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Full text of "Lake Maxinkuckee : a physical and biological survey"

THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION 
STATE OF INDIANA 



W. A. GUTHRIE, CHAIRMAN 

STANLEY COULTER 

JOHN W. HOLTZMAN 

RICHARD M. HOLMAN, SECRETARY 



PUBLICATION No. 7 

Volume I 




RICHARD LIEBER 

DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION 



INDIANAPOLIS: 

B. BURFORD, PRINTER 

192O 



LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 

A PHYSICAL AND 
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 



BY 

BARTON WARREN EVERMANN, A. M., PH. D. 

Director of the Museum of the California Academy of Sciences 

AND 

HOWARD WALTON CLARK, A. B., A. M. 

Scientific Assistant U. S. Bureau of Fisheries 
Biological Station, Fairport, Iowa 



VOLUME I 



PUBLISHED BY 

THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION 

STATE OF INDIANA 

1920 



Foreword 



The Department of Conservation presents this monograph to 
the public in the belief that it is a notable addition to the scien- 
tific works of the present day. It is especially valuable because 
Maxinkuckee is typical of thousands of lakes in the glaciated re- 
gions of North America. It will be invaluable to future students 
because here are authentically reported numerous species and con- 
ditions which are rapidly disappearing because of the increased 
use of all available lakes for summer resorts and their destruction 
by drainage. 

The actual work of investigation was financed by the U. S. Bu- 
reau of Fisheries. Although they spent thirteen years of work 
and much money, when the report was finally complete an insuffi- 
cient printing fund prevented publishing. 

When The Department of Conservation was inaugurated, April 
1, 1919, the question of printing the Maxinkuckee report was placed 
before the Conservation Commission. The great scientific value of 
the work, the unquestioned authenticity, and the fact that the lake 
is in Indiana led the Commission to approve of its publication. 

The illustrations used in this monograph have come from vari- 
ous sources. The halftones showing Lake Maxinkuckee scenery 
(except that of Shady Point, which is from a photograph by Mr. 
Clark), were supplied by the Culver Military Academy. Most of 
the text-figures of fishes are chiefly from Jordan and Evermann's 
"Fishes of North and Middle America" ; the others, as well as the 
three figures of frogs, were furnished by the United States Bureau 
of Fisheries. The Bureau of Fisheries very kindly supplied elec- 
tros for all these text-figures. The halftone plates of the large- 
mouth black bass, small-mouth black bass, rock bass, bluegill, red- 
eared sunfish and yellow perch, are from photographs of live fishes 
in the water, taken at Lake Maxinkuckee by A. Radcliffe Dugmore 
for use in Jordan and Evermann's "American Food and Game 
Fishes," published by Doubleday, Page & Company. For the col- 
ored plates of thirty-three species of fishes we are indebted to Dr. 
Stephen A. Forbes, Director of the Illinois State Natural History 
Survey. 

The Conservation Commission wishes to express to these vari- 
ous gentlemen and institutions its appreciation of the courtesies 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

which they have so generously extended. Their kindly co-opera- 
tion has added materially to the attractiveness and value of this 
report. 

To Dr. Evermann, Mr. Clark and their collaborators is due 
praise and honor for the work. It is truly a scientific classic and 
without peer in its field. 

RICHARD LIEBER, 

Director, The Department of Conservation. 
April 7, 1920. 



Contents 



INTRODUCTION 13 

SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATIONS 15 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IS 

SPECIAL LOCALITIES OFTEN REFERRED TO IN VARIOUS CHAPTERS OF TH'- REPORT. 19 

PHYSICAL FEATURES 22 

LOCATION 22 

ELEVATION ABOVE SEA-LEVEL .- 22 

SIZE, FORM, ETC 23 

CHARACTER OF SURROUNDING COUNTRY 23 

Soil .... 24 

TRIBUTARY STREAMS 27 

Culver Creek 27 

Aubeenaubee Creek : 27 

Norris Inlet 28 

Overmyer's Brook 28 

Flowing wells . - .28-35 

SHORE AND BEACH 35 

The ice-beach 39 

HYDROGRAPHY 40 

DEPTH 40 

TOPOGRAPHY OF LAKE BOTTOM 42 

The Deep Hole 42 

The Sugarloaf 42 

The Weedpatch 42 

The Kettlehole 43 

THE LAKE BOTTOM 45 

Soils 45 

Sand 45 

Gravel 45 

Boulders 46 

Marl 46 

THE LAKE LEVEL 49 

Stage of water 49 

Volume of outflow 53 

THE OUTLET 54 

LOST LAKE 55 

OUTLET CREEK 56 

METEOROLOGY 57 

INTRODUCTION 57 

SKY 58 

AIR 60 

Pressure 60 

Temperatures 62-135 

(7) 



8 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

METEOROLOGY Continued Page 

WINDS 136 

Introduction 136 

Character 139 

RAIN 144 

FROST '. . . 145 

SNOW 145 

Introduction 147 

Depth 147 

Direction 148 

Form 148 

Relation to lake 149 

FOG 150 

DEW 152 

WATER TEMPERATURES 152 

At surface of lake 152-194 

At various depths 195-214 

The turning over of the lake 214 

CONDITION OF THE WATER 216 

Clearness 216 

Chemical condition 218 

Deficient in Oxygen for only a brief period each year 221 

ICE 223 

Introduction 223 

On Lake Maxinkuckee 226 

On Lost Lake ,232 

Thickness 233 

BIOLOGY 236 

INTRODUCTION 236 

THE FISHES 238 

Introduction 238 

Methods of collecting 239 

CONDITIONS FAVORABLE TO FISH-LIFE 260 

FlSH AND FISH PROTECTION 263 

ANGLING 264 

The long cane pole 266 

Trolling 267 

Bait-casting 267 

Baits and lures 268 

Lake Maxinkuckee as an angling resort 271 

Ice-fishing 275 

FlSHES PLANTED IN LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 278 

MORTALITY AMONG FISHES 281 

COMMERCIAL FISHING 282 

OBSERVANCE OF FISHING LAWS 282 

MIGRATIONS AND SEASONAL MOVEMENTS OF THE FISHES 284 

From one depth to another 284 

From Lake Maxinkuckee to Lost Lake . . .... 287 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 9 

BIOLOGY Continued Page 

FOOD AND PARASITES OF THE FISHES 291 

Introduction 291 

Species studied 293 

Insect larvae 302 

Leeches 304 

ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES 306 

THE MAMMALS 452 

Introduction 452 

List of species 453 

THE BIRDS 481 

Introduction 481 

List of species : 486 

THE REPTILES 580 

The snakes 580 

List of species 581 

The turtles 591 

List of species 592 

THE AMPHIBIANS 620 

List of species 620 



List of Illustrations 



HALFTONE PLATES 

Page 

1 Large-mouth Black Bass Frontispiece 

23 Calico Bass 383 

23 Rock Bass 383 

24a Warmouth Bass 392 

25 Bluegill 398 

25 Red-eared Sunfish 398 

27 and 28 Small-mouth Black Bass '. 410, 412 

32 Yellow Perch . . .426 



COLORED PLATES 

Facing page 

2 Dogfish 318 

3 Yellow Bullhead 324 

4 Speckled Bullhead 324 

5 Tadpole Cat ' 332 

5 Grass Pike 332 

6 Common Sucker 334 

7 Hog-sucker 336 

8 Chub Sucker 338 

9 Stone Roller 340 

10, 11 and 12 Carp 342 

13 Golden Shiner 348 

14 Cayuga Minnow 350 

14 Straw-colored Minnow 350 

16 Common Shiner 358 

16 Blackfin 358 

17 Mud Minnow 366 

17 Grayback Minnow 366 

18 Brook Stickleback 376 

18 Skipjack 376 

19 Fundulus dispar 372 

20 White Crappie - 380 

21 Black Crappie 382 

'22 Rock Bass 388 

24 Green Sunfish 394 

26 Bluegill 402 

(ID 



12 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Facing page 

29 Large-mouth Black Bass 416 

30 Wall-eyed Pike 422 

31 Yellow Perch 424 

33 Log Perch , '...'.- 430 

33 Black-sided Darter 430 

34 Green-sided Darter 436 

34 Johnny Darter '. 436 

34 Iowa Darter 436 

35 Short-nosed Gar 316 

35 Brook Lamprey 316 

36 Red-mouth Buffalo. . . 330 



TEXT FIGURES 

Page 

Paddlefish 309 

Short-nosed Gar 316 

Black Bullhead 330 

Common Buffalo-Fish . . . .' 333 

Blunt-nosed Minnow 344 

Common Chub 346 

Variable-toothed Minnow 350 

Spot-tailed Minnow 354 

Silver-fin Minnow 356 

Cavern-jawed Minnow 360 

Black-nosed Dace 361 

River Chub .363 

Common Eel 365 

Common Pike , 370 

Long-eared Sunfish 395 

Pumpkinseed Sunfish 406 

Maxinkuckee Darter 436 

Aubeenaubee Darter 445 

Rainbow Darter 448 

Least Darter 450 

Spring Frog 632 

Green Frog 642 

Bullfrog 644 

Map of Lake Maxinkuckee In back of book 



LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 
A PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 



By BARTON WARREN EVERMANN, A. M., Ph. D., 
Director of the Museum of the California Academy of Sciences, 

and 

HOWARD WALTON CLARK, B. S., A. M., 

Scientific Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries Biological Station, 

Fairport, Iowa. 



INTRODUCTION 

Though the United States Fish Commission (now the Bureau 
of Fisheries) was organized in 1871, it was not until 1888 that 
any definite attempt was made to study either the biological or 
physical characters of any of the streams and lakes of the United 
States. In that year and the two or three years following, a 
beginning was made toward working out the distribution of the 
species of fishes in the streams of certain regions, and some little 
attention was given to the larger crustaceans and to water tem- 
peratures. Beginning with 1891, one or more field parties from 
the Division of Scientific Inquiry of the Commission have been 
in the field, usually for a brief period each summer. These par- 
ties usually gathered data for each stream examined, upon the 
following points: character of country through which the stream 
flows; the volume of water which it carries; general character of 
the water as to clearness and purity, and its temperature; the 
fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, reptiles, batrachians and other ani- 
mals inhabiting the stream or found about it, and the abundance, 
distribution and habits of each; also, the species of aquatic 
plants, their distribution, abundance, and relation to the fishes of 
the same waters. The primary and immediate objects of these 
investigations were to determine what fishes each stream already 
contains and whether the conditions, physical and biological, are 
favorable for the introduction of other species. Since 1890 inves- 
tigations of this kind have been carried on in a number of States, 
among which may be mentioned California, Oregon, Washington, 
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, 
Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, New York, 

(13) 



14 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and perhaps others. As many 
of these investigations were made in response to resolutions of 
Congress calling upon the Commission to determine the desirabil- 
ity of establishing fish-cultural stations in certain States, it can 
be seen that a wide area had to be covered and that the investi- 
gations were necessarily hurried and incomplete except for the 
specific purpose in view. Occasionally, however, it was possible 
to confine the season's investigations for a longer period to a lim- 
ited area, and more thorough work resulted ; as, for example, upon 
the Redfish Lakes in Idaho in 1895 and 1896, the Connecticut 
Lakes in 1904, and the Rangeley Lakes and Sebago Lake in Maine 
in 1905-1913. 

The need of exact knowledge of the physical and biological 
conditions obtaining in the various types of lakes and streams 
became increasingly evident. In the direct interest of fish cul- 
ture, there was great need of more complete knowledge of the 
habits not only of our most common food fishes, but also of the 
animals and plants associated with them, and of the physical and 
biological conditions under which they thrive. 

Not until 1899, however, was any such work undertaken under 
really favorable conditions. It was in that year decided to select 
a small lake and make such a study of it as might serve as a- 
model for the investigation of all similar lakes. 

There are, in the upper Mississippi Valley, particularly in Ohio, 
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, many 
thousand lakes of glacial origin. With scarcely an exception, these 
lakes teem with food and game fishes of the finest quality, besides 
many other species of greater or less importance. Many of these 
lakes are inhabited also by a large number of species of turtles, 
batrachians, mollusks and crustaceans, some of which are already 
used for food or otherwise utilized by man. They are the home 
also of many other species of aquatic animals and many species 
of aquatic plants which are known to serve an important purpose 
in the economy of the lakes in their relation to food fishes, and of 
still many other species whose status we do not yet know. 

The value of exact knowledge concerning this type of lake and 
the inhabitants thereof is appreciated by all biologists and fish- 
culturists and can scarcely be overestimated. 

In making selection of a particular lake for study along these 
lines it was important that the lake chosen should meet certain 
essential conditions. It must not be too large; it must be suffi- 
ciently compact to enable any or all parts to be reached readily 
from a central station; there should be no inlets or connecting 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 15 

waters of a size great enough to complicate the problems ; in other 
words, the conditions should be bunched and the environmental 
unit should be a fairly homogeneous one; furthermore, the lake 
should be one where there are fishing and angling interests and 
which would afford a field for fish-cultural studies and operations. 

Lake Maxinkuckee, in northern Indiana, was believed to meet 
all these conditions. It was assumed to be typical of the class of 
small glacial lakes. It was selected for study primarily because 
of these facts. Its accessibility and the fact that the field expenses 
there would be exceptionally small were also factors in determin- 
ing the selection. 

Scope of investigations: In planning the investigations to be 
made, it was desirable to make them as comprehensive as pos- 
sible, that the report, when published, would be really a mono- 
graph of the lake. Among the more important purposes to be 
considered were the following: 

1. To gain a fairly good understanding of the physical and 
biological conditions obtaining in a typical glacial lake. Accurate 
knowledge of one lake of a type enables a study of other lakes of 
that type to be made more readily and easily. 

2. To study carefully and fully the habits of as many species 
of animals and plants of the lake as time permitted. This field 
is practically inexhaustible and the opportunities infinite. The 
writers know of no place where one can study more problems of 
interest to fish-culture and general biology than at Lake Maxin- 
kuckee. This is because of the unusual abundance of aquatic 
animals and plants in that lake. There are now known from 
Lake Maxinkuckee 64 species of fishes, 9 species of turtles, 18 
species of batrachians, about a dozen species of crustaceans, more 
than 130 species of mollosks, and more than 100 species of aquatic 
plants. Each of these groups is represented by a greater number 
of species than is known from any other lake of similar or even 
considerably greater size in the world; and most of the species 
are each very abundant as to individuals. 

3. To study carefully the physical and biological conditions 
under which the more important of these species thrive. 

In short, Lake Maxinkuckee was utilized as a biological station 
where scores of interesting problems were studied and where many 
more problems can be studied more effectively than at any other 
lake with which the writers are acquainted. 

In the spring of 1899 the senior author submitted to the Hon- 
orable George M. Bowers, then United States Commissioner of 
Fish and Fisheries, a memorandum setting forth reasons why an 

217618 



16 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

investigation of this kind should be made in the interest of fish 
culture and the biology of freshwater fishes. Mr. Bowers approved 
the recommendation and ordered the investigation to be entered 
upon in the summer following. 

The actual study of Lake Maxinkuckee by the U. S. Fish Com- 
mission was begun in 1899. On July 5 of that year a station 
was established at the Duenweg cottage (known now as Shady 
Point) on the west side of the lake at the base of Long Point and 
in front of the Arlington flag station of the Vandalia Railroad. 
The party consisted of the following: Dr. Barton Warren Ever- 
mann of the U. S. Fish Commission, in charge; Dr. Josiah T. 
Scovell, teacher of biology, Terre Haute, Ind., high school, botany ; 
Thomas Large, teacher of science, Evansville, Ind., high school, 
hydrography; Chancey Juday, teacher of biology, Evansville, Ind., 
high school, plankton ; and T. Bronte Evermann, student Cornell 
University, general assistant. During a portion of the season, H. 
Walton Clark of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Harry Warren of Evans- 
ville, Ind., were present as volunteer assistants. 

The field work of 1899 was carried on from July 5 to Sep- 
tember 5, though certain lines were continued until October 18, 
and during the time from then until July, 1900, temperature and 
various other meteorological observations, as well as notes on the 
appearance and behavior of the water birds, fishes, etc., were 
recorded by S. S. Chadwick, then resident on Long Point. 

On July 1, 1900, the work was resumed by a regular field party 
consisting of the following: Dr. Evermann, in charge; Dr. Scovell, 
botany and general assistant; Leonard Young, teacher of biology, 
Evansville, Ind., high school, plankton; Wm. F. Hill, U. S. Fish 
Commission, surveyor ; T. Bronte Evermann, assistant to surveyor 
and draughtsman ; Millard Knowlton of Sims, Ind., general assist- 
ant ; Robert G. Gillum, professor of physics and chemistry, Indiana 
State Normal School, physics and chemistry; H. Walton Clark, 
botany. Regular investigations along a number of lines were car- 
ried on until about the middle of September. Dr. Evermann re- 
mained at the lake until December 12, and Mr. Clark continued the 
investigations continuously through the entire winter of 1900-1901 
and to July 11, 1901. 

In 1902, Dr. Evermann was again at the lake from June 19 to 
July 4, and again in 1904 most of the time from October 22 to 
November 11. Mr. Clark was there in 1904 from October 17 to 
November 29 and again from December 1 to January 5 following, 
and Dr. Scovell from November 23 to 26. In 1906, Mr. Clark 
carried on observations from July 19 to November 25, and Dr. C. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 17 

B. Wilson of Westfield, Mass., studied the parasites of the fishes 
of the lake during the summer. 

In 1907, Dr. Evermann was again at the lake from August 3 
to 8 and from September 7 to November 6, and Mr. Clark from 
September 12 to November 6. 

In 1908, Mr. Clark was at the lake from August 19 to Sep- 
tember 11, Dr. Wilson from August 19 to September 7, Donald 
Earll of Washington, D. C., from August 19 to September 4, and 
Dr. Evermann from September 6 to 10. In 1909, Mr. Clark and 
Dr. Wilson carried on work from July 21 to 28, on August 1 and 
2, and from August 31 to September 13. In 1910, Dr. Evermann 
was at the lake September 27 to 29, and October 1, 2 and 6; and 
from October 31 to November 4 in 1912. In 1913, Dr. Evermann 
was at the lake from September 2 to October 20, and Mr. Clark 
from September 9 to November 9. 

In addition to the observations made by the above named in- 
vestigators, a great many observations were made and recorded 
by Mr. Chadwick, particularly in the winters from 1898 to 1914. 

It will be observed from the foregoing that more or less field 
work was done in each month, but that most of it was done in the 
summer and fall months. The longest continuous period of obser- 
vation was that from June 19, 1900, to July 11, 1901. The longest 
continuous period by any one observer was that covered by Mr. 
Clark from August 27, 1900, to July 11, 1901. During the winter 
of 1900-1901, Mr. Clark spent the entire time alone at the lake 
devoting all his time to field observations. Practically the only 
other winter observations we have are those communicated to us 
by Mr. Chadwick. 

Perhaps the most satisfactory records are those for the fall 
months, September and October, as those months have been cov- 
ered, in part at least, in more different years. The spring records 
are most incomplete and unsatisfactory, practically the only obser- 
vations for those months being those made by Mr. Clark in 1901. 
It is much to be regretted that a more thorough study of the lake 
could not have been made in those important months. 

While our studies of the lake have been quite unevenly dis- 
tributed throughout the year, while many observations have not 
been verified as often as might be desired, and while many phases 
of lake study have barely been touched, and others not at all, 
nevertheless, it is hoped that the studies have added materially 
to our knowledge and understanding of the physics and biology 
of small glacial lakes, such as are found so abundantly in the upper 
Mississippi Valley states. 



18 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

It is regretted that the publication of this report has been so 
long delayed. Much of it was written in the winter of 1901-1902, 
but before it could be completed other duties so engrossed the 
attention of the senior author as to render its completion at that 
time impossible. This, however, has not ben wholly without com- 
pensating advantages, in that opportunity occurred from time to 
time to revisit the lake and make new observations, verify former 
ones, or to study phases previously neglected. As a result, it is 
now possible to write on some of the problems more fully and with 
greater confidence, and to make the report somewhat more com- 
prehensive. It also enables us to omit certain discussions and 
conclusions which later observations failed fully to support. 

There still remains a multitude of problems which should 
receive further study and which the writers would like very much 
to consider, but they feel the report should not be longer delayed. 

Even so, they feel that more is probably known of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee, particularly of its biology, than of any other lake in the 
world. 

