The Nautilus. Vol. XXXI, No. 2, October 1917: A Quarterly Journal Devoted to the Interests of ConchologistsVarious
Science
The Nautilus. Vol. XXXI, No. 2, October 1917: A Quarterly Journal Devoted to the Interests of Conchologists
Various
Mollusks -- Periodicals
In January 1915, Physa has again made its appearance in the middle parts
of the stream, although in small numbers only. Diligent search, however,
failed to reveal a single Planorbis. The snails which were present were
found only under fair-sized rocks where they were well protected; they
did not occur out in the open stream as had been the case when the creek
was more densely populated with snails.
In April 1915, on the 22d and 24th, Waller Creek was swept by three
scouring floods which devastated the entire bottoms. The water rose
higher during the night than it had at any time since 1886; bridges were
washed away and much damage done. The bottom of the creek was again
washed clean except under the larger stones and in deep holes in the
bed. Snails were not observed in any numbers following this flood during
the rest of that year. Early in January 1916, however, Physa had again
appeared fairly abundantly where they had formerly been very thick, in
the region just above the University; later in the spring they became
quite numerous here. In January of this year the first Planorbis were
found that had been seen in the creek since the autumn floods of 1913.
Between Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets in a pocket containing
good-sized stones over which the water flows rather swiftly a number of
specimens were taken, although none were found above or below this
locality. It is noted that below this region the creek is frequently
covered with oily scum and that it receives the refuse from the
adjoining properties. Except after high water which would clean it out,
the creek in this region would hardly be expected to support much snail
life. It must be supposed either that the Planorbis had made their way
up to Sixteenth Street during the short time following the floods before
the water became badly contaminated, or else that in this particular
place a few specimens from the previous years had withstood the floods
and reproduced themselves in sufficient numbers to be noticeable in
January. Of these two suppositions the latter seems much the more
rational.
After the flood of 1915 the water subsided very quickly so that a new
layer of humus and algae was not deposited, but that the bed was again
restored to its former condition of a clean smooth rock bottom. Upon the
return to this condition the snail population increased very rapidly,
and at the time when the last observation was made in the early summer
of 1916, seemed in a fair way to return to the condition of 1912.
It seems to the writer that the slow return of the snails during the
year 1914 was due not only to the repeated rains of the fall and winter
of 1913‒14, but also to the condition of the creek bed at this time.
Although the heavy rains of 1915 were more severe, they were confined to
one month, and the creek bed was left in a very much cleaner condition
than during the preceding year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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