100 ORTMANN— THE DESTRUCTION OF [April 23, 



Ferry. This is shown first of all by the abundance of Unionidse 

 in this part of the Ohio; in fact, here are found the most favorable 

 localities for them known to me in western Pennsylvania. It seems 

 that in 1907 these conditions extended a certain distance farther up ; 

 at any rate, in that year I found evidence of the presence of Union- 

 idae in the Ohio at Beaver (the stage of the water was not low 

 enough for proper investigation). But since the completion of dam 

 No. 6 this is all over now, and if there should be life in the pool 

 above dam No. 6 it will have disappeared by this time, at least 

 most of it. 



Moreover, there are indications that the fauna in the Ohio below 

 Vanport is already sufifering. There are at least two tremendous 

 banks, consisting chiefly of dead shells (with many living ones 

 among them) in the river, one at Industry, the other at Shipping- 

 port. Since dead shells are dissolved rather rapidly, these masses 

 indicate a recent dying of mussels on a large scale. And further, 

 it is very remarkable that among the living shells collected by myself 

 there are hardly any young individuals. It seems to me that, while 

 the old and tough ones (some of them probably, ten years old and 

 older) are able to stand the poor condition of the water, the latter 

 is too much for young and delicate ones, so that there is no new 

 generation growing up. This, of course, would be the first step 

 toward the final destruction of the mussels in this part of the river, 

 and the destruction of the other forms of life then will also be 

 accomplished in due time. 



2. The Smaller Tributaries of the Ohio. 



There is a group of streams in Greene and Washington Counties, 

 running westward through the panhandle of West Virginia into the 

 Ohio. These are (from south to north) : Pennsylvania Fork of 

 Fish Creek, Wheeling Creek, Buffalo Creek, Cross Creek, Harmons 

 Creek. They are all clear creeks, only Harmons Creek and Cross 

 Creek are slightly polluted by mine water, but not much damage has 

 been done yet. They are all rich in aquatic life. I have not visited 

 Wheeling Creek in Pennsylvania, but I know it in West Virginia, 

 above Elm Grove, near Wheeling, where it is in good condition. 



Raccoon Creek, which empties from the south into the Ohio 