It may be thought by some that the scope of the report is too 
broad, that subjects are included which do not bear any relation 
to fish-culture. Such is not the case. There is probably not a 
species of animal or plant in or about the lake that does not bear 
some relation, more or less important, to the fish-life of the lake. 
The truth of this impresses itself more and more evidently upon 
one as he becomes more and more fully acquainted with the rela- 
tions and inter-relations of the multitude of species of animals 
and plants in and about the lake, and their dependence and inter- 
dependence among and upon each other. The field naturalist is 
constantly observing facts and phenomena, climatic and biologic, 
which impress upon him the great principle of the dependence of 
the varied forms of organic life upon climatic conditions and of 
the inter-dependence of the various species among themselves and 
upon each other. One who has never made any special study of 
these problems in the field may find it difficult to discover the rela- 
tions or to appreciate their significance. That is to be expected. 
Some of the relations and the significance of others may not always 
be evident even to him who has given them consideration; but he 
feels that all available facts are worth recording and that the rela- 
tions and the meaning thereof will in time appear. 

Acknowledgments: To mention the names of all those from 
whom the writers have received assistance in their study of Lake 
Maxinkuckee would be impossible. Nearly every cottager about 
the lake, and scores of the anglers who visit the lake from time 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 19 

to time, have extended courtesies in various ways, such as giving 
information regarding their angling experiences at the lake, per- 
mitting their catch to be measured and weighed, and furnishing 
fish to be examined for a study of their food or parasites. Similar 
favors have been shown by a number of persons who come to the 
lake in the fall to hunt ducks. We are under special obligation 
to Mr. S. S. Chadwick, formerly of Long Point, Lake Maxinkuckee, 
now of Ithaca, Mich., Mr. George E. Farrington and other officials 
of the Vandalia Railroad, and Captain Eisenhard of the Culver 
Military Academy, for assistance of various kinds. 

To the Lake Maxinkuckee Association, particularly to its some- 
time secretary, Mr. W. T. Wilson of Logansport, we are indebted 
for courtesies of many kinds. -Mention should be made also of the 
late Colonel A. F. Fleet, for many years Commandant of the Cul- 
ver Military Academy; Colonel L. R. Gignilliat, the present Com- 
mandant of that flourishing institution ; of Mr. Brownell of Peru ; 
Mr. Clement Vonnegut of Indianapolis; and Mr. J. H. Vajen of 
Indianapolis; also of Judge A. C. Capron and Colonel Daniel Mc- 
Donald of Plymouth. All these gentlemen rendered us real service 
for which we desire to express grateful appreciation. 

To Mr. Chadwick we are indebted for the air and water tem- 
perature records from October 18, 1899, to June, 1900, and for 
other briefer periods, also for a vast amount of useful informa- 
tion regarding the fishes, birds and mammals, and regarding 
weather conditions. Mr. Chadwick's long and intimate acquaint- 
ance with the lake, keen powers of observation, and skill as hunter 
and fisherman, enabled him to supply us with much valuable data 
which could have been secured from no other source. 

To Mr. Farrington we are indebted for material assistance in 
enabling the Bureau to keep the lake stocked with bass and wall- 
eyed pike. 

To these gentlemen and .to all others who co-operated so effect- 
ively with us in our work we take this opportunity to express, 
not only for ourselves but for the Bureau of Fisheries, grateful 
appreciation. 

SPECIAL LOCALITIES OFTEN REFERRED TO IN VARIOUS CHAPTERS 

OF THIS REPORT 

In the chapters which follow frequent references are made to 
various particular localities or places about the lake. In order 
that these references may be readily understood, the locations of 
the places referred to are here definitely described: 



20 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Arlington Hotel: On the west side of the lake at the base of the 
east side of Long Point, and within a few yards of the Arlington 
railroad station. 

Assembly grounds: On the west side of the lake about 1,000 
to 2,000 feet north of the Outlet. These grounds are across the 
railroad from the lake and are high and sparsely wooded. 

Bardsley cottage: On the northeast shore of Lost Lake in the 
west of Green's woods. Known also as Sunset cottage. 

Birch swamp: On west side of railroad near Walley's, about 
a mile south of Arlington. 

Chadivick house: Near the end of Long Point on the west side 
of the lake. 

Culver Academy grounds: On the north side of the lake near 
the east side, fronting on the west part of Aubeenaubee Bay. 

Culver Creek: Entering the lake at Aubeenaubee Bay in the 
east part of the Academy grounds. 

Belong: On Tippecanoe River, 3 miles south of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee. 

Drained lake: About 2^ miles west of the Outlet. 

Edwards' boathouse: On the east side, at the mouth of Au- 
beenaubee Creek. 

Farrar's woods : A heavy forest of many acres along the south 
end of the lake from Murray's east to the neighborhood of Over- 
myer's brook. This wood consists chiefly of oaks, hickories, elms, 
willows, poplars, sassafras, and dense underbrush. It is fully de- 
scribed elsewhere. 

Fish Commission stoMon: The Shady Point (formerly the 
Duenweg) cottage on the west side of the lake in front of the Arl- 
ington railroad station and adjacent to the Arlington hotel. (See 
plate 34.) 

Gravelpit: Just west of the railroad on the west side of the 
lake, 600 to 1,800 feet south of the Arlington station. 

Green boathouse: On the lake shore at the west edge of the 
Norris Inlet marsh the large marsh at the head of the lake. 

Green's marsh: Sometimes called Green's flat, a tract of about 
11 acres of low, marshy ground, on the west side of Long Point, 
between it and the railroad and just south of Outlet Bay. This 
marsh is covered with a rich growth of blue-joint grass (Calama- 
grostis canadensis) , sedges (Carex), a large clump of button- 
bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) , low willows (Salix bebbiana), 
and a little Cornus. During times of high water this marsh be- 
comes flooded so that a boat can be rowed about over it. In dry 
weather it can be walked over. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 21 

Green's woods: Between Lake Maxinkuckee and Lost Lake. 

Hawk's marsh: At the southwest border of the town of Cul- 
ver, or just west of the Assembly grounds. The marsh comprises 
3 or 4 acres. It is a sphagnum bog with a dense thicket of poison 
sumac, mountain holly, winter holly, chokeberry, and the like. In 
the middle of the marsh is a small pond around which are cran- 
berries, pitcher plants, high bush huckleberries, leather leaf, marsh 
rosemary, cotton grass, etc. 

Ice-houses: On the west side of the lake at Outlet Bay and 
north of the Outlet about 500 feet. 

Indiana boathouse: On the east side about half a mile north of 
the Maxinkuckee road. 

Indianapolis pier: On the east side about 2500 feet south of 
the mouth of Aubeenaubee Creek. 

Jenks' cottage: East side of Long Point near the McSheehy 
cottage. 

Lakeview Hotel: On the north shore of the lake about 1,000 
feet east of the Culver railroad station. 

Lapaz Junction, 18 miles north of Culver. 

McOuat cottage: On east side of lake north of the Indianapolis 
pier. 

McSheehy cottage: East side of Long Point near the tip. 

Murray's: A small farm bordering the southwest part of the 
lake, south of the Gravelpit. 

Norris pier: At the southeast corner of the lake about 1,200 
feet from Norris Inlet. 

Outlet: At the base of the north side of Long Point. It is 
crossed at its beginning by a concrete bridge on the public high- 
way and also by the Vandalia Railroad a few feet further down. 
Sometimes referred to as the Thoroughfare. 

Outlet marsh: The low, marshy ground along the Outlet be- 
tween the railroad bridge and the upper end of Lost Lake. This 
marsh is mostly under water and is covered with a rank growth of 
bluejoint grass, sedges and cattails. It is a favorite resort for 
bitterns, rails, long-billed marsh wrens, and red-winged blackbirds. 

Outlet stream: The stream connecting Lost Lake with the 
Tippecanoe River; sometimes called Outlet Creek. 

Overmyer's woods: On the south shore of the lake between 
Farrar's woods and Norris Inlet. This has the same general char- 
acter as Farrar's woods, ^except that much of it is on higher ground 
in which there is a good deal of clay. 

Palmer house: On the north shore just west of the Academy 
grounds. 



22 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Scovell cottage: On the east side of Long Point. 

Shady Point: In front of the Arlington station and adjacent 
to the Arlington hotel grounds. This was formerly known as the 
Duenweg cottage and was occupied by the U. S. Fish Commission 
party in 1899-1901. (See plate 34.) 

Tamarack swamp: About two miles west of the Assembly 
grounds. 

Thoroughfare: The Outlet or stream connecting the two lakes. 

Va jen's cottage: On northeast side of lake. 

W alley's woods: Just west of the railroad and bordering Out- 
let Creek, about a mile southwest of the lake. 

Walter Knapp cottage: East side of Long Point just north of 
the Scovell cottage. 

Win field's cottage: On the west side of the lake north of the 
Outlet. 

PHYSICAL FEATURES 

Location: Lake Maxinkuckee is situated in about 41 12' north 
latitude, and 86 24' west longitude, in northern Indiana, on the 
Terre Haute and Logansport Railroad (Vandalia Line). It is 34 
miles south of South Bend, Indiana, 94 miles southeast of Chicago, 
32 miles north of Logansport, 121 miles north of Indianapolis and 
149 miles north of Terre Haute. It is easily reached by the Penn- 
sylvania Line from any of the places above mentioned. It lies 
wholly in Union Township in the southwest corner of Marshall 
County; the distance westward to the Starke County line being 
2,25 miles, and to the Fulton County line on the south, but 1 mile. 

The Vandalia Railroad runs north and south along the west 
shore of the lake. Near the north end of the west side of the lake 
is the town of Culver, with a population of about 1,500, which is 
the principal railroad station for Lake Maxinkuckee. One mile 
south from Culver is a flag station called Arlington. On the east 
side of the lake, and about a half mile back from it, is the little 
village of Maxinkuckee with a population of about 100. Near the 
middle of the north shore are the buildings and grounds of the 
Culver Military Academy, a flourishing institution. 

Elevation above sea-level: The surface of the lake at the aver- 
age stage of water, is 734.5 feet above sea-level of the Gulf of 
Mexico at Biloxi, Miss., 150 feet above Lake Michigan, and 130 
feet below the summit of the divide between Lake Michigan and 
the Wabash drainage. It is 15 feet above Tippecanoe River 4 
miles south, into which it drains, and 75 feet above English Lake 
20 miles west. The lake itself, therefore, is situated on a south 
and west slope. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 23 

Size, form, etc.: Lake Maxinkuckee lies in a north and south 
direction and its greatest length is 2.6 miles. The maximum width 
from east to west is 1.6 miles. The lake covers parts of sections 
15, 16, 21, 28, 32, and 34 north, range 1 east of the second prin- 
cipal meridian, and has a total area of 1,854 acres. The average 
length of the shore line is 7.3 miles. The distance around the lake 
by the road which goes around it at some distance from the shore, 
is about 12 miles. 

The form of the lake, as may be seen from the map, is quite 
regular. The major axis lies in an approximately north and south 
direction, but about one-quarter east of the middle of the lake. 
The longest line from east to west is about the same distance north 
of the middle of the lake. In the north half of the lake the east 
and west shore lines are approximately parallel, but in the south 
half they converge considerably, and that part of the lake is much 
narrower than the north half. 

There are not many bays or indentations of importance. At 
the northeast corner of the lake is Aubeenaubee Bay, the most 
pronounced of any. On the east the shore-line sweeps eastward 
in a long regular curve, making a long but narrow bay. At the 
south end, as already stated, the lake narrows greatly, producing 
a considerable bay extending somewhat toward the southeast. 
Near the middle of the west side is a point of land known as Long 
Point, projecting into the lake toward the northeast. This is the 
most pronounced and conspicuous irregularity in the shore-line of 
the lake. The north line of Long Point runs approximately east 
and west and at the Outlet the shore-line turns to the northward 
again, resulting in a considerable indentation known as Outlet Bay. 

Character of the surrounding country: The country surround- 
ing Lake Maxinkuckee lies wholly in the glacial region of Indiana. 
The lake is near the southwestern angle of the Saginaw Moraine, 
and deep borings in the adjacent soil indicate that at its greatest 
depth it does not reach the bottom of the drift. The topographic 
features are somewhat varied, as shown on the accompanying map. 
There are numerous small hills with gentle slopes, and among 
them are a good many kettle-holes, some of considerable depth, 
and with more or less water during wet seasons, while others are 
less deep and fairly dry. While the surface irregularities are con- 
siderable, they are, as a rule, not abrupt. The highest land any- 
where about the lake is a hill just east of the village of Maxin- 
kuckee about one-half mile from the lake. Its elevation above 
the surface of the lake is 136 feet. 



24 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Soil: It is desirable to give some consideration to the char- 
acter of the various kinds of soils of the region about the lake; 
for the soil determines in some measure many of the physical and 
biological factors which influence the lake more or less directly, 
such as the topography of the country, the flora, fauna, clearness 
and purity of the water, and the lake bed. 

The Lake Maxinkuckee region is highly favored in that it con- 
tains many kinds of soils, which the glaciers brought down and 
deposited about the lake. Speaking broadly, it may be said that 
the soil about Lake Maxinkuckee is composed chiefly of sand. 
There are a few isolated areas of clay, usually of small extent, 
and even they usually have a considerable proportion of sand 
mixed with the clay. The west and south sides of the lake are 
more sandy than the east and north. Long Point is a high sand 
ridge underlain with gravel, and is continued out into the lake a 
considerable distance beyond the shore in a long sandbar in shal- 
low water. In some places, at the southeast corner of the lake, 
there is considerable gravel and clay mixed with the sand, and 
at a few places on the north and east sides, and one place at the 
southwest corner, there are a good many boulders of moderate 
size. There are only six places about the lake where there is any 
marsh ; two of these are on the north end, two on the south, and 
one each on the east and west. The west -one of those on the north 
is in the vicinity of the Morris boathouse and is of small extent, 
the other is on Aubeenaubee Bay at the northeast corner of the 
lake. This is of considerable extent, but the western part of it 
has been filled in by the improvements at the Culver Academy 
grounds. The marshy tract on the east side lies about the mouth 
of Aubeenaubee Creek and extends eastward to near the head of 
that creek. At the southeast corner of the lake is the largest and 
lowest area of marsh; this lies along Norris Inlet, and several 
acres are entirely too marshy to permit walking over. Near the 
middle of the south end is another small area of low ground which 
at times is under water. The remaining patch of marsh is on the 
south of Outlet Bay and west of Long Point. This is known as 
Green's marsh and is in the shape of a narrow strip on the north- 
west side of Long Point, widening to the westward and covering 
several acres just south of the Outlet. 

The soils of the catchment basin of Lake Maxinkuckee have 
been classified by the United States Bureau of Soils 1 as Miami 

1 Soil Survey of Marshall County, Indiana, by Frank Bennett and Charles W. Ely, Field 
Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1904, pp. 689-706, with map. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 25 

gravelly sandy loam, Marshall sandy loam, Miami sand, Miami 
clay loam, and muck. 

The first of these, as described by Bennett and Ely, is usually 
a light or, dark brown sandy loam, containing a high percentage 
of gravel and, frequently, small glacial boulders. The subsoil is 
a gravelly or sandy clay with numerous small stones scattered 
through it. This is the type of soil found bordering lakes or old 
lake basins as a chain of rounded knolls or hills, which are gen- 
erally composed of stratified and unstratified sands, clays and 
gravels. There is a large area of this soil, the largest in the county 
according to Bennett and Ely, on the east side of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee. It borders the lake from the mouth of Culver Inlet on 
the north to the mouth of Aubeenaubee Creek near the middle of 
the east side, and extends east and southeast from the lake about 
1V-2 miles or to the head of Aubeenaubee Creek. 

The Marshall sandy loam borders the lake from the mouth of 
Aubeenaubee Creek south to Norris Inlet, thence across the south 
end and up 'the west side to Arlington station. There is also a 
small area between the mouth of Culver Inlet and the Academy 
grounds. This type of soil usually presents a rolling topography 
and generally occurs in irregular ridges composed of rounded 
knolls. The soil in the intervening depressions is a heavy black 
sandy loam. On the rounded knolls the soil is often quite gravelly. 
Granite boulders often occur scattered over the knolls and ridges. 

The entire north end of the lake and all of the west side south 
to beyond the Gravelpit is Miami sand. A narrow tongue of 
the same runs southward along the lake shore to the extreme 
southern end. The town of Culver and the entire region for some 
distance to the northwest is of this character. The surface to a 
depth of about 9 inches is a slightly loamy grayish or yellowish 
sand of medium texture, while the subsoil is a yellow or orange- 
colored sand of about the same texture. In the depressions the 
soil is more loamy, much darker, and extends to a greater depth. 
The Miami sand presents a very rolling topography and much of 
it resembles sand dunes in form and appearance. In all prob- 
ability a large portion was formerly old sand dunes on which 
plants obtained a foothold and checked the action of the wind. 
Some of it is even now shifted about by the winds. This soil has 
been, and still is, a more important factor than any other in deter- 
mining the character of the lake. 

Miami clay loam is found near the lake in only one place, 
namely, in a narrow ridge across the south end of the lake and 



26 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

some rods back from it. This is a yellowish white loam, almost 
white when dry, but dark gray when damp, composed of about 
equal parts of sand and silt. There is usually some gravel scat- 
tered through this soil or left on the surface by erosion. 

Muck is found only in a few places about the lake and in lim- 
ited areas along the creeks. The largest area is that about the 
lower course of Norris Inlet. The low ground along the Outlet 
between Outlet Bay and Lost Lake (including Green's marsh), a 
narrow strip on either side of the creek below Lost Lake, and a 
similar narrow strip along the lower part of Aubeenaubee Creek, 
are of muck. There is also a small amount about the mouth of 
Culver Inlet, and west of the lake about a mile is a large area. 

This soil usually represents deposits of partly decayed organic 
matter, and occurs in low, wet places, commonly known as 
"marshes". The muck is usually several feet deep and is black 
or brownish-black in color. It has much to do in determining the 
character of the water and the vegetation of the parts of the lake 
where it occurs. 

The relation of the soils of the country surrounding the lake 
to the lake itself is an intimate one. In the first place the kind 
and amount of soluble salts in the soil will determine the mineral 
character of the water. In certain places there appears to be con- 
siderable iron in the soil. This is particularly noticeable at the 
Gravelpit where large masses of post-glacial conglomerate are 
found resulting from the cementing of pebbles together. There 
is a smaller area of similar material on the east side. There is 
also some lime in the soil and no doubt much is leached out and 
carried into the water of the lake from which it is again removed 
by the various mollusks, and by certain plants. The water of the 
springs and flowing wells also contains considerable iron and lime. 

Erosion: Not a great amount of eroding is now going on about 
the lake. Although heavy and frequent rains occur, the soil is 
sufficiently sandy to take up most of the water readily and the 
run off is not great. Most of the abrupt slopes are still covered 
fairly well with vegetation, A few hills or ridges, especially along 
roadsides, are rather deeply grooved and channeled, but the eroded 
material is largely deposited before reaching the lake. The fall 
in the inlets is so slight that comparatively little detritus reaches 
the lake and the deltas and sandbars formed at their mouths are 
insignificant. The largest delta is at the mouth of Overmyer's 
Creek at the south end of the lake where a hilly region, chiefly of 
Miami clay loam, near the lake, has long been cleared and is most 
eroded. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 27 

Tributary streams: Lake Maxinkuckee is a body of water in 
which the physical and biological conditions are bunched ; the lake 
is only of moderate size and regular in form ; its catchment basin 
is quite limited, it being hardly more than three times as large 
as the area of the lake itself, and there are no important connect- 
ing streams or other waters which complicate the conditions. The 
streams flowing into the lake are few in number and inconsider- 
able in size. There are only three deserving any special descrip- 
tion; these are known as Culver Creek, Aubeenaubee Creek, and 
Norris Inlet. 

Culver Creek: This creek enters Aubeenaubee Bay at the 
northeast corner of the lake. It rises in a small marsh about 2 
miles from the lake, and pursues a winding course in a general 
southwesterly direction, entering the lake in the eastern part of 
the Culver Military Academy grounds. Just before entering the 
Academy grounds, this creek turns abruptly to the west, and, after 
flowing a few rods in that direction, turns southward to enter the 
lake. At the first bend mentioned, the stream, on August 21, 
1900, was about 4 feet wide, and with a maximum depth of three 
feet, though the average depth was not more than two feet. From 
this point it increases in width and depth through the Academy 
grounds where the banks have been improved by sodding. Much 
marsh gas comes up when the bottom is disturbed. There is 
everywhere an abundance of aquatic vegetation, chiefly Philotria 
canadensis, Ceratophyllum demersum and Potamogeton. An effort 
is made by the Academy authorities to keep the lower portion of 
this creek free of vegetation by dredging it out with rakes (as 
explained elsewhere). 

