156 Ralph W. Taylor and Beverly D. Spurlock 



Middle Island Creek flows for approximately 120 km (75 mi.) 

 through the rolling hills of Doddridge, Tyler, and Pleasants counties, 

 and confluences with the Ohio River (RM 154) at St. Marys, Pleasants 

 County. Since there are only a few towns, little industry, and no agricul- 

 ture in these areas, most of the creek's watershed is relatively undis- 

 turbed. Hillside vegetation along the creek may generally be classified as 

 second growth mixed mesophytic forest, 75 to 100 years old. 



No extensive survey of the mussels of Middle Island Creek has 

 been previously conducted. The first malacologist to visit the creek (ca. 

 1900) was A. E. Ortmann of the Carnegie Museum, who listed two spe- 

 cies from there (1919). Bates (1971) reported eight species from two 

 localities on the creek. 



METHODS AND PROCEDURES 



During October 1980, six sites along Middle Island Creek were 

 extensively sampled for freshwater mussels. Specimens were hand- 

 picked from banks and shallow water. Representative specimens were acces- 

 sioned into the Marshall University Malacological Collections, and 

 additional specimens were placed with the Ohio State University 

 Museum of Zoology. Material from Middle Island Creek taken in ear- 

 lier studies is housed at the Ohio State University Museum of Zoology 

 (OSU); Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (MCZ); 

 and Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CM). 



Species names are those used by Stansbery (1971). 



Sampling Sites 



In the following list, SR = state route and CR = county road. All 

 sites were on Middle Island Creek. 

 Doddridge County: 



1. West Union, approx. 200 m above Main St. bridge at SR18 and 

 old route 50. 



Tyler County: 



2. 11.3 km N of West Union on SR18. 



3. intersection of SR18 and SR74, 20 km N of West Union. 



4. SR18 at "The Jug," 3.3 km SE of Middlebourne. 



5. bridge near southern boundary of Middlebourne, SRI 8 at CR26. 



6. 1.3 km W of Little, along CR14. 



RESULTS 



Twenty-two species of freshwater mussels were collected in Middle 



Island Creek (Table 1). The Asiatic clam, Corbicula fluminea, was 



found at all collecting stations. All specimens of mussels housed at the 



previously mentioned museums were collected at least fifty years ago. 



