
  back 
  into 
  the 
  lake. 
  What 
  

   could 
  be 
  simpler 
  than 
  to 
  supply 
  the 
  hatchery 
  with 
  gravid 
  mussels 
  of 
  

   some 
  valuable 
  commercial 
  species 
  and 
  impregnate 
  these 
  sunfish 
  and 
  

   perch 
  with 
  the 
  glochidia 
  before 
  they 
  are 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  lake 
  ? 
  Mani- 
  

   festly 
  tliis 
  is 
  a 
  rare 
  opportunity 
  for 
  testing 
  the 
  possibilities 
  of 
  mussel 
  

   propagation 
  with 
  almost 
  no 
  additional 
  expense. 
  The 
  importance 
  of 
  

   such 
  practical 
  experimentation 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  skilled 
  work- 
  

   men 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  overestimated. 
  

  

  Wliile 
  in 
  Glenwood 
  we 
  were 
  rendered 
  great 
  assistance 
  and 
  were 
  

   shown 
  many 
  courtesies 
  by 
  the 
  officials 
  at 
  the 
  hatchery. 
  One 
  of 
  

   them, 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Dahl, 
  took 
  us 
  around 
  the 
  lake, 
  gave 
  us 
  many 
  data, 
  

   and 
  explained 
  the 
  local 
  conditions, 
  with 
  which 
  he 
  was 
  thoroughly 
  

   conversant. 
  Our 
  sincere 
  thanks 
  are 
  hereby 
  returned 
  to 
  him 
  and 
  to 
  

   the 
  superintendent 
  for 
  these 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  favors. 
  

  

  Lake 
  Osakis, 
  situated 
  close 
  to 
  Osakis, 
  in 
  the 
  southwestern 
  corner 
  

   of 
  Todd 
  County, 
  is 
  10 
  miles 
  long 
  and 
  3 
  miles 
  wade. 
  The 
  bottom, 
  the 
  

   depth 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  sand 
  bars, 
  and 
  the 
  freedom 
  from 
  

   aquatic 
  vegetation 
  correspond 
  exactly 
  to 
  those 
  at 
  Lake 
  Miimewaska. 
  

   This 
  lake 
  also 
  has 
  no 
  outlet 
  except 
  at 
  very 
  high 
  water, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  typical 
  

   shallow 
  lake, 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  common 
  in 
  glaciated 
  regions. 
  

  

  