Aubeenaubee Creek, named for the Pottawattomie chief who 
at one time owned the land on the east side of the lake, rises in 
a small marsh some two miles east of the lake. This creek flows 
through a low level meadow or prairie region. It averages about 
four feet wide and from a few inches to a foot in depth with 
occasional deeper holes. The bed in the upper part of its course 
is usually of fairly compact sand with some admixture of muck, 
and its banks are sodded and rather firm. In the lower portion 
of its course, the shores are more marshy, the banks less stable, 
and the bed has an increasingly larger percentage of muck. 
Throughout most of its length this creek is overhung by bushes 
and briars and is full of sticks and brush. It enters the lake at 
the Edwards boathouse near the middle of the east side of the 
lake, or S 1 /^ rods south of section line No. 28. 



28 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Norris Inlet has its sources in some small springs southeast of 
the lake and about two miles distant. It flows in a northwesterly 
direction and enters the lake through the marsh at the southeast 
corner. Though this creek does not carry much, if any, more 
water than either of the others just described, it is usually spoken 
of as "the inlet". The upper part of this creek flows through 
fields and other cleared land, and the banks are usually well defined 
and sodded. The marsh about the Norris Inlet is about 80 rods 
wide and i/2 mile long, and is a flat, level, quaking bog full of 
holes. The lower portion of the creek is through a wet marsh 
with an abundance of marsh-grass and sedges but with scarcely 
any woody vegetation except a few bushes of Decodon verticillata, 
scattered low clumps of pussy-willow, and an occasional button 
bush (Cephalanthus). There is but little vegetation in the upper 
part of this stream, but the lower part is well filled with horn- 
wort (Ceratophyllum), milfoil (Myriophyllum verticillatum) , spat- 
terdock (Nymphaea advena), and various species of duckweeds. 

Overmyer's Brook: A few rods west from the mouth of Nor- 
ris Inlet is a small brook about a mile long which usually contains 
some water. This may be called Overmyer's Brook or Creek. Be- 
sides this there is a very small brook a few rods long near the south- 
west corner, another small one coming from the Peebles' flowing 
well on the northeast part of the lake, and two or three very small 
streams from flowing wells at the north end. 

The total volume of water carried into the lake by these vari- 
ous little streams cannot be conveniently nor accurately deter- 
mined; but from observations and experiments made at various 
times, the total daily flow during July and August, 1900, probably 
did not exceed 400 gallons per minute. 

Floiving ivetts: There are on the immediate shores of the lake 
more than 100 wells, of which about 50 are flowing wells, i.e., wells 
in which the water rises above the surface of the ground without 
being pumped. With the exception of one or two recently dug 
along the south shore, these wells are all located on the east and 
north sides of the lake. Beginning just north of Norris Inlet, 
flowing wells have been secured at irregular intervals all along 
the east shore and across the north end, the last one being at the 
Vandalia Railroad station at Culver. These wells vary greatly in 
depth; some are only 27 to 30 feet deep, while others are as 
much as 138 feet deep. The depths of all were not learned, 
but the majority seem to be between 50 and 80 feet. In driving 
these wells it often happened that flowing water could be obtained 
at a certain depth, and, by going deeper, a stronger flow would 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 29 

be secured. The deep wells seem to have the strongest flow, though 
this is not invariably the case; indeed, the "Wise well" at the 
Maxinkuckee road is said to be 110 feet deep and flows only a 
trifle over one gallon per minute, while the Sheerin well on the 
north side is only 38 feet deep, flows 50 gallons per minute, and 
is the strongest well about the lake. The flow of the different 
wells ranges from three-tenths of a gallon to 50 gallons per minute, 
and the total flow of all is about 400 gallons per minute. In some 
the water barely rises to the surface of the ground, while in others 
it will rise from 10 to 18 feet above. 

The temperature of the water as it leaves the pipes is usually 
52 F., the variation being from 51.5 to 54.5. This variation 
is probably due chiefly to the length of pipe on or above ground, 
and to the difference in rapidity of flow. The coldest of all the 
flowing wells is the one at the cottage of Mrs. Judge A. R. Heller, 
on the east side. This well is 103 feet deep, flows 25 gallons per 
minute, and has a temperature of 51.5. The warmest is that of 
Otto Stechhan, also on the east side, flowing only two-thirds of a 
gallon per minute and with a temperature of 54.5. The water 
in several of the pump wells is colder than in any of the flowing 
wells, the coldest being that at the cottage of Judge John Mitchell 
on the east side, the depth being 36 feet and the temperature 50.5. 
All the wells about the lake were examined August 25 and 26, 1900, 
and the temperatures and volumes given were obtained on those 
dates. 

LIST OF WELLS ON SHORE OF LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 

The following table gives the most important facts about the 
wells in the vicinity of the shore of the lake. The temperatures 
were taken with a Queen & Company's protected thermometer, 
and the volume determined by noting the time required to fill a 
bucket holding 2.5 gallons. Several tests were usually made at 
each well for temperature and for volume. The work began at 
the well of H. R. Norris, at the southeast corner of the lake, and 
proceeded northward. The temperatures and depths of the pump 
wells as well as those of the flowing wells, were recorded. 

The list is as of August, 1919. In order that the table may be 
useful in various ways we have given a complete list of all the lots 
on the shore of the lake whether there is thereon a flowing well or 
not. In column 1, we have numbered the lots consecutively begin- 
ning with the Vandalia Railroad land at the Culver station and 
proceeding around the lake on the north side, then south, then 
west, thence north to the starting point. In column 2, we give the 



3.) 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



owner of each lot; in 3, the frontage; in 4, whether there is a cot- 
tage or not ; in 5, the depth of the well ; in 6, .the size of pipe ; in 7, 
the flow in gallons per minute, if it is a flowing well ; and in 8, the 
temperature of the water of the well. 

It is difficult to prepare a table of this kind that will remain 
accurate very long. Lots are changing hands, new wells are being 
driven, old wells deepened, pipes changed, etc., etc. It is believed, 
however, that this list will be found useful and interesting. For 
much of the data we are under obligations to the Culver Military 
Academy. 



No. 


OWNER 


Front 
Feet 


Cottage 


Well 
Depth 
feet 


Size of 
pipe, in 
inches 


Number of 
gallons per 
minute 


Temperature 
of water, 
degrees Fahr. 


1 


Vandalia Railroad 


2,500 


No 


67 


2 


73 


54 


? 


Lakeview Hotel 


1 000 


Hotel 


65 


2 




53 


1 


Ed. Morris 


213 


No 




2 


06 


52 


4 


S. P. Sheerin. 


313 


Yes 


38 


4 


50 


53 5 


>> 


Carrie B. Waldorf 


100 


Yes 


65 


2 






fi 


Albert F Schad 


50 


Yes 


65 


2 






7 


Fred Thompson 


50 


Yes 


65 


2 






8 


Helen Albrecht 


50 


Yes 


65 


2 


3 53 


53 


q 


Adolph Herz . . 


50 






1 A 


7 5 


52 


10 




187 


Hotel 


65 


2 1 A 


3 


53 


11 










1 




52 5 


12 








1 60 

1 UU 




Pump 


52 5 


13 


f 


65 




1 65 






52 


14 


Wm. F. Kuhn and Oscar D. Bohlen 


50 


Yes 




2 5 


3.35 


52 


15 












Pump 


53 


16 


Theophilus Gonzelman 






45 


1 


4.41 


52 


17 








65 


2 




52 


IS 




4 500 




65 


3 


40 


52 


19 








65 


3 


40 


52 


'0 








65 


3 


40 


53 


21 










2 


3 


54 


99 










2 


3 




93 










2 


3 




'4 










2 


3 




' 








64 


2 


1 




>6 


E R Culver 


124 


Yes 




2 






97 


Culver-Bell 




Yes (2) 




2 






'8 




245 


Yes 




2 






m 




50 


No 










30 




100 


Yes 




2 5 


1.01 


54 


si 




110 


Yes 








52 


3? 




100 


Yes 


65 


3 




52 5 


33 




100 


Yes 




2 






34 


Maude F Wolfe 


llO 


Yes 




2 






35 




68 


Yes 




3 






36 




92 


Yes 






' 




37 




214 


Yes 


65 


2 






38 


J.W. Smith 


400 


















Hotel 


104 


2 






39 


George E. Miller 


93 


Yes 




2 






40 


M.M. Milliken 


70 


Yes 


107 


2 






41 


Wm. E. Wheeler 


30 


Yes 


103 


2 5 


8.33 


52.5 


4? 






Yes 






Pump 


53 


4,3 


Gideon W. Blane. . . 


156 


Yes. . . 











Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



31 



No. 


OWNER 


Front 
Feet 


Cottage 


Well 
Depth 
feet 


Size of 
pipe, in 
inches 


Number of 
gallons per 
minute 


Temperature 
of water, 
degrees Fahr. 


44 




272 


Yes 


103 


2 


25 


51 5 


45 




173 


Yes 


104 


2 


5.55 


52 


46 






Yes 


104 


2 


1.22 


52.5 


47 












21.43 


52 


48 




115 












49 


Charles C Perry 


410 


Yes 


70 


2 






50 


H R Bliss 






105 


2 


6 


52 5 


51 


Elizabeth B Crawford 


190 


Yes 


65 


2 






52 










2 


24.17 


52 


53 








75 


2 


.40 


53 


54 


L B Martin * 


60 


Yes 




2 


1 25 


52 


55 


Worth B Steele 


50 


Yes 


65 


2 






56 


C R Green 








2 




52 


57 


Milton Shirk . ... 


208 


Yes 


70 


2 


10 29 


52 


58 


Guy T Bigley 


96 


"Wise well" 


105 


3 


1.07 


53 


59 








78 


2 


16.67 


52 


60 


Mrs S R A Rector 






27 


2 


.3 


53 


61 






Rector 


Spring 




3.75 


53.5 


62 




69 


Yes (2) .... 


98 


2 


24.75 


52 


63 




50 


Yes 










64 




50 


Yes 










65 




70 


Yes 


100 


2 






66 




140 


Yes 


100 


2 






67 


A B Gates 






110 to 








68 




140 


Yes. 


115 
100 


2 
2 


1.16 


53 


69 








40 




Pump 


51.5 


70 












Pump 


52.5 


71 


R T Daggett 










Pump 


52.0 


72 




140 


Yes 


75 




Pump 


53 


73 


Charles E Coffin 


213 


Yes 


100 


2 






74 




71 


Yes 


104 


2 






75 




71 


Yes 


106 


2 






76 




71 


Yes 


110 


2 






77 




71 


Yes 


116 


2 






78 




71 


Yes 


120 


2 






79 




212 


Yes 










80 


W W Wilson 


110 


Yes 










81 




70 


Yes 


120 


2 






82 


F M Harwood 


50 


Yes 


47 5 




Pump 


53 


83 




356 


Yes 


130 


1^4 




53 


84 








14 




Pump 


53 


85 


Ada Stuart 


50 


Yes 










8fi 




100 


Yes 


36 




Pump 


50.5 


87 




58 


Yes 










88 




143 


Yes 










89 




148 


Yes . 










90 


T H Wilson 










Pump 


52 


91 




50 


Yes 










9? 












Pump 


52.5 


9T 




101 


Yes 


48 




Pump 


51.5 


94 


W T Wilson 




Yes 






Pump 


51 


95 




107 


Yes 


48 




Pump 


51.5 


96 




125 


Yes 


40 




Pump 




97 




100 


Yes 






Pump 


52.2 


98 




100 


Yes 


37 




Pump 


52 


99 












Pump 


52 


100 




52 


Yes 










101 


Mrs W E Shedd 










Pump 


51.4 


102 


L. T. Van Schoiack. . 






30 




Pump 


52 



317618 



32 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



No. 


OWNER 


Front 
Feet 


Cottage 


Well 
Depth 
feet 


Size of 
pipe, in 
inches 


Number of 
gallons per 
minute 


Temperature 
of water, 
degrees Fahr, 


103 


E. B. McOuat 


207 


Yes 










104 


Lavina Walker 


454 


No 










105 


Sidney A. Vaughn 


100 


Yes 










106 


Mary Van Schoiack 


50 


No 










107 


J. D. Ferguson 


125 


Yes 










108 


Fred Gompf 


120 


Yes (3).... 










101 


J. A. Maxwell .... . 










Pump 


52 


110 


Walter Twiname 


50 


Yes 










111 


Marion Ellsworth 


100 


Yes 








52 5 


11? 


C. D. Snoeberger 


75 


Yes 










113 


Anna B. Bramen 


50 


Yes 










114 


A. Curtis. 






40 




Pump .... 


52 5 


115 


W. F. Christian 


100 


Yes . . 










116 


Wm. Wallace 


70 


Yes 










117 


Pierce and Ward 


75 












118 


M. V. McGilliard 




Yes 






Pump 


53 


111 


J. M. Dresser 


50 


Yes 


63.5 




Pump 


53.6 


I'O 


Mary L. Taylor 


200 


Yes (3) .... 










1?1 


Lavina Walker 


514 


No 


100 


2 






m 


Eva Sherman 


61 


Yes 










1?3 


Richard Irwin . 


78 


Yes . 


100 


2 






1?4 


Otis Hann . . . 


163 


Yes 




2 






1'5 


Cordelia Edwards 


127 


Yes 










196 


Marvin T. Loudon 


65 


No 










1?7 


EffieCrabb 


77 


Yes 










1?8 


Chester Edwards 


77 


Yes 










19Q 


Wm. Daggett 










Pump 


51.8 


no 


H. C. Chandler 






37 


2 


0.66 


53.4 


131 


Daniel W. Gardner . 


90 


Yes 


(104) 
64 


(2) 
1 


75 


52.5 


1,3? 


Edwin Fulton 


372 


Yes (3) .... 


(100) 
71.6 


2 


3.57 


52.5 


133 




200 


Yes 










134 


William J. Wood. 


143 


Yes 










135 

136 


Harvey R. Norris 


J^mile 
1 200 


(No) 
Yes 
Yes 


(104) 
66 


2 


1.2 


53.8 


137 




100 


Yes 










138 




548 


Yes 










131 




101 


Yes 










MO 




500+ 












141 


I. & H. Faulkner 


50 












14? 




50 












143 




140 


Yes 


60 


2 






144 


William Cline 


50 




60 


2 




52.8 


145 




50 


Yes 










146 
147 


Ada F. Daugherty (Col. Farrar estate) 
(John Murray plot:) 
Ida Walker 


J^ mile 
172 


Yes 






Pump 
Pump 


51 
51 


148 


Ida Rovell 


47 


Yes 










14fl 




100 


Yes 










150 


James E Hillis 


45 


Yes 










151 




42 


Yes 










IV?! 




50 


No 










153 




400 


Yes 










154 
155 
156 


James Green (Wm. O'Keefe) 
Bardsley Cottage (Lost Lake) 
Schroff (Shady Point) 


160 


Yes 
Yes 
Yes 






Pump 
Pump 
Pump 


52 


157 


William H. Holland (Arlington) 


160 


No . . . 


52 




Pump 


52 


158 


Georee W. Barnes. . . 


100 


Yes. . . , 






Pump 


52.1 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



33 



No. 


OWNER 


Front 
Feet 


Cottage 


Well 
Depth 
feet 


Size of 
pipe, in 
inches 


Number of 
gallons per 
minute 


Temperature 
of water, 
degreesFahr. 


119 


W.C Routh 


50 


Yes 










160 


Cordelia C Shafer (Scovell) 


50 


Yes 










161 


Frank C Murphy (Walter Knapp) 














162 




30 












163 




50 


Yes 










164 




60 


Yes 


50 




Pump. . . . 


52 8 


165 




75 


Yes 










166 


Mary B Reitemeier . 


25 


Yes 










167 




100 


Yes . 










168 


Arthur H. Springer 


50 


Yes 










I'. 1 ' 


Frank B Murphy (Plank) 


50 


Yes 










170 


Fred A. Seeburger, 


50 


Yes.... 










171 


John J. Campbell 


100 


Yes 










17? 


Jacob W. Miller 


100 


Yes 






Pump 


52.5 


173 




37 5 


Yes 










174 


Webster & Folrath. . 


37 5 












171 


Keller, Florin & Retz. 


75 


Yes 










176 


Jessie Uhl and Mary Traut 


75 


Yes 










177 




80 


Yes 










178 


H. J. McSheehy 


80 


Yes 






Pump.... 


52 


179 


Kathryn Duenweg 


92 


Yes... 






Pump.. . . 


52 


180 




83 25 


Yes 










181 


Weinstein & Dahlen 


55 5 


Yes.... 










18 9 


Edward W. Johnson 


55 5 


Yes 










18? 




55 5 


Yes 










184 


Jane A. Fisher (Judge Slick) 


27 75 


Yes 










185 


(Chadwick plot: ) 


450 


Yes 










186 

187 


Melvin T. Anderson (Chadwick) 


274 
191 


Hotel 
Yes 


29 




Pump 


54 


188 




440 


Yes 










189 


C. C. Durr and George Green 


50 


No. . . 










190 


Maurice Winfield 


1,000 


Yes 


36 




Pump 


53 


191 


Daniel Wolf 


80 


Yes . 






Pump 


51 


19' 


M. R. Cline 


140 


Yes 










19? 




130 


Yes 










194 


Helen M. Outland 


100 


Yes 






2 




191 


J. Freeman . 


100 












196 


Ed Morris 


100 


No 




























There are a few small springs along the shores, and probably 
a good many in the bottom of the lake, but how much they con- 
tribute to the supply of the lake, there is no means of knowing. 

The water of the springs and wells in several cases contains 
a considerable amount of iron. In some wells the iron is per- 
ceptible to the taste and discolors the drain troughs. The water 
in all contains some lime, the well-water being about three times 
as hard as that of the lake. In some instances boards exposed to 
it become coated with lime. 

In addition to the wells given above, numerous others have been 
constructed since our observations were made. Weak flowing wells 
have been obtained at the McDonald cottage between Farrar's and 



34 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



the south spring. Many of the wells which are not flowing have 
the water within a few feet of the surface. 

President W. W. Parsons of the Indiana State Normal School, 
who has built on the east side since the census of wells was taken, 
has a flowing well 116 feet deep which remains at 52 the year 
round; now owned by Francis W. Jones. 

The sum total of water entering the lake from the flowing wells 
actually measured, is, therefore, about 400 gallons a minute, which 
equals 24,000 gallons an hour or 576,000 gallons, or considerably 
over a half million gallons, every day of 24 hours. Add to this 
another 400 gallons per minute from the various tributary creeks 
and we have a total of 1,152,000 gallons daily. This large amount, 




The Duenweg or Shady Point Cottage, used as headquarters by the investigators in 1899- 
1901. The Arlington station seen in the background at the right. 

added to the unknown amount from under-water springs, must 
exercise a great influence on both the character and temperature 
of the lake water the year round. 

The Outlet: The outlet or thoroughfare of Lake Maxinkuckee 
is near the middle of the west side just north of Long Point, 
through a small stream which, after flowing sluggishly for about 
3 rods to the west and south, enters Lost Lake. Just as the Outlet 
leaves the lake it is crossed by a wagon bridge, and 27 feet west 
of this the Vandalia Railroad bridge also crosses it. Immediately 
below the railroad bridge the stream turns southward and con- 
tinues nearly due south through a somewhat artificial channel for 
800 feet, and then through a wet marsh about 1,000 feet to Lost 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 35 

Lake into which it gradually widens. The banks are low and the 
adjacent ground is of soft black muck over which one cannot pass, 
except in the driest season, without danger of miring. At the 
lower end the marsh along its edges is continually under water. 
The bed of the stream at the bridges is artificially 16 feet wide 
and the water about 18 inches deep in dry weather. There is 
usually a fairly strong current at the bridges, but below them it 
is barely perceptible. 

Shore and Beach: The shores of Lake Maxinkuckee are in 
most places several feet above the lake level; there is very little 
marsh ground anywhere. The beach is usually of compact sand 
or fine gravel; with the exception of a few rods at Norris Inlet 
and a few yards in 3 or 4 other places, it would be possible to 
drive a team and wagon entirely around the lake in shallow water 
without any danger of miring. 

Beginning at the Outlet and proceeding southward the shore 
and beach may be described in detail as follows: 

From the Outlet to the middle of the north side of Long Point 
the shore is low and continuous with Green's marsh. During 
extreme high water the public highway is sometimes flooded. 
Recently the western - portion of this section has been materially 
modified by filling in and is now firmer ground than it was orig- 
inally. The beach is of fine yellow sand, usually quite firm and 
free of vegetation. 

Long Point rises abruptly to a maximum height of 35 feet 
above the lake. The distal end of this point has recently been 
cut down considerably but still remains several feet above the 
lake. The crest of Long Point from near the extreme end to the 
Arlington station is 20 to 35 feet above the water line. The shore 
is abrupt and bluff -like. 

The beach along the east side of Long Point and southward 
to Arlington is of clean yellow sand with a considerable propor- 
tion of pebbles and fine gravel just below the water line. 

