50 



MUSSEL FAUNA OF MAUMEE KIVER. 



Auglaize Eiver, in addition to occasional shells picked up here and 

 there. The last one seen was at Grand Rapids below the dam. The 

 whole number obtained in the Maumee Basin was 60. This species 

 is frequently infested with the distomid of Kelly, and contains small 

 dorsal baroques. Diseased shells with one or both valves roughened 

 and yellow on the inside were quite common. The shell is usually 

 too small to be of much use commercially, but it has a beautiful 

 luster, which continues in dead shells when exposed to the weather 

 longer than in any other species observed. The nacre is usually 

 white, though in some instances it is pink or rosy. 



24. Lam f sills gracilis (Barnes). Lampsilis gracilis is fairly com- 

 mon and well distributed in the Maumee Basin, but is nowhere par- 

 ticularly abundant. Seven examples were obtained at the riffles in 

 the -St. Marys River and three in the St. Joseph near its mouth. In 

 the upper part of the Maumee River it is rather scarce; only 1 was 

 taken near Fort Wayne, 1 at Maumee Center Bridge, and 1 below 

 Antwerp, Ohio. In the Auglaize River it was fairly common; 13 

 Avere obtained there. In the Maumee below the dam near Defiance 

 it was rather abundant, 19 being found at that place. It was also 

 abundant at Grand Rapids below the dam ; here 16 were secured, and 

 2 in the canal below Grand Rapids. It was quite common in the 

 canal below the dam at Miami, Ohio, though none were collected 

 there. 



In all, 63 examples were secured, and 10 additional dwarfed speci- 

 mens on the shore of Put-in Bay Island, where it was quite common. 

 This is one of the most iridescent shells we have, the posterior por- 

 tion shading into a fine rainbow blue and purple. It is of no com- 

 mercial value, however, on account of the thinness of the shell, which 

 usually cracks badly in drying. 



25. Lampsilis alatus (Say). Pancake. This species is of occa- 

 sional occurrence in the Maumee Basin, but not abundant. Along 

 the upper parts of the basin they were rather rare. Three were 

 obtained in the St. Joseph River at Fort Wayne, and 1, small, in the 

 Maumee, not far below its source. In 1907 several examples were 

 obtained in the Maumee near Fort Wayne. A few scattered speci- 

 mens were found below Antwerp, Ohio, and 1 in the Tiffin River 

 a half mile above its mouth. Three were taken in the Auglaize and 

 11 large ones below the dam near Defiance, where it was beginning 

 to become common. Three were found at Florida Bridge. Below 

 the dam at Grand Rapids, Ohio, it was one of the most common 

 shells and great numbers that had been opened by pearlers were 

 seen on the rocks. We secured 23 examples here. A few were 

 found in the second stretch of canal and in the Maumee above Water- 

 ville, Ohio. It was common in the canal below the dam at Miami, 

 Ohio. In all, 56 specimens were taken in the Maumee Basin, At 



