﻿MUSSEL 
  RESOURCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  27 
  

  

  Near 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Diamond 
  Island, 
  situated 
  about 
  2 
  miles 
  above 
  

   Hardin, 
  there 
  is 
  exposed 
  at 
  low 
  stages 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  along 
  the 
  shore 
  

   line 
  from 
  below 
  the 
  water's 
  edge 
  to 
  a 
  foot 
  above, 
  an 
  extensive 
  bed 
  of 
  

   dead 
  shells, 
  as 
  shown 
  at 
  A 
  in 
  figure 
  1. 
  A 
  similar 
  condition 
  exists 
  

   further 
  down 
  the 
  river 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  bank, 
  as 
  shown 
  at 
  B 
  in 
  figure 
  1 
  . 
  

   This 
  is 
  probably 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  bed. 
  Below 
  Hardin 
  two 
  

   additional 
  beds 
  are 
  exposed 
  where 
  the 
  current 
  has 
  undermined 
  and 
  

   cut 
  away 
  the 
  banks 
  — 
  one 
  bed 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Mortland 
  Island 
  ex- 
  

   tending 
  irregularly 
  down 
  the 
  left 
  chute 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  for 
  half 
  a 
  mile, 
  

   and 
  the 
  other 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Twelve-mile 
  Island. 
  

  

  Here, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  is 
  a 
  situation 
  of 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  large 
  mussel 
  

   beds 
  in 
  comparatively 
  recent 
  times 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  silting 
  or 
  filling 
  in 
  

  

  Fig. 
  1. 
  

  

  process 
  of 
  mud 
  and 
  sand. 
  The 
  mussels 
  evidently 
  could 
  not 
  keep 
  pace 
  

   with 
  the 
  settlings, 
  as 
  the 
  deposit 
  was 
  rapidly 
  forming, 
  and 
  were 
  suffo- 
  

   cated. 
  The 
  shells 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  

   at 
  those 
  places, 
  and 
  are 
  very 
  fragile 
  and 
  limy 
  white 
  in 
  color. 
  

  

  METHODS 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  MUSSEL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  Tlie 
  mussel 
  fishermen 
  of 
  the 
  Illinois 
  are, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  practical 
  river- 
  

   men 
  who 
  are 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  the 
  general 
  

   habits 
  of 
  the 
  fishes 
  and 
  mussels, 
  and 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  taking 
  them, 
  

   although 
  considerable 
  misinformation 
  is 
  in 
  evidence, 
  as, 
  for 
  example, 
  

   the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  mussel, 
  methods 
  of 
  reproduction, 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  

   the 
  shells, 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  pearls, 
  etc. 
  Mr. 
  Freeland 
  states 
  that 
  the 
  

   men 
  who 
  were 
  first 
  attracted 
  to 
  the 
  mussel 
  fishery 
  of 
  this 
  stream 
  

   were 
  largely 
  an 
  indolent 
  lot, 
  who 
  expected 
  to 
  find 
  an 
  easy 
  fortune 
  

  

  