Toward the south the gravel becomes rather more evident. 
From Arlington to the Gravelpit there is a narrow low strip ex- 
tending back to the railroad west of which the shore rises abruptly 
to an extreme height of 40 feet, the highest point being at the 
Gravelpit. Opposite the Kettlehole and just south of the Gravel- 
pit the high ground again approaches very close to the water's edge, 
so that we have a quite narrow beach, and the bare beach patches 
are not sandy, but both shore and bottom are covered by very 
coarse gravel, the component pebbles of the gravel being about 
the size of a goose's or hen's egg. There are also quite large rocks 



36 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

of a granitoid nature projecting out on the narrow beach from 
the base of the hill. 

From Murray's to Farrar's there is a rather broad and toler- 
ably bare sandy or gravelly beach, with moderately coarse gravel 
in the bottom. The shore is low and level, the ice-beach being the 
highest ground. The next section of about 1,000 feet east of Far- 
rar's presents a strong contrast to the preceding, the immediate 
shore being a low marshy woodland with a well-defined ice-beach 
near the water's edge. The ridge is narrow, 2 or 3 feet high, and 
practically cuts off a strip which otherwise would be a part of 
the lake. In some places there is a second, similar ice-ridge paral- 
lel to the first and some distance back of it. Both of these ice- 
ridges bear trees of considerable size, some of them 6 inches or 
more in diameter and 20 feet high. The shore is flat and mucky 
and full of muskrat holes. It is thickly covered in some places 
by the three-cornered bulrush (Scirpus americanus). It is too 
miry to walk on between the water-line and the ice-ridge ; one has 
to walk on the ridge in places. 

Following this flat shore is a stretch of 110 feet of fine sandy 
beach, where a hill comes down to the shore. This is in line with 
a public road, and is used for a boat-landing. There is a broad 
beach of fine yellow sand, and a gravelly shelly bottom, bare and 
sandy a distance out from shore. The break in the rush patch is 
probably due to boats going over this region. 

Then occurs a stretch of about 850 feet reaching from the end 
of the sandbar mentioned above to the place where the forest comes 
to the shore. 

In general this shore is a good deal alike throughout its extent, 
is nearly flat, and has behind it most of the way an ice-ridge sepa- 
rating it from a large swamp behind ; all of the shore is soft, and 
it extends out into the lake as a long broad cape. The apex point 
of the cape is sand, but both sides, especially the northern side, 
are tolerably black on top from a scum of decaying vegetation. 

The hill which forms the border of the swamp approaches the 
lake, but does not reach it, so that there lies a flattish, rich, but 
dry and elevated plain between it and the lake. This plain is well 
forested. At this place the hill is cut in two by a deepish and 
rather wide gully with moderately steep, but well rounded sides, 
cut by Overmyer's Brook which enters the lake at this point and 
forms a large flat sharp delta of sand which projects out for a 
considerable distance into the lake. The delta holds a sort of 
lagoon, and at the northeast edge of the delta the stream and waves 
have combined to form a sandbar with a sharp apex and an almost 




Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 37 

regular and equal slope on each side. The shore is quite irregular 
here, with sandy capes and mucky gulfs. The bottom of the north- 
ern half of this stretch is of fine sand ; the southern part is a solid 
platform of firm black dirt. 

The hill or bluff here comes down to the lake and there is a well- 
wooded, high slope coming down nearly to the water-line. In most 
places there is no beach at all, or only a very narrow one. The hill 
is made up of a yellowish clay full of boulders. At about the 
middle of the hill a torrent bed cuts somewhat into the hill and 
makes a small sandbar off shore. There are many quite large 
boulders along the water's edge. Toward the southern half of this 
stretch the shore becomes broader. The shore is gradual in its 
slope; for the northern half it has coarsish gravel out for a little 
way under water; farther out it is fine sand with ripple-marks. 
Scirpiis validus, the common bulrush, forms a large patch 15 feet 
from shore and farther. Toward the southern end the bottom is 
filled with gravel, the pebbles of which are about the size of goose 
eggs. 

The next stretch reaches from this place to near Norris Inlet. 
Back of the shore is a flat, dense willow and red osier dogwood 
jungle. There is a broadish beach with a very gradual slope all 
the way. The shore changes gradually from a flat soft fine white 
sand with considerable vegetable intermixture to a flat miry black 
or brown stretch of muck. The Scirpus, Potamogetons, cattail, 
etc., grow so densely in the water that the bottom can be seen only 
in a few places. It is quite flat and mucky and marly. There is 
a good deal of Spirodela (duckweed), dead and white, and much 
green algse may usually be seen washed up on this flat miry shore. 
At the end of this stretch there are back of the flat beach two low, 
broad, flat ice-ridges, very close together and side by side. 

The region about the mouth of Norris Inlet is a flat sedgy plain 
with a low ice-ridge near the water's edge. At the west end this 
ice-ridge is quite high and well-marked; at the east end nearer 
the creek it is less distinct. 

The Inlet is tolerably narrow and deep where it enters the 
lake ; farther up it becomes very crooked and shallow, and its bot- 
tom is full of rootstocks of the yellow pond-lily, or spatterdock, 
Nymphaea advena. It is surrounded by about 40 acres of flat, wet 
marsh, overgrown with sedges, reeds, cattails and various grasses, 
with bushes of red osier dogwood, or willow here and there. Much 
of it is tussocky. Near the lake it is quaky and full of holes. 
Along the sides of the Inlet are many lagoons. On both banks 
near the water's edge is a thick, narrow growth of Decodon verti- 



38 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

cillata. This plant forms a fringe on each border some distance 
upstream about a quarter of a mile. 

Besides the spatterdock already mentioned as growing 1 in the 
bottom, the water of the Inlet contains much vegetation on its 
surface along the edges the various duckweeds in great masses, 
and great quantities of the floating liverwort, Riccia fluitans. The 
duckweeds thrive in great abundance at the mouth of the Inlet. 

From Norris Inlet to the Norris pier about 1,000 feet the 
shore, except for the last few yards, is low and boggy. The ice- 
ridge is pretty plainly marked for much of this distance. At Nor- 
ris's the low flat country ceases and the hill slopes gently down 
to the water's edge. The ice-ridge stops and the beach is composed 
of a strip of gravelly sand. Then the ice-ridge reappears and is 
overgrown with tall willows and sycamores. 

From the Norris pier northward the shore is low, but rises 
near the Indianapolis pier and continues high until Aubeenaubee 
Creek is reached. The beach is mostly of fine firm sand with con- 
siderable gravel in places and a number of large granite boulders 
sparsely scattered near shore. 

At the mouth of Aubeenaubee Creek the country has been modi- 
fied somewhat by dredging and straightening the stream. The 
stream now flows through the center of a marshy tract about 200 
feet wide. This marsh is of flat black miry ground covered with 
a rank growth of marsh vegetation. 

From Aubeenaubee Creek northward to beyond the Maxin- 
kuckee road is a long stretch of low, level ground extending back 
to beyond the public highway. The hills or high ground recede 
gradually from the lake, leaving broad, dry greenswards of gentle 
slope. Just north of the Maxinkuckee road the high ground again 
approaches the lake and forms an abrupt bluff 20 to 50 feet high 
for a distance of about three-fourths of a mile, or to the southeast 
corner of Aubeenaubee Bay. The only considerable break in this 
line is the narrow canyon of Spangier Creek just south of Brownell 
Point. There is another small gully north of the Indiana boat- 
house. Throughout this entire distance the shore rises abruptly 
from the water line and much of it is protected by a stone break- 
water. There is, consequently, no beach. In the shallow water 
near shore are a good many granite boulders of various sizes, and 
a few masses of post-glacial conglomerate. This shore is the 
highest and most abrupt of any about the lake; it is also the most 
considerable section of high shore. 

At Aubeenaubee Bay the high ground recedes from the lake 
front and turns suddenly almost at a right angle from the lake. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 39 

There is, therefore, facing on this bay a broad area of low, almost 
marsh, ground. The beach is broad and of fine sand with a con- 
siderable admixture of muck which induces a rank growth of 
aquatic vegetation. 

The eastern part of the ground at the north end of the lake is 
occupied by the Culver Military Academy. This ground has, of 
course, been greatly modified in response to the needs of this insti- 
tution. The grounds are relatively level and are bordered in the 
rear by the usual ridge of higher ground. 

West of the Academy grounds and extending to the Vandalia 
Railroad station at Culver, the shore is somewhat higher, espe- 
cially at the Lakeview Hotel where it ascends abruptly to a height 
of 30 feet or more. Along this shore there is not much beach, 
the shore-line being for the most part artificial. There are, how- 
ever, a number of short stretches of sandy beach with boulders 
scattered here and there. 

From the railroad station at Culver southward to the Assembly 
grounds the shore is relatively level and elevated 5 to 15 feet above 
the lake. This section has undergone many modifications incident 
to the development of the town of Culver and the construction of 
the railroad which, in the main, parallels the shore. There are 
two or three small marshy areas, and at one place there is a small 
cape with lower ground between it and the higher land in the 
background. Beginning with the Assembly grounds and extend- 
ing to the Outlet the shore rises abruptly as a sandy hill to a 
height of 30 feet or more, there being only a narrow strip of low 
ground scarcely wider than needed by the railroad. The beach 
along this side of the lake is usually of very fine sand with but 
few boulders except at the cape, and but little gravel. It has a 
sufficient percentage of muck and marl to support a luxuriant 
growth of aquatic vegetation. 

The Ice-beach: One of the most interesting phenomena at 
Lake Maxinkuckee is the ice-beach or ice-ridge so well-marked on 
many parts of the shore. In many places where the shore is low 
and moderately firm, an ice-beach is more or less evident. Start- 
ing at Long Point and proceeding southward the ridge is but 
faintly or not at all marked until in the vicinity of the Farrar 
cottage. There are slight evidences at the base of Long Point 
and also between Green's pier and Murray's and just west of 
Farrar's. It is probable ridges form periodically along this shore, 
but soon become obliterated through various agencies. Just east 
of Farrar's is a very definite ridge, high and narrow, and much 
resembling an artificial dam or towpath. It juts up against the 



40 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

shore and partially cuts off what was originally part of the lake. 
In some places there is a second similar ridge parallel to the first 
and some feet back of it. Both of these ridges have growing on 
them trees of considerable size, some of them about 6 inches in 
diameter and 20 feet high. East of this the ice-ridge is for a 
distance old and worn away on the lake side, so that many of the 
trees growing on it have been more or less undermined and now 
lean out over the water. The commonest species of tree on the 
ridge is the water-beech ; there is an occasional willow, soft maple, 
elm and kinnikinnik (Cornus sericea). From this point east to 
Norris Inlet, an ice-ridge is more or less evident and back of it 
a second, and sometimes a third, older ridge appears for short 
reaches. 

These ridges, even the last and most evident one, are usually 
not continuous for more than a few rods without interruption. 
The wearing away most often takes place on the lake side and is 
the result of undermining by the waves. 

After passing the miry ground at the mouth of Norris Inlet some 
500 feet the ice-ridge reappears and is overgrown with tall slender 
willows, weeds and grasses. Just before reaching the Norris pier 
it stops, but soon reappears again as a high broad ridge overgrown 
with tall willows and sycamores. The ridge then disappears and 
is not seen again until just south of the Indianapolis pier where 
it is quite pronounced and separates a small pond from the lake. 

The rest of the lake shore from this point on north and around 
to Long Point, seems to be entirely without any ice-ridge. 

HYDROGRAPHY 

Depth: In determining the depth of the lake several thousand 
soundings were made. The method followed in taking soundings 
was essentially as follows: 

Two different sounding machines were used during this work. 
The first consisted of a brass reel with a grooved rim on which 
was wound piano wire of sufficient length. The circumference of 
the reel or wheel was just 3 feet, so that in sounding, each revo- 
lution of the wheel reeled off exactly 3 feet of wire. The sounding 
lead consisted of a 21/2 Ib. piece of lead shaped like a truncated 
pyramid with a cupshaped base in which was placed a small quan- 
tity of lard and beeswax for the purpose of securing samples of 
the bottom. In the end of the axle was placed an ordinary cyclom- 
eter which recorded the revolutions made by the wheel. The reel 
thus equipped was installed in the bow of a rowboat. In taking 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 41 

soundings 3 people were employed, one to row the boat, one to 
operate the sounding machine, and one to record the readings. 

A smaller machine was sometimes used when sounding in shal- 
low water. This consisted of a wooden reel cut out of a thoroughly 
seasoned piece of oak and then boiled in oil and paraffin to pre- 
vent splitting. This reel was just two feet in circumference, and 
on its grooved rim was wound piano wire. A similar but lighter 
sounding weight was used and the reel was installed in the boat 
in essentially the same manner as was the larger one. 

Usually a sounding was taken at the end of every 15 oar strokes. 
An effort was made to have the same person do all the rowing. 
Before entering on the work he endeavored, through practice, to 
acquire a uniform stroke, to the end that 15-oar-stroke intervals 
between soundings might be approximately equal. 

Quiet days with little or no breeze and with the lake surface 
undisturbed and smooth were selected for this work; under these 
conditions the drifting of the boat was reduced to a minimum and 
it was easy to follow a definite line. In order to do this, range 
signals were placed on shore; these were always visible to the 
rower. 

Lines of soundings were run across the lake on all section, half- 
section and quarter-section lines, both east and west and north and 
south, and in a number of places lines were run at even closer 
distances. 

In order to determine the location and extent of bars, deep 
holes, or other topographic features of special interest, a buoy was 
established on the bar or other special feature, from which radi- 
ating lines of soundings were run in sufficient number and with 
the soundings at sufficiently short intervals to determine the de- 
sired facts. The locations of these buoys were determined by 
sextant readings based on shore marks of known position. 

During the winter of 1900-1901, a number of lines including 
several hundred soundings were run by Mr. Clark when the lake 
was covered with ice. The exact position of each of these sound- 
ings was determined from known shore positions by measure- 
ments on the ice. 

It is believed that the care taken at all times while carrying 
on this work, the great number of soundings taken, and the fre- 
quent verification of questionable results, justify the belief that 
the hydrography of this lake has been pretty accurately deter- 
mined and that the contour lines on the map showing the depths 
may be depended upon as showing the actual depths with reason- 
able accuracy. 



42 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Topography of the lake bottom: There are many striking 
features in the topography of the lake bottom; in fact, it is quite 
diversified and the contour lines, as may be seen by an examina- 
tion of the map, are very irregular both as regards direction and 
spacing. There are a number of low hills and plateaus with gentle 
slopes, others of smaller area and rising abruptly from deep water, 
numerous long, narrow troughs or valleys running between bars, 
and a number of holes where the depth over a limited area is 
noticeably greater than in the surrounding region. Only a few of 
the more salient topographic features need be described in detail. 

The Deep Hole: The greatest depth known in Lake Maxin- 
kuckee is 89.5 feet. The locality where this sounding was gotten 
is known as the "Deep Hole". It is about midway on a direct line 
between the tip of Long Point and the J. H. Vajen cottage, a short 
distance north of the Maxinkuckee road. It is also on a direct 
line drawn from the Palmer House to Overmyer's spring at the 
south end of the lake. Located more precisely, its center is 3,426 
feet (about 2/3 of a mile) from the end of the Maxinkuckee road, 
3,140 feet (nearly 2/3 of a mile) from the end of Long Point, 4,568 
feet (or about 5/6 of a mile) from the Palmer House, and 8,000 
feet (or 1.5 miles) from the Overmyer spring. 

This so-called "deep hole", in which the depth is 70 feet or 
more, is quite irregular in shape. Its greatest length lies north 
and south and is about 2,500 feet; about 1,000 feet of this, how- 
ever, is a narrow trough (400 feet wide) of 70-foot water extend- 
ing northward from the main body. The average width of the 
main part is between 700 and 800 feet. The total area of 70-foot 
water and over is close to 40 acres. 

The Sugarloaf: At the northern edge of the main body of 
deep water is a small area (about 100 feet long by 75 feet wide) 
known as the "Sugarloaf", over which the depth is but 10 feet. 
The sides of this little hill are very steep, the distance to 40-foot 
water in any direction being only 50 to 100 feet. 

The Sugarloaf is on a direct line from the end of Long 
Point to the Indiana Boathouse and almost midway between the 
two points. It is also on a direct line drawn from the Maxin- 
kuckee road to the tabernacle in the Assembly grounds; also be- 
tween the Lakeview Hotel and Norris's pier ; also between the depot 
pier at Culver and the Indianapolis pier. 

The Weedpatch: This is an east-and-west bar about 1,200 feet 
long and 500 feet wide, on a direct line between the Arlington 
Hotel and Van Schoiack's place and just midway between these 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



43 



two points. A line drawn from the Palmer House to the mouth 
of Overmyer's brook passes over the east end of the Weedpatch; 
one from the Lakeview Hotel to the same point passes over the 
west end of it ; and a line from the tip of Long Point to the Chan- 
dler cottage passes over the center of the Weedpatch. 

This bar rises rather abruptly from 40-foot water, the mini- 
mum depth on the bar being about 10 feet, of which there is an 
area of about 4 acres. 

The Weedpatch is remarkable because of the very luxuriant 
growth of the large-leaved pondweed, Potamogeton amplifolius, 
found there. 

The Kettlehole: This is a deep hole about 1,000 feet off the 
shore between Murray's and: Farrar's, in the southwestern corner of 
the lake. Over the greater part of this portion of the lake the depth 
is less than 10 feet. At the Kettlehole the depth increases rather 
abruptly to 20 feet, 30 feet, and then to 40 feet. The area over 
which the depth is 20 feet or more is ovoid in shape, the major 
axis being about 1,000 feet, east and west, while the north and 
south line is about 700 feet. The area of 40-foot water is about 
600 feet long (from east to west) and not much over 100 feet wide. 

While the above are the only topographic features of the lake 
bottom which have received definite names there are several others 
worthy of special mention. Among deep holes are the following: 
In front of the Arlington Hotel, or little south of it, and about 
1,200 feet off shore is an oblong area of 60-foot water, about 1,000 
feet long from southwest to northeast, and about 200 feet wide. 
This is surrounded by much shallower water. A short distance 




The Cadets of the Culver Summer Cavalry School occasionally take their horses along for the afternoon swim. 



44 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

east of this are two smaller deep holes, of 50 feet and 60 feet re- 
spectively, and between them and the Deep Hole is another with 
a depth of 70 feet. 

While that portion of the lake north of Long Point is mostly 
shallow, there are in it a few deeper areas. About 1,200 feet 
north from Long- Point is a hole 35 feet deep. Just off the Assem- 
bly grounds is a small 20-foot hole; off Winfield's cottage is a 45- 
foot hole, while some distance farther out and 1,400 feet south- 
east from the Lakeview Hotel is another of about the same depth. 
Northeast from the Sugarloaf are 3 or 4 small areas in which 
the depth reaches 50 to 70 feet. 

Among bars of special interest are the following: Just east 
of the Deep Hole and the Sugarloaf is a considerable bar rising 
out of deep water and extending northeast and southwest on which 
the minimum depth is less than 10 feet. North of it some 1,300 
feet is another small bar with a depth of 20 feet. 

A long, narrow bar extends north and east from Long Point 
for nearly 2,500 feet before the depth exceeds 10 feet, and a sim- 
ilar but broader bar extends west from the mouth of Aubeenaubee 
Creek nearly 3,000 feet before a greater depth than 10 feet is 
reached. On the other hand, a deep, broad trough of 30 to 50-foot 
water comes from a little north of west to near shore at the mouth 
of Aubeenaubee Creek, and a similar trough is found off the Arling- 
ton Hotel, and another off the Indiana Boathouse. 

There is no deep water at the shore in Lake Maxinkuckee; the 
depth everywhere increases from shore so gently or gradually that 
there is scarcely any probability of even a small child ever getting 
beyond his depth when wading in the lake. There are no sudden 
irregularities or increases in depth; the increase in depth is so 
uniform and gentle that several steps would be necessary to make 
any appreciable difference. Small children can therefore wade 
about along shore with perfect safety. But beyond the 5-foot con- 
tour line the irregularities are greater and well-marked. 

If the water level of the lake were lowered 10 feet, the result 
would be the formation of at least 3 islands (Weedpatch, Sugar- 
loaf and the large bar east of Sugarloaf). At the same time 
the Kettlehole would become detached from the main lake and 
become a small independent lake. Another small lake would be 
formed north of Long Point; another would be formed off the 
Assembly grounds, and perhaps others would be made. 

The peculiar distribution of deeps and shallows, the abundance 
of shallow bars and deep holes closely associated, taken together 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 45 

with the favorable character of the bottom, present a combination 
of conditions remarkably favorable to fish life, and distributed in 
such a way as to make practically every part of the lake attractive 
to the angler. 

