MUSSELS OF CUMBERLAND RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 



First Section, Cumberland Falls to Celina, Tenn. 



9 



Percentage of commercial 

 shells. 



Percentage 

 of culls. 



Kind of 

 bottom. 



Just below falls 



Big South Fork opposite Par- 

 kers Lake 

 Big South Fork above Burn- 



Railroad bridge, Bumside . 



Fishing Creek Bar 



Fords Island 



Mill Springs Bar 



Robertsport, Ky 



One mile below Lock 21 



Horseshoe Bottom 



Beaver Creek 



Indian Creek Shoals 



Snow Island 



Wells Island 



Selfs Shoals 



Greens Bar 



Champs Shoals 



Biggerstaff Bar 



Celina, Tenn 



Large . 



..do 



..do 



Small 



Medium.. 



Large 



Medium.. 



..do 



Large 



..do 



Sand.. . 

 Gravel. 



Gravel . 

 ..do.... 



The table shows at a glance that the proportion of culls is so large 

 in nearly every one of the beds that they yield but a poor profit to 

 the clammer. 



The conditions, however, are everywhere favorable to mussel 

 growth, as is evidenced by the number and variety of the shells. 

 These mussel beds each contain a fair proportion of commercial 

 shells, three of which, the southern mucket, the butterfly, and the 

 Ohio River pigtoe, might well be propagated artificially. In this 

 way the preponderance of culls could be greatly reduced in a few 

 years, if not wholly overcome. 



Although there is no clamming, there is considerable pearling in 

 this section of the river and large piles of shells were found in a number 

 of places where the pearlers had left them. This was especially true 

 at Fords Island, Mill Springs Bar, below Lock 21, Wells Island, 

 Selfs Shoals, and Champs Shoals. It will be noticed that in coming 

 down the river the first pigtoes were found at Mill Springs Bar and 

 the second lot at Indian Creek Shoals. 



Second section, from Celina to Nashville, Tenn., 190 miles. — The 

 mussel beds increase a little in number and considerably in size 

 along this section of the river, and in consequence there is more 

 commercial shelling. The percentage of pinks and spikes steadily 

 decreases, especially that of the former, and there is a corresponding 

 increase in the commercial species. The Ohio River pigtoe becomes 

 the most common button shell", while the elephant-ear not only 

 decreases in numbers, but partially changes its color, and with 



