48 



MUSSEL. FAUNA OF MAUMEE EIVEE. 



Rapids, below the dam. None were seen in the Auglaize River, nor 

 in the Maumee at Defiance. One shell was found on the shore of 

 Put-in Bay, Lake Erie. In all, only 8 examples were obtained in 

 the Maumee Basin. It is of no commercial importance. 



18. Ptychohranchus phaseolus (Hildreth). This species was not 

 abundant anywhere in the Maumee Basin, but was scattered all 

 along the length of the river. In the autumn of 1907 a fair number 

 were obtained in the feeder canal. We found 16 good specimens in 

 the St. Joseph River at Fort Wayne, 2 in the Maumee near its head, 

 and 2 or 3 at occasional stations along the river. It was fairly com- 

 mon in the river below Antwerp, Ohio, where 10 shells were obtained 

 at one station. Nine examples were secured in the Auglaize River, 

 2 in the Maumee below the dam near Defiance, and 3 at the bridge 

 at Florida, Ohio, and 2, the last seen, were taken below the dam at 

 Grand Rapids, Ohio. The examples obtained in the Auglaize August 

 8 were beginning to become gravid. In all, 53 specimens were secured 

 from the Maumee Basin. Shells of this species were fairly common 

 on the shore of Put-in Bay, where it was small but beautiful in color, 

 luster, and form. The outer gills of gravid examples are remarkable 

 for their folded and plaited appearance ; the gills look like nests from 

 which insect larvae, like " wigglers," are ready to emerge. The nacre 

 of some of the young shells is of a beautiful faint pink, but that of 

 all the large old shells was white. 



This shell has not been used to any extent, if at all, probably on 

 account of the scarcity of supply, and it is not known to the trade. 

 Its flatness, nearly uniform thickness, and excellent luster would 

 make it worthy of experimentation in the button business. It would 

 probably rank with the " butterfly," Plagiola securis^ in that respect. 

 The presence of a number of young shells in the feeder canal indi- 

 cates that it might be easy to propagate in artificial channels. 



19. Ohliquaria refiexa (Rafinesque). Warty-back. This species 

 was first encountered in the Auglaize River, where 1 example was 

 secured. Below the Defiance Dam 3 were obtained; 1 was found at 

 Florida Bridge, and 3 at Grand Rapids below the dam. In the 

 stretch of canal below Grand Rapids it was apparently abundant. 

 One was picked up on the shore at the very entrance of the canal 

 and 22 in a pile left by a mink or muskrat along the side of the canal. 

 A few were found in the canal below the dam at Maumee. This 

 species, being quite thick and of good luster, is used to some extent 

 commercially, but on account of its small size a shell yields only a 

 few buttons. 



20. Plagiola donaciformis (Lea). The first example of this species 

 was obtained in the Auglaize River. No others were seen until we 

 reached Grand Rapids, Ohio, where 1 was found in the Maumee 

 below the dam. In the stretch of canal near Grand Rapids it ap- 