The very gradual slope and absence of stepoffs in the shallower 
portion of the lake near shore which make the lake so admirable 
as a bathing resort is due in large measure to the waves, and espe- 
cially the undertow which rolls the fine sand near the shore down 
to lower levels and thus produces a marked levelling action. The 
effect of waves upon bottom topography is quite marked and well- 
formed ripple marks which are formed in water to a depth of 5 
feet or more are often left when the lake freezes over, where they 
remain until spring and can ^be observed to an advantage through 
the clear ice. 

The depths at 10-foot intervals are shown by the contour lines 
on the map which accompanies this report. Most of the topo- 
graphic features mentioned are indicated on the map. 

THE LAKE BOTTOM 
Soils 

So far as we have been able to determine, there is no bedrock 
anywhere on the bottom of the lake. Several hundred tests in 
different parts of the lake, and the fact that wells about the lake 
drilled to depths of 100 to 150 feet pass through only sand, gravel 
and clay without reaching bedrock, indicate that the original bed 
of the lake was composed wholly of morainic materials, chiefly 
sand and gravel with a few boulders and some boulder clay. Over 
the greater part of the original bed has been deposited a more or 
less thick coating of marl and mud. 

The morainic or drift material of the original bed is composed 
essentially of the same materials as those that make up the drift 
of the surrounding land. 

Sand: Along most portions of the shore, particularly on the 
west, north and southeast, there is considerable compact fine sand 
out to a depth of 2 to 6 or 8 feet. 

Gravel: On the east, and in limited stretches elsewhere, there 
is mixed with the sand considerable gravel . This is especially true 
on the north and east sides. This gravel ranges from very fine, 
almost sand, to rather coarse. The most conspicuous gravel areas 
are across the north end from the Lakeview Hotel eastward, and off 
the east shore, particularly near the Indiana Boathouse. There is a 



46 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

little gravel along the east side of Long Point, and between the 
Kettlehole and the shore. The Sugarloaf appears to be made up 
largely of gravel. Dredging on the north and south sides of it re- 
vealed considerable gravel ranging up to the size of hen eggs. This 
gravel was usually not round but rough and angular. Doubtless 
there is much gravel in the lake bed that is not apparent, it is so 
mixed with or covered by sand or other fine material. 

Boulders: There are not many boulders on the lake bottom. 
There are a few on the north end and a few scattered ones on the 
east side and south end. The more or less mythical "split-rock", 
of which some of the older fishermen and boatmen speak, is said 
to be somewhere in the south end of the lake, perhaps near the 
Flatiron or the Weedpatch bars. Although we made frequent 
search for this alleged rock, and asked many people about it, we 
never succeeded in finding it, or, in fact, in finding but two men 
who claim to have seen it. It must therefore remain as one of the 
mysteries of Maxinkuckee. 

Marl: The most interesting and important component of the 
lake-bed is marl. The hard compact sandy bed usually extends 
out to a depth of but a few feet on the west side from 2 to 4 
feet, on the east to a somewhat greater depth. Beyond this border 
of hard bottom the marl begins. The depth to which it extends 
varies considerably. Off Long Point it is first met in water about 
2 feet deep. On the north and east the depth is usually greater, 
and in some places is as much as 6 to 8 feet. From these depths 
the marl extends inward and covers practically all the lake bed. 
It is most evident on the bars, but is present everywhere. The 
thickness of the marl bed varies considerably. Along the outer 
edge it probably nowhere exceeds 6 or 8 feet in thickness. In 
deeper water and on the bars it is probably thicker. The greatest 
thickness determined by us was about 22 feet which was in the 
southern part of the lake, off the Gravelpit. The color and purity 
of the marl seem to vary in different parts of the lake. It appears 
to be composed chiefly of calcium carbonate mixed with more or 
less decaying vegetable matter and fine sand of aeolian origin. 
Samples from the surface are usually quite dark; those from 
deeper in the bed are much lighter in color.- The color and purity 
are doubtless related to the amount of decaying vegetable matter 
present. Analyses of several examples of marl from different 
parts of the lake were made by Dr. Wm. A. Noyes, formerly of 
the Rose Polytechnic Institute, now of the University of Illinois, 
with the following results: 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 47 

Sample No. 1, from a bar east of the Long Point bar, just 
south of the center of the northeast quarter of Section 28 : 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) 85.02 

Magnesium carbonate (MgCOs) 3.85 

Ferric oxide (Fe 2 3 ) 0.33 

Alumina (A1 2 O 3 ) 0.12 

Calcium sulphate (CaSCX) 0.17 

Insoluble inorganic matter (silica, etc.) 5.67 

Organic matter 3.21 



98.37 

Sample No. 2, taken 5 feet down in a bed in 8-foot water 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO s ) 85.38 

Magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3 ) 3.50 

Ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) 0.33 

Alumina ( A1 2 O 3 ) . 05 

Calcium sulphate (CaSO 4 ) . 17 

Insoluble inorganic matter (silica, etc.) 6.40 

Organic matter 3 . 15 



98.98 

Sample No. 3, from the surface of a marl bed in deep water 
off the Gravelpit : 

Calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) 75.07 

Magnesium carbonate (MgCOs) 4 . 18 

Ferric oxide (Fe 2 3 ) 0.51 

Alumina ( A1 2 O 3 ) . 09 

Calcium sulphate (CaS0 4 ) 0.11 

Insoluble inorganic matter (silica, etc.) 15.26 

Organic matter 3 . 65 



98.87 

The last of these shows too high a percentage of magnesium 
carbonate and insoluble elements to render it satisfactory in 
cement making. The first and second samples are much purer, 
and would make a good cement. 

The origin of marl is a question of popular interest. The marl 
of Lake Maxinkuckee, as well as of the other lakes of northern 
Indiana, is evidently a secondary deposit on the original bed of 
glacial drift. The water of all the wells and springs of the region 
contains more or less lime and is usually regarded as hard, while 
the water of the lake, although containing considerable calcium 
carbonate, is relatively soft. That certain species of animals and 
plants dwelling in the lake have been important, perhaps the only 

417618 



48 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

important, agents in separating the lime from the water, is quite 
certain. Chief among these agencies are the various mollusks, 
especially the Unionidse and Vivipara contectoides, and certain 
plants, such as the Charas and Potamogetons. These have the 
power of separating out from the water the soluble calcic com- 
pounds and converting them into insoluble compounds which con- 
stitute the basis of the marl. 

The most abundant and most widely distributed mollusk in 
the lake is the univalve, Vivipara contectoides. This rather hand- 
some and beautifully marked shell occurs throughout the lake, 
apparently at all depths and on all kinds of bottom, but it is most 
noticeable in the great windrows of dead shells that are so often 
seen lining the beach, particularly at low water. These mollusks 
evidently die by the million every year. Their shells are fragile 
and disintegrate rapidly. The total annual limy accumulation on 
the lake bottom from this source alone must be quite considerable. 

Next to Vivipara contectoides is the species of mussel known as 
fat pocket-book, Lampsilis luteola. As set forth elsewhere in this 
report, this is the most abundant species of freshwater mussel in 
the lake. It is pretty generally distributed and is very abundant. 
There are several very extensive beds, particularly off Long Point 
and in the south end of the lake. Then there are at least 13 other 
species of mussels and no fewer than 30 or 40 species of gastero- 
pods, some of them represented by myriads of individuals. Be- 
sides such of the mussels as naturally die, the muskrats make 
considerable onslaughts upon them, leaving their shells strewn 
over the bottom to decay, and millions of the gasteropods die every 
year, and their decaying shells go to augment the lime deposited 
in the bottom of the lake. And there are several species of plants 
which have the power of separating the lime from the water. The 
most notable of these are the various species of Chara, some of 
which are so heavily encrusted in lime that when dried out on shore 
they become a chalky brittle mass and are accordingly known among 
fish-culturists as "lime-plants". These grow in depths up to 15 
or 20 feet, and most of the plants grow in thick carpets on the 
bottom, the older portions becoming so thickly encrusted that they 
are hardly recognizable. 

Besides the Charas there are not fewer than 14 species of pond- 
weed or Potamogeton, all of which, in varying degrees are lime 
gatherers. Their leaves, particularly those of Potamogeton ampli- 
folius, P. compressus, P. robbinsii and P. americanus, are often 
encrusted with lime, the first mentioned species so heavily that the 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 49 

leaf coatings often drop off as casts and are to be found lying 
heaped up about the bases of the plants. The so-called ditch-moss, 
Philotria, is an energetic lime gatherer; indeed, all the other sub- 
mersed plants in the lake possess this same property and contribute 
in the aggregate in no inconsiderable degree to the amount of marl 
in the bottom of the lake. 

In addition to the mollusks and plants there are still other 
organisms which play a part in the formation of marl; among 
these are the various species of crustaceans, particularly the craw- 
fishes, whose shells contain calcic compounds. 

The rate of deposition of lime in the lake is quite difficult to 
estimate. It was probably more rapid during the early life of 
the lake when the amount of calcium carbonate in the water was 
greater than it now is. Even at best the rate must be very slow, 
indeed. An annual deposit of one-hundredth of an inch has been 
estimated. A deposit of 10 feet would therefore require 12,000 
years as the age of the lake. But this is scarcely more than a 
mere guess, and signifies very little. 

THE LAKE LEVEL 

Stage of water: The mean elevation of the surface of the 
water of Lake Maxinkuckee above sea level at Biloxi, Mississippi, 
is 734.5 feet. Records kept by the Office of Engineer, Maintenance 
of Way, of the Terre Haute and Logansport Railway Company, 
from October 18, 1895, to May 7, 1900, totaling about 50 observa- 
tions, show that the lowest water in that period occurred on Octo- 
ber 18, 1895, when it stood at 733.30 feet. The highest, 735.21 
feet, was recorded March 13, 1899. The extreme variation was 
therefore 1.91 feet or 22.92 inches. 

Our party began making observations on the stage of the water 
in the lake on August 14, 1900. On that date a three-foot rule, 
graduated to inches, was properly installed at the side of the 
wagon bridge which crosses the Outlet just as it leaves the lake. 
The position of this gauge was correlated with that of the up- 
stream girder of the railroad bridge, which crosses the Outlet 27 
feet below the wagon bridge. Readings were taken from time to 
time from that date up to October 22, 1913. The lowest water was 
recorded November 3, 1908, and the highest July 8, 1902. 

Starting with the extreme low water of November 3, 1908, as 
"zero" and reducing all observations to that basis, we have the 
following table : 



50 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



TABLE SHOWING STAGE OF WATER IN INCHES ABOVE EXTREME LOW WATER MARK IN 

LAKE MAXINKUCKEE. 



Date 


Height in inches 
above extreme low 
water mark 


Remarks 


1900 






August H 


20.25 




20 


22.25 


Lake rose 2 inches. Heavy rain yesterday. 


27 


22.00 




September 13 


19.00 




17 


18.00 




21 


17.50 




28 


17.25 




October 10 


16.75 




18 


15.50 




24 


14.75 




November 5 


14.00 




11 


14.00 




15 


13.25 




17 


14.25 


Rained all night o[ the 17th. S. E. wind. Heavy rain on the 18th, day 






and night, with S. wind. Rain also on 19th. 


25 


18.75 




27 


18.50 




29 


19.50 




December 2 


18.50 




6 


18.00 




9 


17.75 




11 


18.00 




1901 






August 13 


10.75 




1902 






January 27 




Lake very low. 


June 30 


26.50 


A good deal of rain last night. N. E. wind. 


July 1 


27.00 




1 


27.25 




2 


27.00 




2 


28.00 




3 


28.25 




7 


27.50 


Heavy and almost continuous rain for more_than a week. 


7 


28.25 




8 


28.50 


Highest water yet recorded. 


17 


24.50 




20 


26.50 


Rain. 


24 


24.50 




27 


23.50 


Rain. 


28 


25.75 




August 11 


22.50 




13 


21.50 


Rain. 


16 


21.00 




19 


20.50 




24 


19.50 




30 


17.00 




31 


19.00 


Rain. 


September 5 


18.50 




14 


19.50 




21 


17.00 




22 


17.00 




28 


19.00 


Rain four daya 


October 16 


17.00 




20 


17.25 




November 1 


15.75 




30 


14.00 





Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



51 



TABLE SHOWING STAGE OF WATER IN INCHES ABOVE EXTREME LOW WATER MARK IN 
LAKE MAXINKUCKEE Continued. 



Date 


Height in inches 
above extreme low 
water mark 


Remarks 


1902 






December 9 


12.50 




20 


17.00 




21 


17.50 




1903 






February 1 


15.50 




4 


17.50 




14 


19.50 




26 


18.00 




27 


19.50 


> 


March 1 


20.50 




8 


21.00 




9 


21.50 




14 


20.00 




17 


19.50 




29 


16.50 




April 16 


21.50 




May 1 


20.50 




10 


16.50 




13 


15.50 




17 


15.00 




20 


14.50 




June 7 


16.50 




29 


13.50 




July 1 


13.00 




' 2 


21.00 


Exceedingly heavy rains. 


3 


21.50 




4 


22.25 


Heavy rains. 


11 


21.50 




16 


20.50 




19 


22.75 




August 8 


19.25 




26 


16.00 




September 16 


23.50 


Screen put in at railroad bridge, raising the lake. 


17 


24.25 


Rain for several days. 


26 


22.00 




October 22 


22.00 




1901 






June 18 


12.25 




July 4 


11.25 




August 1 


6.25 




October 18 


8.50 




29 


8.25 




31 


8.25 




November 3 


7.00 




12 


8.50 




1906 






January 22 


10.50 


Recently rose 3 inches 


August 20 




Lake rose 1?<4 inches. 


October 


3.50 




1907 






September 12 


10.50 




21 


10.20 




October 1 


9.00 




3 


9.50 




5 


9.50 




11 


9.50 





52 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



TABLE SHOWING STAGE OF WATER IN INCHES ABOVE EXTREME LOW WATER MARK IN 
LAKE MAXINKUCKEE Continued. 



Date 


Height in inches 
above extreme low 
water mark 


Remarks 


1907 






October 14 


8.50 




15 


9.50 




24 


9.50 




25 


9.50 




30 


9.50 




November 2 


10.00 




1908 






October 1 




Very low. 


November 3 


0.00 


Lowest water yet recorded. 


1911 






November 18 


8.50 




1913 






September 9 


7.50 




21 


7.00 




28 


6.00 




30 


6.50 




October 1 


6.80 




2 


7.00 




3 


7.00 




4 


6.50 




5 


6.50 




6 


6.75 




7 


6.50 




8 


6.75 




10 


6.75 




11 


7.00 




13 


7.00 




14 


6.75 




15 


6.50 




16 


6.00 




19 


6.80 




20 


6.50 




22 


6.00 





As shown by the above table, the water was continuously and 
quite uniformly low during the fall of 1913. There were no rains 
sufficient to produce any effect on the lake. The slight variation 
of an inch in September and October was doubtless due to winds. 
A southwest wind continuing for any length of time would blow 
the water back from the Outlet, thus slightly lowering the water 
at the gauge, while a northeast wind would blow the water into 
Outlet Bay and slightly increase the depth at the Outlet. 

It will be observed that our observations were not taken at 
regular intervals. They were usually taken whenever we were 
at the lake and occasion seemed to require ; records were also made 
from time to time by Mr. Chadwick, especially at times of sudden 
change and of unusually high or low water. It is believed that 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 53 

the extremes for the period from 1899 to 1914 have been recorded 
in the table. 

Although the catchment basin of the lake is small (less than 
8,000 acres) the lake is very sensitive to rains and responds 
promptly. Every heavy rain causes an almost immediate rise in 
the lake. High water will therefore be correlated with heavy 
continued rainfall and low water with the dry season. The early 
spring rains and melting snows put the lake up somewhat above 
the winter conditions, and the heavy rains that usually come in 
June and early July produce the highest water. The lake is there- 
fore apt to be highest in June and July, after which it begins to 
fall until minimum low water is reached toward the last of Octo- 
ber and early in November. As already stated the lowest water 
recorded was that of November 3, 1908, and the highest that of 
July 8, 1902, when it was 281/2 inches above extreme low water. 
This extreme high water of 281/2 inches followed three weeks of 
heavy and almost continuous rains. As early as June 15 the water 
was higher than old residents about the lake had ever seen it. It 
kept on rising until July 8. The ice-beach on the west and south 
shores was entirely covered; it was impossible to walk along the 
beach between Long Point and Arlington; the swamps were full 
of water and the low country generally flooded; nearly all the 
piers were under water, and a portion of the public road near the 
Outlet was flooded. Green's marsh was flooded so that one could 
go about all over it in a boat. One old resident says that the lake 
was equally high in June or July, 1896, and quite high in May and 
June, 1892. 

The extreme low water of November 3, 1908, followed a rather 
dry summer and fall. Our records show very little rain in August, 
September or October of that year. 

Volume of outfloiv: The volume of water flowing from Lake 
Maxinkuckee varies greatly from time to time. As already stated, 
at times of high water, the depth at the bridge is 3 to 31/2 feet. 
The current, however, is never strong, and does not vary much. 
The water surface in the two lakes varies synchronously and the 
current therefore does not vary greatly. 

Measurements of the outflow were taken at various times. The 
results are recorded in the following table. It will be observed 
that the variation in number of gallons is considerable. The mini- 
mum, 1,168 gallons per minute, was recorded on September 25, 
1899, at which time the average width was 15 feet, the depth 14.7 
inches and the current 1.7 feet per second. This would mean an 
outflow of 1,681,920 gallons per day. The greatest volume of out- 



54 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

flow was recorded July 8, 1902, when the width was 15 feet, the 
depth 42.5 inches and the current 1.4 feet per second. This indi- 
cated an outflow of 33,915 gallons per minute or 4,883,184 gallons 
per day. 

Number of gallons flowing out of Lake Maxinkuckee as deter- 
mined on various dates: 

Aug. 8, 1899 4,424 gallons per minute 

" 11, 1899 2,576 gallons per minute 

" 27,1899 3,347 gallons per minute 

Sept. 7, 1899 2,512 gallons per minute 

" 25, 1899 1,168 gallons per minute 

July 1, 1902 32,288 gallons per minute 

8, 1902 33,915 gallons per minute 

Sept. 10, 1913 2,618 gallons per minute 

THE OUTLET 

Lake Maxinkuckee drains into Lost Lake through a short but 
very interesting little stream or thoroughfare known locally simply 
as "The Outlet." This stream leaves the lake at the north side of 
the base of Long Point or at Outlet Bay, which is on the west side 
about one-third the distance south of the north end of the lake. 
Just as it leaves the lake it is crossed by the wagon bridge on the 
public highway which follows the lake shore closely from the 
southwest corner of the lake to the Arlington station, then cuts 
across the base of the broad peninsula known as Long Point, and 
again approximating the shore along the north side of Long Point, 
only to leave it again immediately after crossing the Outlet. 
Twenty-seven feet below the wagon bridge the Outlet is crossed 
by the Vandalia Railroad bridge. Under and between these two 
bridges the stream flows nearly west, then turns southwest and 
south through the marsh until it finally loses itself in Lost Lake. 

Under the bridges and for a few yards below, the stream has 
a maximum width of 16 to 20 feet and a depth varying with the 
stage of water in the lake. During the period of our observations 
it has varied from about 6 inches to something more than 3 feet. 
Early in July, 1902, at the time of highest water, the depth was 
about 3i/> feet and the water rushed through with a good strong 
current. In September and October, 1913, the lake was quite low, 
only 6 inches above extreme low water mark, and the depth under 
the bridges was only 6 inches or less, which made it very difficult 
to get a row boat through. 

The bed of the Outlet at the bridges is of fine sand. Formerly 
this bed was overgrown sparsely with certain aquatic plants, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 55 

chiefly wild celery (Vallisneria spiralis) and floating pond weed 
(Potamogeton americanus), which prevented washing and gave the 
bed a permanent character. In August, 1913, the old wooden 
wagon bridge was torn down and replaced by a concrete structure. 
In the work incident to this change the vegetation was destroyed 
and the bed torn up, since which it has silted up with clean sand 
in which the vegetation has not yet re-established itself. 

The distance that the stream pursues through the marsh below 
the railroad bridge and before losing itself in Lost Lake is about 
1,500 feet. Through the upper part the course has been dredged 
and the banks are well defined; but lower down, the banks are 
scarcely evident, the stream -widens out through the dense growth 
of Carex, cattail, bluejoint grass, etc., and finally loses itself com- 
pletely in a large area of spatterdock at the head of Lost Lake. 

The water in the Outlet is always very clear. The current 
does not vary much, the rate being about the same whether the 
water be high or low. 

LOST LAKE 

Lost Lake, on a cursory examination, might be regarded merely 
as an expansion of the Outlet, but such is not the case. It is a 
real lake occupying a considerable hole probably of independent, 
though synchronous, origin with that of the large lake. There is 
considerable evidence to show, however, that the high sand ridge 
separating the two lakes and terminating in Long Point with the 
long shallow bar extending out into Lake Maxinkuckee from the 
tip of Long Point, is largely of aeolian origin, built up in part at 
least by the strong southwest winds. 

