MUSSELS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA. 



9 



No comment upon the fauna of the last four lakes is needed save 

 the single statement that the muckets in Forest Lake are all dwarfed 

 and thin-shelled» The other two lakes and Snake River are parts of 

 the same system, for the river flows through the entire length of 

 Pokegama Lake and across Cross Lake nearly at its center. Both of 

 the lakes and the river are shallow, and consequently the mussels are 

 gathered with a rake or by wading. No crowfoot dredges were seen. 



QUALITY OF SHELLS. 



The principal mussel here is the fat mucket, which is not dwarfed, 

 as is usual in a lake, but retains its full size. Furthermore, the shell 

 is exceptionally thick and heavy, and maintains this thickness to the 

 extreme tips, making every portion of it available for buttons. The 

 shells have a fine luster, show no discoloration, and will cut from 700 

 to 720 gross of blanks (20-line) to the ton. In Pokegama Lake these 

 muckets form 75 to 85 per cent of the entire catch; in the Snake 

 River between the two lakes, 60 per cent, and in Cross Lake from 40 

 to 50 per cent. 



Of the other shells, the maple-leaves and blue-points are also ex- 

 ceptionally thick, of large size, unspotted, and in every way first-grade 

 button shells. The three-ridges, on the contrary, are badly spotted, 

 have a poor luster and are only second or third quality. The culls 

 are nearly all heel-spHtters and Anodontas. In Cross Lake the 

 bottom is sandy next to the shore, and then becomes covered with 

 mud, while in Pokegama Lake it is hard sand throughout. Hence 

 there are more three-ridges, black sand-shells, blue-points, and 

 floaters in Cross Lake, and the shells are not quite as thick as those 

 in Pokegama Lake. 



At the time these lakes were examined (July) there were fully two 

 carloads of shells scattered along the shores of Cross Lake on the west 

 side, and as many more at the upper end of Pokegama Lake, gathered 

 within a space of 400 or 500 feet. The fishermen said they had been 

 offered $23.50 per ton for these Pokegama shells. 



PEARLS. 



The best pearl found in this vicinity was obtained from a fat 

 mucket in Cross Lake several years ago, and was held for some time 

 at $4,000. The price then gradually dropped to $3,000, and it was 

 finally sold for $2,300. Of those found in 1912 one brought $1,800, 

 another $1,200, a third $900, two were sold for $500 each, and six or 

 eight reached $100 or over. In consequence of these exceptional 

 finds everyone in the neighborhood caught the pearl fever, and they 

 were all — men, women, and children — ^fishing for pearls at the time of 

 our visit, the mucket being the favorite shell for them. But they 



