﻿46 
  MUSSEL 
  RESOURCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  ILLINOIS 
  RI\^R. 
  

  

  Our 
  examples 
  have 
  a 
  rich 
  yellow 
  epidermis, 
  and 
  are 
  appropriately 
  

   called 
  ''banana 
  shells" 
  in 
  some 
  localities. 
  This 
  shell 
  is 
  valued 
  at 
  

   about 
  $60 
  per 
  ton, 
  

  

  44. 
  HiGGiNs-EYE, 
  Lampsilis 
  Jiigginsii 
  (Lea). 
  — 
  Not 
  common, 
  though 
  

   widely 
  distributed, 
  particularly 
  over 
  the 
  lower 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  The 
  

   males 
  sometimes 
  bear 
  a 
  strong 
  resemblance 
  to 
  Ohovaria 
  ellipsis. 
  

   There 
  are 
  four 
  females 
  in 
  our 
  collection 
  and 
  they 
  present 
  marked 
  

   differences 
  and 
  peculiarities: 
  One 
  is 
  normal 
  and 
  requires 
  no 
  com- 
  

   ment; 
  another 
  flattened, 
  flaring 
  posteriorly, 
  and 
  suggests 
  permanent 
  

   sterility 
  ; 
  another 
  example 
  has 
  that 
  portion 
  covering 
  the 
  brood 
  pouch 
  

   strongly 
  inflated, 
  the 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  immediately 
  behind 
  it 
  

   miderdeveloped 
  and 
  a 
  trifle 
  sulcate, 
  forming 
  a 
  slight 
  emargination 
  ; 
  

   the 
  general 
  form 
  suggests 
  overdevelopment. 
  The 
  remaining 
  example 
  

   somewhat 
  resembles 
  this, 
  but 
  is 
  flatter. 
  

  

  45. 
  Lampsilis 
  orliculata 
  (Ilildreth). 
  — 
  This 
  species 
  has 
  good 
  luster 
  

   and 
  thickness. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  examples 
  in 
  our 
  collection, 
  one 
  from 
  

   Chillicothe 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  from 
  Peoria. 
  The 
  nacre 
  of 
  one 
  is 
  rather 
  

   pinkish. 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  separate 
  from 
  liigginsii, 
  but 
  is 
  

   generally 
  more 
  southern 
  in 
  distribution. 
  

  

  46. 
  MucKET, 
  Lampsilis 
  ligamentina 
  (Lamarck). 
  — 
  The 
  mucket 
  

   occurs 
  in 
  small 
  numbers 
  throughout 
  the 
  entire 
  river 
  but 
  is 
  more 
  

   plentiful 
  in 
  Peoria 
  Lake 
  than 
  elsewhere. 
  This 
  mussel 
  is 
  usually 
  

   smaller 
  and 
  thinner 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Kankakee, 
  Fox, 
  and 
  Wabash 
  

   Rivers, 
  but 
  nevertheless 
  is 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  first-class 
  commercial 
  shell 
  

   and 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  desirable 
  species 
  for 
  propagation. 
  Our 
  examples 
  and 
  

   those 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  shell 
  j^iles 
  along 
  the 
  shore 
  have 
  a 
  pearly 
  white 
  nacre, 
  

   while 
  in 
  some 
  rivers 
  — 
  as, 
  for 
  example, 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  — 
  there 
  are 
  found 
  

   a 
  fair 
  percentage 
  with 
  a 
  pinkish 
  color. 
  The 
  mucket 
  was 
  found 
  gra\dd, 
  

   late 
  embryo, 
  July 
  9. 
  

  

  47. 
  Fat 
  Mucket, 
  Lampsilis 
  luteola 
  (Lamarck). 
  — 
  The 
  fat 
  mucket 
  

   is 
  mdely 
  distributed, 
  though 
  like 
  the 
  preceding 
  species 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  

   plentiful 
  in 
  Peoria 
  Lake. 
  The 
  male 
  shells 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  desirable 
  

   for 
  button 
  purposes 
  than 
  the 
  female, 
  the 
  latter, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  

   older 
  specimens, 
  being 
  more 
  inflated 
  and 
  more 
  troublesome 
  to 
  cut. 
  

   This 
  shell 
  is 
  often 
  called 
  the 
  black 
  mucket 
  and 
  pug-nose 
  mucket. 
  

   Found 
  gravid 
  June 
  27. 
  

  

  48. 
  PocKETBOOK, 
  LampsiUs 
  capax 
  (Green). 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  rare 
  species 
  

   in 
  the 
  Illinois, 
  and 
  was 
  found 
  more 
  frequentlj^ 
  below 
  locks 
  and 
  dams 
  

   where 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  s\vifter. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  desirable 
  shell 
  to 
  propagate. 
  

  

  49. 
  PocKETBOOK, 
  LampsiUs 
  ventricosa 
  (Barnes) 
  . 
  — 
  While 
  this 
  species 
  

   is 
  not 
  a 
  common 
  one, 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  plentiful 
  than 
  the 
  preceding 
  mus- 
  

   sel, 
  and, 
  like 
  it, 
  was 
  more 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  swifter 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   river, 
  as 
  below 
  locks 
  and 
  dams. 
  Some 
  beautiful 
  young 
  examples, 
  

   having 
  a 
  very 
  delicate 
  pink 
  nacre 
  and 
  fijio 
  cpidornial 
  markings, 
  were 
  

  

  