The open part of this lake, that is, the part not obscured by 
rank vegetation, is about 2,500 feet long and 1,500 feet wide, the 
major axis or length extending northeast and southwest. On the 
southeast side is a high sandy hill or ridge heavily timbered over 
its northern half and a cultivated field at the southern end, which 
slopes gradually down to the lake. The shore on this side is in 
most places a few feet above the water and is dry and firm. There 
is high ground at the northwest corner of the lake and for most 
of the distance along the southwest side, bordered by a narrow 
strip of marsh but rising rather abruptly into a high sandy ridge. 
At the upper and lower ends are the large areas of lily-pads, etc., 
already mentioned. 

Lost Lake is very shallow. Many soundings were taken. One 
line of soundings, taken every 10 oar strokes, from the Bardsley 



56 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

cottage on the east side toward the north end of Hawk's house on 
the west side, gave the following depths in feet: 2f, 4, 5, 4, 3f, 
3-J, 3, 3, 3f, 3f, and 1. The greatest depth found was 5 feet. 
The bottom everywhere was covered with a dense bed of Chara, 
patches of Potamogeton, Myriophyllum, etc., with white and yel- 
low pond-lilies at the west end, all growing in deep mud. In most 
places the sounding pole could be pushed down 2 to 8 feet in soft 
muck. 

At the lower end of the lake just where it narrows, the depth 
varied from 5 to 9 feet, and the bottom was more firm in some 
places. A little farther north and west is a considerable area over 
which the depth is uniformly 9 feet, which is the greatest depth 
found in this lake. A line run from the lower to the upper end of 
the lake gave 9 feet along the southwest end and 8 to 4 feet toward 
the northeast. Along this line there was an abundance of Chara, 
Myriophyllum, etc., and the bottom everywhere was of very soft 
muck; in fact, the bottom everywhere is of this character and in 
some places it is so thin as to be almost impalpable. 

In front of the Bardsley cottage is a "floating island", probably 
a detached portion of a pond-lily patch that has floated away from 
shore, or possibly material that has been built up around a musk- 
rat home. 

This lake is so shallow that a lowering of the water 15 feet 
would convert the entire lake-bed and many acres of marsh into 
tillable land. 

The margin of Lost Lake outlet is a wide plain bordered by 
a gravelly hill; then an inner margin of a broad belt of Bidens 
comosa and B. laevis, then sedges. Many of the sedges in the 
former portion are annually cut for hay, chiefly for the Calamagros- 
tis they contain. 

OUTLET CREEK 

At the lower end of Lost Lake is another marsh similar to 
that at the upper end but larger, in which the outlet stream again 
gradually becomes definite and well defined. The upper portion 
may be regarded practically as a continuation of the lake, so over- 
grown with water-lilies, spatterdock and other water plants as to 
obscure its lake character as well as the channel. This marsh- 
lake gradually narrows, however, and finally becomes a well-defined 
creek, filled in places with patches of long-stemmed Ceratophyl- 
lum, Potamogeton, and some wild rice. Then the stream becomes 
a quite definitely defined creek with low grass-grown banks pur- 
suing its way with many windings and turns through low grassy 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 57 

meadows dotted here and there with clumps of slender black oak 
trees growing on little hummocks which were doubtless little islands 
when the whole region was a lake or river. The stream averages 
perhaps 5 feet wide and one to three feet deep, with occasional 
holes that are much deeper. The banks are low everywhere and 
are of rich black loam ; the bed is usually of fine white sand, with 
a little gravel in places. The water is always very clear and pure 
and cold enough for rainbow and black-spotted trout. 

Although the distance in a direct line from Lost Lake to the 
Tippecanoe River does not exceed 4 miles the sinuosities of the 
stream increase its length to at least 12 miles. At times of low 
water it is difficult to get a boat down the creek to the river but 
when there is moderately high water an ordinary clinker-built row- 
boat passes through nicely, and no more delightful trip can be 
taken than that through the outlet from Lake Maxinkuckee to the 
Tippecanoe River. 

METEOROLOGY 

INTRODUCTION 

The remarkable development of animal and plant life in and 
about Lake Maxinkuckee is undoubtedly due in large measure to 
the unusually favorable geologic and climatic conditions of the 
region in which the lake is situated. The geological features are 
discussed elsewhere in this report; the climate may be considered 
here. 

The cold winters and the warm summers, together with favor- 
able winds, adequate rainfall advantageously distributed through- 
out the year, and the varying conditions of sunshine and clouded 
sky, make up an environment peculiarly favorable to the develop- 
ment and maintenance of an abundant and varied flora and fauna. 
Many correlations between certain climatic conditions, such as tem- 
perature, direction of wind, character of sky, and rains, and the 
habits of the fishes, turtles, ducks, coots, certain insects, etc., 
readily suggest themselves to any one interested in such problems 
and a number of them can be demonstrated. The distribution of 
the fishes in the lake, with reference to depth and nearness to 
shore, is particularly influenced by such factors as those men- 
tioned. This fact is well understood by the experienced anglers 
familiar with this lake. 

During the investigations at Lake Maxinkuckee considerable 
attention was given to meteorological conditions. Early in the 
work arrangements were made for making regular observations 



58 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

regarding the more important meteorological phenomena, such as 
the temperature of the air, the direction and strength of the winds, 
the character o'f the sky, rainfall, snow, fog, frost, dew, storms, etc. 

Our first records of air temperatures taken at the lake were 
made in November and December, 1898, by Mr. S. S. Chadwick. 
These records, few in number, were of the readings from an ordi- 
nary thermometer, hung about 6 feet above the surface of the 
lake on the north side of a house-boat on the east side of Long 
Point. Following these are a few records for January, February 
and March, 1899, also made by Mr. Chadwick. 

On July 5, 1899, the recording of temperatures was regularly 
begun by our party and continued without serious interruption 
until July, 1901, since which date records have been kept for vari- 
ous periods from then to the end of 1913. 

SKY 

Along with the other weather observations kept at the lake, 
the condition of the sky as to clearness and cloudiness was also 
recorded. Generally, the condition of the sky was noted whenever 
temperatures of the air and water were taken, that is, three times 
a day. In addition to this, however, any sudden clearing off or 
clouding up that was observed and noted, and for each day's 
journal was entered a general summary of the day's weather. 
The state of the sky was usually written out in considerable de- 
tail ; much more than would be desirable in a general report. In 
looking over the records it was observed that the various days 
could be described as clear, cloudy clearing, clouding and partly 
clear, and partly cloudy. These terms are generally relative. Days 
without the sign of a cloud are not very frequent. Days without 
a patch of blue sky anywhere are not very common, but more 
common that absolutely cloudy ones. Accordingly, by days with 
clear sky is meant days when clouds were relatively few, and gen- 
erally speaking such days are very bright and cheerful, although 
absolutely clear days, so far as clouds are concerned, may be hazy 
or very smoky, and relatively dull, while days entirely overcast 
by thin clouds may be fairly bright. The terms "clearing" and 
"clouding" are self-explanatory. Partly cloudy and partly clear 
mean, of course, throughout the day the clouds and blue sky have 
so evenly balanced that neither greatly prevailed. 

During the period from November 2, 1899, when the record 
begins, to September 17, 1908 with considerable gaps from time 
to time the state of the sky has been observed for 1,223 days ; of 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



59 



these, 393 were clear, 530 cloudy, 151 clearing, 104 clouding up and 
49 about evenly balanced between cloudy and clear. 

In a discussion elsewhere of the conditions of the sky for vari- 
ous months, the conditions were given for periods of observation, 
so that the observations along that line could fit in well with the 
temperature records taken three times daily. In the present con- 
sideration they are given by days. 

Taking the year extending from July 1, 1900, to June 30, 1901, 
the year for which the record is most complete, there are repre- 
sented in the record 361 days (4 days in December having no 
record). Of these 361 days 79 were clear, 168 cloudy, 53 clearing, 
46 clouding, and 15 partly cloudy and partly clear. Taking this 
year by months, the days were distributed as shown by the fol- 
lowing table : 

CONDITION OF SKY FOR 1 YEAR FROM JULY 1. 1900, TO JUNE 30. 1901 













Partly 




Month 


Clear 


Cloudy 


Clearing 


Clouding 


cloudy 


Total 












partly clear 




July 31, 1900... 


14 


7 


5 






31 


Aug. 31, 1900 .. 


9 


15 


3 


1 


3 


31 


Sept. 30, 1900... 


9 


12 


4 


3 


2 


30 


Oct. 31, 1900... 


14 


11 


1 


2 


3 


31 


Nov. 30, 1900. . . 


6 


14 


5 


5 




30 


Dec. 27, 1900... 


5 


16 


5 


1 




27 


Jan. 31, 1?01... 


3 


IS 


4 


6 




31 


Feb. 28, 1901... 


6 


16 


5 


1 




28 


Mar. 31, 1901... 


1 


19 


5 


3 


3 


31 


April 30, 1901.. . 


6 


13 


5 


6 




30 


May 31, 1901... 





18 


7 


5 


1 


31 


June 130, 1901.. 


6 


9 


4 


8 


3 


30 



Although the records of no other year are full enough to make 
the giving of the full year satisfactory, the records of a number 
of months are almost complete, and those of a few months fully 
complete. A table for such months as have complete records is 
given below for the sake of comparison: 



Month 


Year 


Clear 


Cloudy 


Clearing 


Clouding 


Partly 
cloudy; 
partly clear 


Total 


April 


1900 


14 


6 


6 


4 




30 


February 
March 


1902 
1902 


15 
11 


6 
14 


1 

6 


2 


4 


28 
31 


April 


1902 


14 


14 


1 




1 


30 


December 


1904 


5 


17 


4 


3 


2 


31 


October 


1907 


9 


14 


4 


1 


3 


31 



















60 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

THE Am 

Pressure: The data concerning air pressure at Lake Maxin- 
kuckee were obtained by readings taken 3 times daily, at 6 a. m., 
noon, and 6 p. m., from a compensated aneroid barometer kept 
hanging on a porch of the cottage used as our laboratory. The 
readings were continued from July 25, 1900, to June, 1901. The 
average pressure during that time was 29.291 inches. The mini- 
mum pressure recorded during that period was 28.62 inches, taken 
at noon of March 8, 1901, and the highest pressure noted was 
30.26 inches on January 3, 1901, about 6 a. m., giving a range of 
1.64 inches. A self-recording instrument would in all probability 
have given a lower minimum, a higher maximum, and larger range. 
The average pressure did not vary greatly during the different 
months of the year. The month having the lowest average was 
October, with an average of 29.005, and that having the highest 
was February, with an average pressure of 29.583. The month 
having the least range was August, in which the pressure varied 
from 29.42 to 29.85, exhibiting a variation of .43 inch, and the 
month showing the greatest range was January, with a range of 
from 28.82 to 30.26, or 1.44 difference. The greatest change of 
the barometer noted within the space of 6 hours was a fall of .9 
inch between noon and 6 p. m. on May 2, 1901, and the greatest 
change in the same direction for a single period of 24 hours was 
from 29.85 on the evening of September 14 to 28.88 on the even- 
ing of September 15, making a fall of .97 inch. The greatest 
increase of barometric pressure between two consecutive observa- 
tions was from 28.91 at noon of May 21 to 29.77 at 6 p. m., a 
rise of .86 inch, and this was followed by an almost equal fall 
within the next 12 hours. It not infrequently happened, espe- 
cially during the month of August, 1900, that 2 successive read- 
ings were the same, or nearly the same, and in nearly all cases 
where this occurred the two nearly equal or equal readings were 
those of noon and evening, there being usually little change during 
the afternoon. The period of 24 hours showing the least change 
was from noon August 14 to noon August 15, during which the 
change was only .08 inch. 

In the study of the barometric readings at the lake these were 
plotted in a graph (the time periods being represented by abcissas 
and the height of the barometer in inches by ordinates) and the 
graph so constructed exhibited at a glance the most striking 
features of the barometric record. Of these the following may be 
noted : 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 61 

The pressure for August, 1900, was remarkably uniform, the 
graph for this month standing in marked contrast with all the 
other months considered. There were no rapid or violent changes 
whatever. The average for the whole month is just a trifle below 
the average for the whole period, and the pressure for the middle 
third of the month is somewhat lower than that for either end. 
While there are no violent changes in pressure whatever there is 
a remarkably regular daily pulse of variations. With only two 
exceptions the morning reading is the highest; from this time 
there is a fall of about .16 inch (varying from about .09 to .2 
inch) until noon, after which there is usually very slight change 
toward evening, after which it rises back to nearly its original 
morning reading. We have then for this month a rather constant 
daily mode. This mode is of quite frequent occurrence through- 
out the whole year, and there are all degrees of approximation 
to it and divergence from it ; during the autumn, winter and early 
spring months its appearance is somewhat less frequent. Rather 
strictly interpreted, this mode occurs with the following coefficient 
of frequency for different months : August, 21 ; September, 4 ; 
October, 13; November, 5; December, 2; January, 2; February, 
5; March, 4; April, 9; and May, 4. 

The average height of the barometer is determined by the alti- 
tude of the place, and the great barometric changes are due to 
the passage of general storm centers. The small daily changes, 
however, are quite probably due to local conditions, and even the 
large changes are due to conditions which are represented on a 
small scale in the area immediately about the lake. Among these 
causes are difference in nature of the surface of areas of land and 
water and the presence in the atmosphere of clouds, vapor, dust, 
etc. 

Generally speaking, the air mass over a water area is com- 
paratively stable in relation to daily changes of temperature, while 
that over land areas is subject to much larger changes. We have 
differences somewhat analagous to differences of potential between 
different elements in a galvanic cell. The air above the land sur- 
faces becomes superheated during the day and during the after- 
noon represents areas of low pressure, while the air mass above 
them becomes cooled during the night and becomes areas of high 
pressure during the latter part of the night. 

Again taking up land surfaces in detail, these differ consider- 
ably among themselves. Large areas of sand have a greater daily 
amplitude of temperature than areas of loam or muck, and these 
more than clay, so that, continuing the analogy of the galvanic 



62 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

cell, we have a greater difference of potential between areas of 
sand than between muck, loam or clay. No marked tendency is 
shown to congregate in the vicinity of the maximum. 

While the morning readings appear to have a pretty distinct 
mode, no such feature is apparent in the other two readings, 
although it cannot be said that a long and diligent scrutiny might 
not yield some results. For the month of August they are usually 
close together, but rather indifferent as to position, although in 
a small majority of cases the evening reading is the lower and 
when the reverse is true the difference is usually less. On several 
occasions they were equal. Of 22 observations where the maxi- 
mum reading was not represented by the morning, however, 15 
were represented by evening readings and 7 by morning, so there 
is quite discernible a tendency for these readings to differentiate in 
this regard. It is worthy of note, too, that of these 22 observa- 
tions, 7 (4 of the noon and 3 of the evening) represent strong 
and sudden changes in the barometer at the time, so that the de- 
parture from the mode may be explained in these cases, quite 
markedly when all are taken together, as a result of a sort of 
inertia carrying the barometer beyond its normal reading, and 
the advantage of the one additional abnormality in favor of the 
morning reading is, taken altogether, of almost equal value in 
explaining the abnormality there. 

Am TEMPERATURES 

During the investigations at Lake Maxinkuckee considerable 
attention was given to air temperatures. 

Beginning with July 5, 1899, the temperature readings were 
from a Wilder protected thermometer which had been tested by 
the U. S. Bureau of Standards. This thermometer, from July 5, 
1899, to May 31, 1901, was hung about 10 feet above the surface 
of the lake on the shaded side of a cottage near the Arlington 
station on the west side of the lake. After May 31, 1901, it was 
hung about 15 feet above the surface of the lake, on the north 
side of the Chadwick House on Long Point. 

Temperature readings were usually taken three times daily, at 
6 a. m., noon, and 6 p. m. During the year 1900-1901 a set of 
standardized maximum and minimum thermometers was installed 
on the shaded side of the cottage at Arlington and readings from 
these are given in the appropriate accompanying tables. 

The temperature observations were made and the record kept 
by various persons, as follows: 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 63 

Period. Observer. 

November, 1898, to July 1, 1899 S. S. Chadwick 

July 5, 1899, to September 1, 1899 T. Bronte Evermann 

September 1 to October 18, 1899 Barton W. Evermann 

October 18, 1899, to June 19, 1900 S. S. Chadwick 

June 19 to July 15, 1900 J. T. Scovell 

July 15 to December 11, 1900 Barton W. Evermann 

December 11, 1900, to May 31, 1901 H. Walton Clark 

December 8, 1901, to October 10, 1903 S. S. Chadwick 

October 18, 1904, to January 4, 1905 H. Walton Clark 

January 5, 1905, to July 22, 1906 S. S. Chadwick 

July 23, 1906, to October 24, 1906 H. Walton Clark 

October 25, 1906, to September 6, 1907 S. S. Chadwick 

September 7, 1907, to October 31, 1907 H. Walton Clark 

November 1, 1907, to August 26, 1908 S. S. Chadwick 

August 27, 1908, to September 26, 1908 H. Walton Clark 

September 27, 1908, to August 31, 1913 S. S. Chadwick 

September 1, 1913, to October 31, 1913 Evermann and Clark 

November 1, 1913, to February 1, 1914 S. S. Chadwick 

JANUARY 

Temperatures: The total number of records for January is 
485, as follows: 5 for 1899; 93 for 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903 and 
1914 each ; 12 for 1905 ; 3 for 1906, and 1 for 1907. 

The lowest temperature recorded for this month was 12 on 
the 27th and again on the 28th, in 1902. The highest was 65 
on January 20, 1906. The extremes for each year were as follows : 

1900, -8 January 31, and 42.5 January 18; range 50.5. 

1901, -1.3 January 1, and 45 January 21; range 46.3. 

1902, -12 January 27 and 28, and 38 January 2; range 50. 

1903, -4 January 12, and 50 January 29; range 54. 
1914, 4 January 12, and 56 January 29; range 52. 

Records of temperatures at or below freezing were made as 
follows: In 1899, at 6 a. m. on the 8th, 29th, 30th and 31st, the 
only dates on which temperatures were recorded; in 1900, at 6 
a. m. on the 1st to 4th, both inclusive ; 8th, 9th, llth, 12th, 13th, 
16th, 17th, 21st, 22d, 23d, and 25th to 31st, both inclusive, and 
at 6 p. m. on the 1st, 2d, 3d, 10th to 13th, both inclusive; 16th, 
20th, 23d, and 25th to 31st, both inclusive. 

From this it appears that, in January, 1900, the temperature 
was at or below freezing on 21 days at 6 a. m., at noon on 11 
days, and on 18 days at 6 p. m. The average temperature for 
the month is shown in a table elsewhere in this report (page 70). 

In 1901, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. on the 
1st to 6th, both inclusive; 9th, llth, 12th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 
19th, and 22d to 31st, both inclusive, and 6 p. m. on the 1st, 2d, 
3d, 5th, 7th, llth, 12th, 13th, 16th to 19th, both inclusive. In 

517618 



64 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

other words in January, 1901, the temperature was at or below 
freezing at 6 a. m. on 24 days, at noon on 17 days, and at 6 p. m. 
on 20 days. 

In 1902, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. on the 
1st, 3d to 6th, both inclusive; 8th to 17th, both inclusive; 19th 
to 25th, both inclusive, and 27th to 31st, both inclusive; at noon 
on the 3d, 4th, 5th, llth, 12th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 23d, 24th, 
25th, and 27th to 31st, both inclusive ; at 6 p. m. on the 1st to 5th, 
both inclusive ; 10th to 16th, both inclusive, and 18th to 31st, both 
inclusive. The temperature was at or below freezing at 6 a. m. 
on 27 days, at noon on 17 days, and at 6 p. m. on 25 days. 

In 1903, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. on the 
1st, 2d, 4th to 26th, 30th and 31st, at noon on the 4th to 14th, 
17th, 18th, 19th, 21st to 25th, both inclusive, and 30th, at 6 p. m. on 
the 1st, 3d to 15th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 22d, 23d, 24th, 25th, 29th 
and 30th. The temperature was therefore at or below freezing on 
27 days at 6 a. m., on 20 days at noon, and on 23 days at 6 p..m. 

In 1905, we have records for only the first 4 days of January. 
On the 2d, the temperature was below freezing at noon and at 6 
p. m., while on the 3d and 4th it was below freezing all day. 

In 1914, at 6 a.m. on the 1st to 8th, both inclusive, 10th to 
14th, both inclusive; 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22d, 23d, 25th, 26th, 
30th and 31st ; at noon on the 1st, 4th, 6th, 10th to 13th, both in- 
clusive; 18th, 21st to 25th, both inclusive, 30th and 31st; at 6 
p. m. on 4th to 7th, both inclusive, 10th, llth, 12th, 13th, 18th, 23d, 
25th, 26th, 29th, 30th and 31st ; or at or below freezing at 6 a. m. 
on 22 days, at noon on 15 days, and at 6 p. m. on 17 days. 

