﻿6 
  MUSSEL 
  FISHEEY 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOX 
  KIVEE. 
  

  

  rear 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  boat 
  carrying 
  500 
  feet 
  of 
  rope 
  holding 
  an 
  anchor. 
  The 
  

   anchor 
  is 
  thrown 
  out 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  bed, 
  the 
  boat 
  rowed 
  up- 
  

   stream 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  rope, 
  and 
  the 
  bar 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  water. 
  

   Rewinding 
  the 
  windlass 
  pulls 
  both 
  boat 
  and 
  bar 
  downstream 
  over 
  the 
  

   bed. 
  

  

  FOX 
  RIVER 
  SHELLS. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  characteristic 
  mussel 
  of 
  the 
  Fox 
  is 
  the 
  mucket 
  (Lampsilis 
  

   ligamentina) 
  , 
  which 
  constitutes 
  90 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  sent 
  to 
  

   market, 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  high 
  grade, 
  almost 
  equahng 
  the 
  niggerhead 
  as 
  a 
  

   button 
  shell. 
  Its 
  luster 
  is 
  excellent, 
  and 
  its 
  shape 
  allows 
  practically 
  

   the 
  whole 
  shell 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  into 
  buttons 
  with 
  very 
  little 
  waste. 
  The 
  

   muckets 
  from 
  the 
  region 
  between 
  Oswego 
  and 
  Yorkville 
  are 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  the 
  best; 
  those 
  lower 
  down 
  the 
  river 
  are 
  thinner, 
  and 
  those 
  

   above 
  are 
  sUghtly 
  smaller. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  upper 
  river 
  the 
  mucket 
  is 
  of 
  no 
  importance. 
  The 
  shells 
  

   saved 
  here 
  run 
  10 
  per 
  cent 
  blue-point 
  {Quadrula 
  undulata). 
  They 
  are 
  

   of 
  poor 
  grade 
  and 
  no 
  market 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  for 
  them. 
  Sixty 
  tons 
  

   of 
  these 
  shells 
  were 
  lying 
  upon 
  the 
  bank 
  above 
  Gary 
  awaiting 
  a 
  buyer 
  

   at 
  any 
  price. 
  Wliere 
  there 
  is 
  httle 
  current 
  and 
  a 
  muddy 
  bottom 
  the 
  

   floater 
  (Anodonta 
  grandis) 
  is 
  chiefly 
  found, 
  while 
  the 
  fat 
  mucket 
  

   (Lampsilis 
  luteola), 
  the 
  mucket 
  (Lampsilis 
  ligamentina), 
  and 
  the 
  

   three-ridge 
  (Quadrula 
  plicata) 
  or 
  the 
  blue-point 
  (undulata) 
  are 
  rare. 
  

   Going 
  downstream, 
  where 
  a 
  strong 
  current 
  and 
  a 
  rocky 
  bottom 
  are 
  

   found, 
  the 
  mucket 
  appears 
  and 
  increases 
  in 
  numbers 
  until 
  it 
  forms 
  a 
  

   large 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  catch, 
  the 
  floater 
  (Anodonta 
  grandis), 
  the 
  fat 
  

   mucket 
  (Lampsilis 
  luteola), 
  and 
  the 
  blue-point 
  (Quadrula 
  undulata) 
  

   decrease, 
  and 
  below 
  Yorkvifle 
  ah 
  are 
  extremely 
  scarce, 
  the 
  latter 
  

   being 
  seldom 
  seen. 
  

  

  In 
  places 
  where 
  dams 
  check 
  the 
  current 
  and 
  bring 
  about 
  upstream 
  

   conditions 
  — 
  still 
  water 
  and 
  mud 
  — 
  the 
  three 
  ridges 
  and 
  other 
  sheUs 
  

   of 
  tlie 
  liigher 
  river 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  large 
  numbers, 
  while 
  the 
  muckets 
  are 
  

   scarce. 
  

  

  The 
  fluted 
  shell 
  (Symphyn^fa 
  costata), 
  and 
  the 
  squaw-foot 
  (Stro- 
  

   phitus 
  edentulus), 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  larger 
  numbers 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  stream; 
  

   the 
  elk-toe 
  (Alasmidonta 
  truncata) 
  more 
  often 
  on 
  the 
  rock 
  bottom 
  

   lower 
  down; 
  the 
  lady-finger 
  (llnio 
  gihhosus), 
  the 
  Wabash 
  pig- 
  toe 
  

   (Quadrula 
  ruhiginosa), 
  the 
  purple 
  warty-back 
  (Quadrula 
  tuhercu- 
  

   lata), 
  the 
  pocketbook 
  (Lampsilis 
  ventricosa), 
  and 
  the 
  black 
  sand-shell 
  

   (Lampsilis 
  recta) 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  rather 
  small 
  numbers 
  along 
  all 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  river. 
  The 
  warty-back 
  (Quadrula 
  pustulosa) 
  is 
  extremely 
  rare, 
  

   but 
  two 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  being 
  seen 
  during 
  the 
  investigation 
  

   out 
  of 
  thousands 
  of 
  shells 
  along 
  the 
  river. 
  It 
  is 
  stated 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  

   once 
  common. 
  

  

  