40 



MUSSEL FAUNA OF THE KANKAKEE BASIN. 



SMALL FISHES FOUND ON THE MUSSEL BipS. 



Key to Table.— I, the undredged portion of the Yellow River from Plymouth to Ober; II, the un- 

 dredged portion of the Kankakee River from Riverside to the State line; III, the Iroquois River- IV the 

 Kankakee River in Illinois; V, the lakes. ' ' 



Species. 









II 



111. 



IV. 



V. 



C atostomus commersonu 



X 



X 

 X 





X 





Catostonius nigricans 









X 





X 

 X 



X 



















X 

 X 



X 

 X 





X 











Pimephales notatus 



X 



X 



X 



X 

 X 



Semotilus atromaculatus 



X 



X 



X 



Abramis chrysoleucas 



X 



X 











X 

















X 



Fundulus diaphanus 











X 







X 

 X 





X 



Notropis blennius 



X 



X 



X 





Notropis whipplii 



X 



X 

 X 



X 

 X 



X 



X 

 X 





X 



Notropis umbratilis atripes 







X 



X 



Notropis heterodon 



X 



X 





X 









X 





Phenacobius mirabilis 







X 













X 







Hybopsis kentuckiensis 





X 



X 







X 



X 



X 



X 



X 







X 



Perca flavescens 



X 









X 



Microperca punctulata 



X 











Micropteras dolomieu 





X 



X 

 X 



X 







X 



X 





X 

 X 



Chaenobrvttus gulosus 



X 









Ambloplites rupestris 



X 



X 

 X 

 X 





X 



X 



Lepomis pallidus 







X 

 X 



Eupomotis gibbosus 









Hadropterus phoxocephalus 







X 



X 





X 



X 

 X 



X 



X 

 X 





Boleosoma nigrum 



X 



X 

 X 



X 



Etheostoma coeruleum 



X 





Etheostoma iowse 



X 









X 



Maxostoma aureolum 



X 

















DISCUSSION OF MUSSEL SPECIES. 



1. Quadrula tuherculata {Rafinesque) . Purple warty-hack, — This 

 mussel, although it attains considerable size and weight, rivaling 

 or exceeding the common warty-back {Q. pustulosa) in this respect, 

 is of no value whatever to the button industry on account of the dull 

 purple nacre. It nowhere forms large beds and wherever found 

 usually constitutes a small per cent of the mussel fauna. 



Of all the heavy-shelled species examined anywhere, however, 

 this is the most liable to infection by distomids, perhaps on account 

 of its immense inhalent aperture, which allows a larger and greater 

 variety of objects to enter than is the case of other strong-shelled 

 mussels. This makes it among the greatest producers of dorsal 

 baroques and, generally speaking, it is the species most likely to 

 produce genuine pearls. The baroques may be either purple or pale, 

 almost white, and generally are rather lusterless and of low value. 

 The pearls are always purple, sometimes almost black, and, when 

 formed near the iridescent tip of the mussel, may have a very good 

 luster. The clammer cleans all shells he obtains, whether valuable 

 for buttons or not, in the hope of finding pearls. | 