The greatest daily range in January was as follows : 

January 24, 1900, from 33 to 56.5, or 23.5. 
January 2, 1901, from 1.5 to 24, or 22.5. 
January 28, 1902, from -12 to 10, or 22. 
January 1, 1903, from 16 to 40, or 24. 
January 29, 1914, from 32 to 56, or 24. 

The average temperature for the month was as follows: In 
1900, 24.2 at 6 a.m., 33 at noon, and 29 at 6 p.m., or 
28.7 for the day; in 1901, 23.8 at 6 a.m., 31.3 at noon, 29.2 
at 6 p. m., or 28.1 for the day; in 1902, 19.3 at 6 a. m., 29.9 at 
noon, 24.7 at 6 p.m., or 24.6 for the day; in 1903, 22.1 at 6 
a.m., 31 at noon, 27.1 at 6 p.m., or 26.7 for the day; in 1914, 
29.2 at 6 a.m., 34.4 at noon, 32.8 at 6 p.m., or 32.1 for the 
day. 

Sky: The records show that clear and cloudy periods in Janu- 
ary, 1901, were about equally divided, with the clear periods some- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



65 



what in excess. This month for 1901 was markedly cloudy, the 
sky being obscured about of the time. In 1902 it was again 
about equally divided as to clearness and cloudiness, with only 1 
extra period in favor of cloudiness. In 1903 it was again markedly 
cloudy. Taking the entire period observed under consideration, 
there are almost twice as many cloudy days as clear ones. In 
1914, the first clear day was on the 8th; the next two cloudy, the 
12th very clear; 13th, 15th and 17th clear; 14th, 16th, 18th, and 
31st, cloudy ; no record for the other days. 

Winds: North and east winds are relatively infrequent. Winds 
from other directions are so evenly distributed that we cannot 
speak of any as a prevailing wind. Taking the period as a whole, 
indeed, the southwest winds are considerably in the lead of the 
others but a consideration of the several years shows that on some 
years other winds predominate, for example, the west winds in 
1900 and 1901, so that a different series of years would yield some- 
what different results. The southwest winds, especially those of 
winter and autumn are usually chilling, and frequently bring 
storms. Calm periods were fairly common in 1900. The January 
of 1901 was unusually calm, the calm periods being considerably in 
excess of any wind from any particular direction and, indeed, ag- 
gregating nearly J of the entire month. The months of January, 
1902 and 1903, were unusually boisterous, no periods of calm being 
recorded for either. 

Snow: Rainstorms are only occasional, 3 or 4 for the month 
being the usual number. Snow storms are more frequent. The 
unusual number of 23 were reported for 1901, but a number of 
these were rather light snow flurries. 

In 1914, there was snowing all day on the 2d, snow and rain 
on the 3d and 4th, rain on the 14th, and snow all day on the 18th 
and 31st. 

The following tables represent briefly and comprehensively the 
weather phenomena for January during the periods when the lake 
was under observation: 





S 


KY 


' 






^ 


VlNDS 








































Rain 


Snows 


fall in 


Year 


Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 






inches 


1900 


17 


12 


5 


1 


3 


2 


6 


2 


9 


11 


6 


4 


3 




1901 


26 


69 


23 





3 


2 


12 


13 


14 


16 


13 


4 


23 




1902 


16 


17 


> 


1 


5 





4 


2 


13 


1 


9 




5 


7 


1903 


9 


22 





1 


2 


3 


3 


7 


9 


2 


6 


3 


8 


7.5 


1914 


14 


27 














1 






9 


14 



































66 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1899 



Date 



6 a. m. 



29 
30 
31 





30 

13 



-9 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 





18 


10 


< 9.3 


2 


12 


28 


15 


18.3 


3 


10 


30 


22 


20.6 


4 


22 


37 


37 


32 


5 


38 


44 


37 


39.6 


6 


33 


40 


37 


36.6 


7 


42 


44 


40 


42 


8 


22 


34 


30 


28.6 


9 


25 


42 


42 


36.3 


10 


35 


36 


32 


34.3 


11 


30 


32 


31 


31 


12 


29 


31 


31 


30.3 


13 


30 


33 


32 


31.6 


14 


34 


38.5 


34 


35.5 


15 ' 


34 


44 


40 


39.3 


16 


32 


33 


32 


32.3 


17 


31.5 


36 


39 


35.5 


18 


42.5 


46 


44 


44.1 


19 


40 


45 


49 


44.6 


20 


35 


40 


32 


35.6 


21 


21 


41.5 


34 


32.1 


22 


29 


43 


34 


35.3 


23 


31 


43.5 


32 


35.5 


24 


33 


56.5 


50 


46.5 


25 


27.5 


18.5 


13 


19.6 


26 


8.5 


20 


13 


13.8 


27 


13 


30 


32 


25 


28 


8 


8 


2.5 


6.1 


29 





16 


18 


11.3 


30 


10 


13 


3 


8.6 


31 


8 








-2.6 


Average 


24.2 


33.0 


29.0 


28.7 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



67 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


1.3 


16.1 


7.9 


7.6 


16.9 


1.9 


2 


1.5 


24 


17.9 


14.4 


24.6 


1. 


3 


6.5 


23.1 


23.5 


17.7 


27.6 


53 


4 


20.8 


39.9 


32.1 


30.9 


40.1 


16.5 


5 


25 


25.2 


25.8 


25.3 


29.9 


24.5 


6 


25 


38.9 


37.9 


33.9 


41.2 


21 5 


7 


34 


34 


32 


33.3 


39.2 


32 


8 , 


38.9 


47.9 


50 


45.6 


51.7 


31.5 


9 


31 


33 


33 


32.3 


39.1 


30.5 


10 


36.2 


35 


33 


34.7 


45.8 


32.1 


11 


31.5 


34 


31 


32.1 


33.9 


30 


12 


26.4 


33.7 


27 


27.3 


34.3 


24.4 


13 


24 


32 


31.7 


29.2 


33 


23.5 


14 


36.3 


42 


39.8 


39.3 


44.7 


28.3 


15 


30.1 


44 


48.2 


40.8 


48.5 


29.1 


16 


34.9 


36 


31.9 


34.2 


51 


31 


17 


20.3 


20.7 


18.9 


19.9 


28.5 


18.3 


18 


10.1 


24.1 


25.1 


19.8 


25.6 


9.1 


19 


13.6 


19.5 


24.8 


19.3 


27.5 


13.1 


20 


34.7 


50.5 


48.5 


44.5 


54.9 


22.9 


21 


45 


42.7 


34 


40.5 


47.1 


33.6 


22 


24.8 


31 


32.5 


29.4 


34.8 


21 9 


23 


31 


35 


38.3 


33.7 


41 


27.9 


24 


28.5 


29.3 


20 


25^9 


41 


19.8 


25 


18.5 


23 


24.8 


22.1 


25.3 


14.5 


26 


24.5 


26.3 


27 


25.8 


27.5 


22.6 


27 


29.5 


28.9 


24.2 


27.5 


30 


23.9 


28 


20.3 


28 


21.5 


23.2 


28.1 


18.2 


29 


11.3 


22.1 


23.5 


18.9 


25.1 


5.3 


30 


20.5 


27 


15.1 


20.8 


29.7 


15 


31 


3.2 


24.5 


24.5 


17.4 


27.5 3.2 


Average 


23.7 


31.3 


29.2 


28.1 







68 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


20 


36 


32 


29.3 


2 


38 


35 


26 


33 


3 


10 


20 


20 


16.6 


4 


12 


29 


26 


22.3 


5 


10 


29 


30 


23 


6 


23 


38 


38 


33 


7 


33 


40 


36 


36.3 


8 


30 


43 


34 


35.6 


9 


29 


48 


38 


"38.3 


10 


29 


44 


32 


35 


11 


20 


26 


23 


23 


12 


19 


24 


20 


21 


13 


15 


22 


18 


18.3 


14 


16 


33 


30 


26.3 


15 


18 


34 


32 


28 


16 


29 


29 


20 


26 


17 


17 


36 


40 


31 


18 


35 


30 


28 


31 


19 


14 


30 


29 


24.3 


20 


20 


40 


30 


30 


21 


28 


36 


29 


31 


22 


27 


35 


26 


29.3 


23 


28 


31 


27 


28.6 


24 


25 


32 


29 


28.6 


25 


21 


28 


32 


27 


26 


36 


40 


27 


34.3 


27 


12 





-8 


6.6 


28 


12 


10 





0.6 


29 


3 


6 


6 


5 


30 


6 


20 


11 


12.3 


31 


11 


24 


6 


' 13.6 


Average 


19.29 


29. 94 


24.74 


24.6 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



69 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


16 


40 


32 


29.3 


2 


30 


34 


34 


32.6 


3 


34 


34 


30 


32.6 


4 


26 


28 


26 


26.6 


5 


26 


32 


30 


29.3 


6 


13 


27 


21 


20.3 


7 


30 


25 


25 


26.6 


8 


17 


14 


10 


13.6 


9 


3 


15 


10 


9.3 


10 


1 


20 


15 


12 


11 


15 


19 


10 


14.6 


12 


4 


7 


1 


1.3 


13 


2.5 


18 


17 


12.5 


14 


15 


25 


27 


22.3 


15 


27 


37 


30 


31.3 


16 


22 


40 


38 


33.3 


17 


28 


24 


23 


25 


18 


11 


20 


18 


16 3 


19 


15 


30 


20 


21.6 


20 


16 


40 


35 


30.3 


21 


28 


28 


22 


26 


22 


18 


32 


35 


28.3 


23 


20 


27 


23 


23.3 


24 


20 


28 


21 


23 


25 


22 


30 


28 


26.6 


26 


30 


50 


40 


40 


27 


39 


47 


40 


42 


28 


38 


43 


45 


42 


29 


50 


46 


22 


39.3 


30 


18 


22 


23 


21 


31 


28 


38 


39 


35 


Average 


21.11 


29.68 


25.48 


25.4 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1905 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 


36 
35 
9 
9 


50 
28 
19 
24 


42 
22 
17 
21 


42.6 
28.3 
15 
18 


50 
46 
25 
28 
23 


35.1 
22 
9 
6 
















Average 


22 5 


30 3 


25 5 


26 





















Am TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1906 

There are only three records for this month, all at 6 a. m., viz. : 
January 20, 65 ; 21st, 60 ; and 22d, 35. 



70 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1907 

There are only two records for this month, viz. : January 19, 
60 maximum, and January 20, 6 at 6 a. m. 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1914 



DATE 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Range 


Average 


1 


30 


32 


34 


4 


32 


2 


30 


35 


33 


5 


32.7 


3 


31 


39 


36 


8 


35.3 


4 


30 


32 


32 


2 


31.3 


5 


27 


37 


32 


10 


32 


6 


29 


29 


29 





29 


7 


29 


33 


30 


4 


30.7 


8 


29 


40 


37 


11 


35.3 


9 


38 


40 


36 


4 


38 


10 


26 


27 


25 


2 


26 


11 


18 


24 


20 


6 


20.7 


12 


14 


21 . 


15 


7 


16.7 


13 


14.5 


30 


28 


15.5 


- 24.2 


14 


26 


39 


40 


14 


35 


15 


35 


48 


42 


13 


41.7 


16 


35 


42 


37 


7 


38 


17 


30 


36 


34 


6 


33.3 


18 


30 


30 


32 


2 


30.7 


19 


32 


35 


37 


5 


34.7 


20 


36 


38 


34 


4 


36 


21 


18 


25 


33 


15 


25.3 


22 


19.5 


24 


35 


14.5 


26.2 


23 


25 


30 


31 


6 


28.7 


24 


33 


30 


34 


4 


32.7 


25 


25 


28 


30 


13 


27.7 


26 


30 


33 


31 


3 


31.3 


27 


38 


50 


45 


12 


44.3 


28 


40 


46 


42 


6 


42.7 


29 


56 


56 


32 


24 


48 


30 


26 


31 


30 


5 


29 


31 


25 


30 


30 


5 


28.3 


Average 


29/2 


34.4 


32.8 




32.1 















Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 




1900 


24.2 


33.0 


29.0 


28.7 




1901 


23.8 


31.3 


29.2 


28.1 




1902 


19.3 


29.9 


24.7 


24.6 




1903 


21.1 


29.7 


25.5 


25.4 




1914 


29.2 


34.4 


32.8 


32.1 


For fi 


ve years 


23.5 


31.7 


28.2 


27.8 





Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 
FEBRUARY 



71 



The weather conditions for February during the time when 
this month was under observation are given in brief form in the 
following table : 



Year 


SKY 


WINDS 


Rains 


Rain- 
fall in 
inches 


Snows 


Snow- 
fall in 
inches 


Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 


1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 


20 
34 
20 
12 


10 
50 
11 
17 


1 

28 




2 

1 




4 
4 

7 
4 


1 

8 
2 



8 
7 
2 
2 


4 
2 
5 

6 


1 

11 
5 



6 
7 

1 


9 
19 
6 
4 


5 




8 
14 


20.2 










7 


11.5 


7 







Sky:- February of 1900 was a relatively clear bright month, 
the records for clearness being twice those for cloudiness. That 
month for 1901 on the other hand was considerably more gloomy, 
the records for cloudiness exceeding those for clearness. 1902 was 
similar to 1900 in weather conditions prevailing during this month, 
it being a bright cheerful month, while in 1903 it was just a trifle 
more frequently cloudy than clear. For the whole period of the 
4 years this month was under observation there is a remarkable 
balance between clear and cloudy periods, these being very nearly 
equal, the total number of clear periods being exceeded by cloudy 
periods by only 2. 

Winds: North winds are the least frequent, being almost rare. 
Northwest winds are the most prevalent not only for the greater 
number of years but rather markedly so for the whole period ob- 
served, being on the whole twice as frequent as any wind from any 
other direction but not by any means equalling the sum total of the 
other winds combined. Generally speaking, February is a rattter 
blustery month, periods of calm being rare. The February of 
1901, however, was unusually calm, the number of calm periods 
exceeding considerably that of any particular wind, and giving 
for the entire period a very respectable sum total of calm periods. 

Storms: Rainstorms are of rather infrequent occurrence. 
Snow flurries and snow storms are common, there being usually a 
foot of snowfall for this month. 

Temperatures: The total number of records for February is 
438, as follows: 13 for 1899; 84 each for 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 
and 1914; 1 for 1905; 3 for 1906; and 1 for 1908. 

The lowest temperature recorded for this month was 22 on 
February 18, 1905. The highest was 56 on February 8, 1900. 
The extremes for each year were as follows: 



72 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

1900, -8 February 1 and 17, and 56 February 8; range 64. 

1901, -14.5 February 6, and 37.5 February 17; range 52. 

1902, -13 February 3, and 52 February 27; range 65. 

1903, -6 February 19, and 49 February 10; range 55. 

Temperatures at or below freezing were recorded as follows: 
In February, 1899, at 6 a. m. on the 1st, 2d, 7th to 15th, both 
inclusive ; 25th and 27th, the only days on which observations were 
recorded: Zero weather was recorded on the 1st, 2d, and 7th to 
13th, both inclusive. In 1900, on the 1st, 2d, 3d, 5th, 6th, 9th, 
10th, llth, 13th to 20th, both inclusive, and 22d to 28th, both in- 
clusive, at 6 a. m. ; on the 1st to 5th, both inclusive ; 9th, 13th to 
19th, both inclusive, and 24th to 28th, both inclusive, at noon ; and 
on the 1st, 2d, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th to 19th, both inclusive; 
22d and 24th to 28th, both inclusive, at 6 p. m. 

The temperature was therefore down to freezing on 23 days 
at 6 a. m., on 18 days at noon, and on 20 days at 6 p. m. Zero 
weather was recorded on the 1st, 16th, 17th, 24th and 25th. 

In February, 1901, the temperature was down to freezing on 
every day at 6 a. m. ; on the 1st to 17th, both inclusive, 19th to 24th, 
both inclusive, and 26th to 28th, both inclusive, at noon; and on 
the 1st to 24th, both inclusive; 16th, and 18th to 28th, both in- 
clusive, at 6 p. m. The temperature was therefore at or below 
freezing at 6 a. m. on every day of the month, at noon on every 
day but the 18th and 25th, and at 6 p. m. on every day except the 
15th and 17th. Zero weather was recorded on the 6th, 7th, and 
21st. 

In February, 1902, freezing temperature was recorded at 6 
a. m. on every day except the 27th and 28th, at noon on every day 
except the 21st to the 28th, both inclusive, and at 6 p. m. on every 
day but the 23rd to the 28th, both inclusive. In this month records 
of zero or below at 6 a. m. were made on the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 7th, 
8th, 9th, llth, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th and 20th, 13 days in all. 

In February, 1903, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 
a. m. on the 3d, 5th to 10th, both inclusive, and 13th to 26th, both 
inclusive; at noon on the 4th, 5th, 8th and 13th to 22d, both in- 
clusive ; at 6 p. m. on the 3d to 8th, both inclusive, and on the 28th. 
The temperature was at freezing or below on 21 days at 6 a. m., 
on 13 days at noon, and on 21 days at 6 p. m. Zero weather was 
recorded on the 17th, 18th, and 19th. We have no record for 
February, 1904, and only one for 1905, when on February 18, 22 
below zero was recorded, the coldest temperature that has been 
noted during the period covered by these observations. In 1906, 
only 3 observations were recorded for this month, namely, 50 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



73 



on the 12th, 42 on the 13th, and 18 on the 14th, all at 6 a.m. 
The only record for February, 1908, is 4 at 6 a. m. on the 22d. 

In February, 1914, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 
a. m. on all the days except the 3d and 28th ; at noon on all the days 
except the 2d, 3d, 6th, 17th, 26th, 27th, and 28th ; and at 6 p. m. 
on all days except the 2d, 4th, and 27th. .The temperature was 
therefore at or below freezing on 26 days at 6 a.m., on 22 days 
at noon, and on 25 days at 6 p. m. Zero weather was recorded 
on the 8th, 9th, and 15th. 

The greatest daily range was as follows: 

February 17, 1900, from -8 to 18, or 26. 
February 6, 1901, from -14.5 to 15.9, or 30.4. 
February 22, 1902, from 4 to 44, or 40. 
February 25, 1903, from 13 to 40, or 27. 
February 9, 1914, from -2 to 28, or 30. 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


1 


8 


2 


10 


7 





8 


9 


9 


20 


10 


20 


11 


1 


12 


15 


13 


8 


14 


7 


15 


19 


25 


35 


27 


16 


Average 


1.07 



74 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


8 


12 


13 


5.6 


2 


4 


19 


10 


11 


3 


18 


28 


35 


27 


4 


35 


20 


33 


29.3 


5 


20 


30 


32 


27.3 


6 


32 


34 


32 


32.6 


7 


40 


40 


41 


4*0.3 


8 


56 


42 


27 


41.6 


9 


8 


25 


20 


17.6 


10 


20 


34 


28 


27.3 


11 


27 


40 


36 


34.3 


12 


33 


40 


37 


36.6 


13 


23 


19 


13 


18.3 


14 


10 


30 


26 


22 


15 


17 


16 


8 


13.6 


16 


3 


15 





4 


17 


8 


18 


9 


6.3 


18 


10 


28 


15 


14.3 


19 


7 


25 


17 


16.3 


20 


22 


37 


36 


31.6 


21 


35 


36 


35 


35.3 


22 


30 


33 


30 


31 


23 


18 


42 


38 


32.6 


24 


8 


8 


4 


4 


25 


2 


10 


17 


8.3 


26 


5 


20 


15 


13.3 


27 


10 


20 


17 


15.6 


28 


19 


22 


20 


20.3 


Average 


17.4 


26.5- 


22.7 '- 


22 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



75 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


12.5 


23 


15.2 


16.9 


23.9 


9.5 


2 


2.5 


25.5 


27.3 


18.7 


27.5 


1 


3 


29.5 


31 


31 


30.5 


31.3 


25 


4 


26.5 


28.5 


27.8 


27.6 


29 


22.2 


5 


12.7 


23.9 


14.8 


17.1 


23.5 


12 


6 


14.5 


15.9 


14.5 


5.3 


18.3 


16 


7 


4 


19.1 


18 


11 


22.9 


11.2 


8 


22.1 


23.9 


26.5 


22.5 


27 


8 


9 


22.8 


25.8 


26 


24.8 


29.9 


21 


10 


8.5 


21 


18.2 


15.9 


29.9 


4 


11 


13.5 


28 


21.8 


21.1 


32.1 


4 


12 


9.5 


27 


20 5 


16.6 


27.6 


7.5 


13 


11.1 


22.9 


24.5 


19.5 


25.5 


6 


14 


14.9 


20.3 


17.5 


17.5 


23.1 


9.5 


15 


4 


28.1 


32.5 


21.5 


36 


1.6 


16 


18.1 


28.5 


28 


24.8 


30.1 


14.5 


17 


25 


31.3 


37.5 


31.2 


38.1 


24 


18 


27.8 


35.5 


31.8 


31.7 


37 


27 


19 


11.9 


17.3 


11.9 


13.7 


27.2 


9.5 


20 


6 


21.5 


16.5 


14.6 


24 


5.1 


21 


0.1 


23.2 


19.9 


14.1 


23 


0.1 


22 


2.5 


14.7 


5.5 


7.5 


15 


0.1 


23 


4 


21 


12.1 


12.3 


19.7 


0.1 


24 


11.2 


26.1 


26.9 


21.4 


27.9 


4 


25 


28 


32.9 


27.5 


29.4 


36.5 


22.6 


26 


4.9 


25.9 


16.1 


15.6 


24.6 


4.8 


27 


5 


29 


18.5 


17.5 


28 


18 


28 


5 


25.6 


26.3 


18.9 


30.3 


0.9 


Average 


11.3 


24.8 


22 


19.3 







76 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


6 


22 


12 


13.3 


2 


2 


4 


6 


2.6 


3 


13 





6 


6.6 


4 


12 


4 


8 


8 


5 


12 


9 


7 


1.3 


6 


9 


21 


27 


19 


7 


3 


13 


6 


5.3 


8 


6 


14 





2.6 


9 





20 


13 


11 


10 


12 


31 


20 


21 


11 





32 


18 


16.6 


12 


3 


23 


23 


16.3 


13 


9 


27 


13 


16.3 


14 


3 


27 


9 


11 


15 


1 


27 


20 


15.3 


16 


17 


27 


22 


24 


17 


19 


31 


21 


23.6 


18 


7 


27 


19 


13 


19 


3 


27 


18 


14 


20 





28 


19 


14.3 


21 


7 


38 


25 


23.3. 


22 


4 


44 


28 


25. if 


23 


23 


49 


37 


36.3 


24 


26 


47 


36 


36.3 


25 


25 


43 


35 


34.3 


26 


25 


48 


40 


37.6 


27 


39 


52 


44 


45 


28 


41 


40 


40 


40.3 


Average 


7.4 


27.1 


19.7 


17.8 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



77 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


39 


~ 40 


43 


40.6 


2 


* 45 


47 


38 


43.3 


3 


32 


33 


32 


32.3 


4 


33 


29' 


23 


28.3 


5 


15 


28 


26 


23 


6 


20 


35 


28 


27.6 


7 


25 


33 


31 


29.6 


8 


24 


32 


26 


27.3 


9 


19 


40 


33 


30.6 


10 


30 


49 


37 


38.6 


11 


35 


37 


36 


36 


12 


35 


37 


32 


34.6 


13 


31 


32 


30 


31 


14 


24 . 


30 


31 


28.3 


15 


32 


28 


29 


29.6 


16 


10 


14 


8 


10.6 


17 


4 


6 





0.6 


18 


3 





2 


0.3 


19 


6 


16 


12 


7.3 


20 


3 


28 


21 


17.3 


21 


18 


28 


20 


22 


22 


7 


28 


26 


20.3 


23 


20 


36 


32 


29.3 


24 


18 


35 


28 


25.6 


25 


13 


40 


30 


27.6 


26 


20 


45 


38 


34.3 


27 


35 


45 


43 


41 


28 


39 


38 


27 


35.6 


Average ... 


21 7 


31.8 


27.2 


26.8 













78 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1914 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


14 


30 


27 


23.7 


2 


30 


40 


38 


36 


3 


33 


46 


30 


36.3 


4 


14 


32 


36 


27.3 


5 


22 


30 


32 


28.0 


6 


28 


34 


30 


30.7 


7 


14 


20 


8 


14.0 


8 


2 


14 





4.0 


9 


2 


28 


28 


18.0 


10 


20 


24 


27 


23.7 


11 


10 


20 


20 


16.7 


12 


7 


14 


9 


10.0 


13 


9 


11 


15 


10.7 


14 


9 


24 


22 


18.3 


15 





15 


18 


11 


16 


9 


20 


10 


13.0 


17 


20 


38 


30 


29.3 


18 


27 


32 


30 


29.7 


19 


22 


30 


20 


24.0 


20 


14 


31 


24 


23.0 


21 


9 


28 


27 


21.3 


22 


21 


22 


12 


18.3 


23 


8 


14 


12 


11.3' 


24 


1 


26 


23 


16.7 


25 


3 


28 


28 


19.7 


26 


17 


34 


31 


27.3 


27 


27 


43 


36 


35.3 


28 


36 


41 


32 


36.3 


Average . ... 


14.6 


27 46 


23.39 


21.9 













AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR FEBRUARY 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1900 


17.4 


26.5" 


22.7 


22.0 


1901 


11.3 


24.8 


22 


19.3 


1902 


7.4 


27.1 


19.7 


17.8 


1903 


21.7 


31.8 


27.2 


26.8 


1914 


14.6 


27.5 


23.4 


21.8 


Average for five years.. . 


14.5 


27.6 


23 


21.5 



MARCH 

March is prevailingly a cloudy month. Of thirty observations 
in 1900 as to condition of the sky, 12 showed clear and 18 cloudy ; 
of 90 observations in 1901, 18 were clear and 72 cloudy; in 1902, 
33 observations were made of which 15 recorded the sky as clear, 
and 18 as cloudy; while in 1903, of 41 recorded observations, 19 
report the sky as clear and 22 as cloudy. 

March is generally a boisterous month, with very little calm. 
Of 46 observations in 1900 no period of calm was observed ; of the 
46 winds observed nearly every direction was represented, there 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



79 



being 5 winds from the north, 6 from the northeast, 5 from the 
east, 4 from the southeast, 4 from south, 8 from the southwest, 6 
from the west and 8 from the northwest, the winds from the 
southwest and northwest being slightly in the majority. In 1901 
the month was considerably more calm than during the preceding 
year. Of 91 observations 18 were calm, 1 north wind, 9 from 
the northeast, 3 from the east, 6 from the southeast, 13 from the 
south, 25 from the southwest, 2 from the west, 14 from the north- 
west, showing again the southwest and northwest winds slightly 
in the majority. 

In 1902, of 33 observations, there was recorded no period of 
calm, 1 north wind, 8 from the northeast, none from the east, 3 
from the southeast, 6 from the south, 8 from the southwest, 1 from 
the west and 6 from the northwest. In 1903, of 50 observations, 
there were 2 periods of calm, 6 north winds, 11 from the north- 
east, 4 from the southeast, 10 from the south, 8 from the south- 
west, 5 from the west and 4 from the northwest. A considera- 
tion of all these records shows that there is no especial direction 
from which winds come during this month; it varies from day to 
day and year to year. 

March is generally a rather stormy month with a trifle more 
snow than rain. In 1900 there were 5 rainstorms, 6 snow storms 
with a total snowfall of about 7 inches, and 2 sleet storms. In 

1901 there were 13 rainstorms. During 15 periods snow was re- 
corded as falling but these were usually light snow flurries, the 
total depth of snowfall registering only about 2| inches. 4 fogs 
were recorded, 15 hazy days, one electrical storm and 1 frost. In 

1902 there were 5 rainstorms and 4 slight snow storms, the total 
snowfall being 3 inches. 2 fogs and 1 frost were recorded. In 

1903 there were 7 rainstorms, 3 snowstorms, 3 fogs and 1 frost. 
There was a cold snap at the end of the month during which ice 
was frozen on pools. The month is marked by rather sudden up- 
ward changes of temperature, one hour changes of 25 being 
common. 

General weather conditions for March are given briefly in the 
following table: 



Year 


SKY 


WINDS 






Snow- 
fall in 




Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 






inches 


1900 


12 


18 





5 


6 


5 


4 


4 


8 


6 


8 


5 


1 


7 


1901 


18 


72 


18 


1 


9 


3 


6 


13 


25 


2 


14 


13 


15 


ZH 


1902 


15 


18 





1 


8 





3 


6 


8 


1 


6 


5 


4 


3 


1903 


19 


22 


2 


6 


11 








10 


8 


5 


4 


7 


3 







617618 



80 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Sky: As shown by our records, March, in all the years rec- 
ords have been kept, has shown an excess, sometimes inconsider- 
able, sometimes considerable, of cloudy weather. During the years 
1900, 1902 and 1903, the excess was not great, the month being 
pretty evenly divided as to periods of cloudiness and clearness. In 
the spring of 1901 this month was unusually cloudy, there being 
3 times as many cloudy periods as clear ones. It is the abnormal 
condition of this particular spring that makes the periods of cloudi- 
ness during the 4 years studied sum up to more than twice as fre- 
quent as the clear ones. 

Winds: North, east and south winds are relatively infrequent. 
The winds from other directions vary from year to year in fre- 
quence, but, taken as a whole, are so evenly distributed that none 
can be called the prevailing wind. Most years this is rather a rude 
boisterous month with few periods of calm. 

Storms: Rainstorms, the first of the spring rains, and snow 
storms, are quite frequent. 

Temperatures: The total number of records for March is 
370, as follows : 8 for 1899 ; 93 for 1900, 1901, 1902, and 1903. 

The lowest temperature recorded was zero, on March 17, 1900. 
The highest was 73 on March 19, 1903. The extremes were as 
follows : 

1900, March 17, and 52 March 9; range 52. 

1901, 5.5 March 6, and 64.8 March 25; range 59.3. 

1902, 10 March 17, and 65 March 19; range 55. 

1903, 18 March 1, and 73 March 19; range 55. 

Temperatures at or below freezing were recorded as follows: 
In March, 1899, at 6 a. m. on the 12th, 22d, 23d, 24th, 28th, 29th 
and 31st. The only other record was 50 on the llth. In 1900, 
March furnished freezing temperatures at 6 a.m. on the 1st to 
5th, both inclusive ; 7th to 10th, both inclusive ; 12th, 14th to 18th, 
both inclusive; 20th, 21st, 22d, 24th, 25th, and 27th to 31st, both 
inclusive ; at noon on the 1st, 5th, 6th, 12th, 14th to 17th, both in- 
clusive; 20th, 21st, and 29th; at 6 p.m. on the 3d to 8th, both 
inclusive ; llth, 13th to 17th, both inclusive ; 19th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 
29th and 30th. The temperature was down to freezing at 6 a. m. 
on 25 days, at noon on 11 days, and at 6 p. m. on 19 days. 

In March, 1901, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 
a. m. on the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, llth, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 
21st, 22d, 27th, 28th, 29th and 31st; at noon on the 5th, 6th, 20th 
and 21st; at 6 p.m. on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 15th, 20th, 21st, 27th, and 
28th. The temperature was at or below freezing on 16 days at 
6 a. m., on 4 days at noon, and on 8 days at 6 p. m. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



81 



In March, 1902, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. 
on the 2d to 6th both inclusive, 10th, 14th, 17th to 20th, both in- 
clusive, and 31st ; at noon on the 2d, 3d, 4th, 17th and 18th ; at 6 
p. m. on the 2d to 5th, both inclusive ; 16th, 17th, and 18th. The 
temperature was at or below freezing on 12 days at 6 a.m., on 5 
days at noon, and on 7 days at 6 p. m. 

In March, 1903, freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. 
on the 1st, 2d, 3d, 13th, 21st, 22d, 24th, 25th and 29th; at noon 
on the 1st and 24th, and at 6 p. m. on the 1st and 24th. The tem- 
perature was therefore at or below freezing at 6 a.m. on 9 days, 
at noon on 2 days, and at 6 p. m. on 2 days. 

For March, 1907, we have but three records, these showing that 
the maximum on each of the three days, March 21, 22, and 23, was 
84. 

The greatest daily range for March was as follows: 

March 3, 1900, from 7 to 43, or 36. 
March 23, 1901, from 40 to 62.2, or 22.2. 
March 26, 1902, from 40 to 60, or 20. 
March 31, 1903, from 35 to 60, or 25. 

AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


20 


23 


40 


27.6 


2 


23 


40 


27 


30 


3 


7 


43 


25 


25 


4 


30 


42 


31 


34 3 


5 


16 


23 


27 


22 


6 


40 


27 


23 


30 


7 


12 


37 


20 


23 


8 


19 


40 


31 


30 


9 


32 


52 


34 


39.3 


10 


28 


40 


39 


35.6 


11 


35 


38 


30 


34.3, 


12 


17 


32 


37 


28.6 


13 


37 


42 


32 


37 


14 


24 


30 


25 


26.8 


15 


18 


19 


14 


17 


16 


.18 


10 


4 


10.6 


17 





19 


20 


13 


18 


31 


40 


41 


37 


19 


42 


43 


30 


38.3 


20 


19 


28 


26 


24.3 


21 


30 


32 


30 


30.6 


22 


32 


39 


47 


29.3 


23 


33 


50 


38 


40.3 


24 


27 


42 


35 


34.6 


25 


27 


40 


32 


33 


26 


35 


35 


33 


34.3 


27 


27 


40 


38 


35 


28 


31 


34 


33 


32.6 


29 


30 


30 


30 


30 


30 


32 


37 


32 


33.6 


31 


27 


43 


40 


36.6 


Average 


25.8 


35.2 


30.5 


30.4 



82 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


28 


36 


34.5 


32.8 


37 


20.2 


2 


34.2 


38.8 


35.1 


36 


40.6 


33.8 


3 


38.4 


51 


38 


42.4 


53 


33.4 


4 


33.5 


41 


27 


33.8 


4.9 


31.4 


5 


8.5 


16.9 


7 


10.8 


23 


7 


6 


5.5 


24.5 


26.4 


18.8 


28.6 


3.1 


7 


26.1 


40.8 


36.2 


34.3 


42.4 


2}. 4 


8 


38.1 


41.8 


43.7 


41.2 


44.5 


34.4 


9 


36.8 


35.2 


34.5 


35.5 


45 


33.9 


10 


34.5 


42.5 


39.9 


38.9 


47.5 


31.8 


11 


28.1 


33 


33.6 


31.5 


35.5 


27.3 


12 


28.2 


36.3 


38.5 


34.3 


38.9 


37 


13 


41.6 


37.5 


34.7 


37.9 


43.5 


34.2 


14 


30.7 


35.5 


33.1 


33.1 


37.3 


30.4 


15 


28 


35 


28.5 


30.5 


34.9 


26.6 


16 


19.6 


39.5 


35.2 


31.4 


40.6 


17 


17 


31.1 


53 


49.5 


44.5 


54 


30 


18 


39.3 


66.5 


62 


55.9 


69.3 


39.3 


19 


47.8 


57.1 


49.2 


51.3 


58.5 


44.4 


20 


32.5 


30 


26.1 


29.5 


53.9 ' 


25.3 


21 


22.9 


22.9 


29.5 


25.1 


29.5 


21.9 


22 


25 


40.1 


43.1 


36 


47.8 


21.5 


23 


40 


62.2 


49.5 


50.5 


65 


35 


24 


44.5 


56 


52.1 


50.8 


58.5 


43 


25 


46.6 


64.8 


50.8 


54 


67.3 


46 


26 


41.9 


46.1 


41.1 


43 


47.5 


40.5 


27 


32 


36.2 


32 


33.4 


40.3 


31.7 


28 


30 


34.5 


32 


32.1 


37.9 


29.1 


29 


29.9 


35.2 


37.9 


34.3 


38.1 


22.9 


30 


33 


32.5 


32.8 


32.7 


36.5 


31 


31 


30.1 


35.1 


38.2 


34.4 


43 


29.9 


Average 


31.8 


40.5 


37.2 


36.5 







Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



83 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


35 


36 


34 


35.0 


2 


23 


32 


25 


27.3 


3 


25 


30 


30 


28.3 


4 


27 


31 


30 


29.3 


5 


25 


38 


31 


31.3 


6 


27 


48 


40 


38.3 


7 


35 


50 


40 


41.6 


8 


35 


35 


36 


35.3 


9 


40 


42 


40 


40.6 


10 


32 


62 


55 


49.6 


11 


53 


60 


63 


58.6 


12 


53 


63 


43 


53 


13 


35 


43 


45 


41 


14 


32 


54 


44 


42.6 


15 


42 


52 


54 


49.3 


16 


39 


46 


24 


36.3 


17 


12 


10 


12 


11.3 


18 


13 


26 


25 


19.3 


19 


20 


46 


40 


35.3 


20 


32 


50 


43 


41.6 


21 


35 


50 


43 


42.6 


22 


36 


45 


44 


41.6 


23 


40 


57 


53 


50 


24 


40 


55 


42 


45.6 


25 


35 


56 


46 


45.6 


26 


40 


60 


54 


51.3 


27 


50 


65 


65 


60 


28 


53 


58 


50 


53.6 


29 


40 


55 


52 


49 


30 


42 


36 


37 


38.3 


31 


32 


42 


39 


37.6 


Average 


34.8 


46.2 


41.3 


40.7 













84 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


18 


29 


27 


24.6 


2 


25 


40 


36 


33.6 


3 


25 


37 


36 


32.6 


4 


35 


41 


38 


38 


5 


40 


38 


38 


38.6 


6 


36 


44 


45 


41.6 


7 


45 


55 


57 


52.3 


8 


37 


45 


38 


40 


9 


35 


43 


41 


39.6 


10 


43 


42 


40 


41.6 


11 


38 


43 


45 


42 


12 


40 


47 




43.5 


*13 


30 


55 


45 


43.3 


14 


37 


50 


44 


43.6 


15 


35 


51 


46 


44 


16 


43 


52 


56 


50.3 


17 


53 


65 


63 


60.3 


18 


55 


72 


66 


64.3 


19 


60 


73 


62 


65 


20 


60 


54 


40 


51.3 


21 


30 


45 


40 


38.3 


22 


32 


55 


40 


42.3 


23 


35 


55 


34 


41.3 


24 


30 


32 


32 


31.3 


25 


32 


45 


45 


40.6 


26 


33 


56 


55 


47.6 


27 


40 


56 


42 


46 


28 


33 


44 


37 


38 


29 


27 


44 


43 


38 


30 


34 


54 


45 


44.3 


31 


35 


60 


46 


47 


Average 


37.1 


49.1 


42.6 


43.4 













* The maximum for the 13th was 70 



AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1900 


25.8 


35.2 


30.5 


30.4 


1901 


31.8 


. 40.5 


37.2 


36.5 


1902 
1903 


34.8 
37.1 


46.2 
49.1 


41.3 
42.6 


40.7 
43.4 




32 4 


42 8 


37 9 


37.7 













Lake Maxinkuckee > Physical and Biological Survey 



85 



APRIL 

Sky: Of 39 observations of the sky made in April, 1900, we , 
have 24 records of clear and 15 cloudy ; of 89 in 1901, 33 recorded 
the sky as clear, 56 as cloudy; of 31 in 1902, 15 noted clear, and 16 
cloudy; and of 71 in 1903, 39 records gave clear and 32 cloudy, 
making a total of 111 records clear and 119 cloudy, the weather 
being pretty evenly divided in this particular, there being a few 
more cloudy periods than clear ones. 

Generally, this month shows a very even balance between pe- 
riods of clearness and of cloudiness, the month for 1900 showing 
a greater number of clear periods than cloudy, the spring of 1901 
showing the reverse, and April of 1902 and 1903 being very little 
different. For the whole 4 years there are 8 more cloudy periods 
than clear ones. 

Winds: Generally speaking, calm periods are rare in April, 
none at all being recorded in 1900, 1902 and 1903. In 1901 it was, 
however, unusually calm, there being 19 periods of calm recorded. 
As to direction, winds are pretty equally divided; so much so that 
taking year after year, one cannot speak of any marked tendency 
toward a prevailing wind from any particular direction ; the rec- 
ords are as follows: 



Year 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 


1900 


6 


5 


8 


2 


6 


4 


5 


3 


1901 


3 


26 


10 


9 


1 








18 


1902 


4 


5 


2 


2 


3 


5 


1 


8 


1903 


8 


1 


8 


12 


38 


5 


1 


1 



There are fewer west winds than any other, and more north- 
east than any other, the others being well distributed. The north- 
east winds generally bring cool weather and storms. It is gen- 
erally a boisterous month, with but few calms. 

Storms: Both snowstorms and rainstorms are rather frequent. 

As compared with other months, rain storms are usually rather 
infrequent; we have a record of 3 rainstorms for 1900, of 6 for 
1901, of 4 for 1902. In 1903 it was unusually wet, there being 11 
periods of rain recorded for April of that year. There are occa- 
sional snowstorms; we have 4 recorded for 1900, 1 for 1901, and 
.75 inch for 1902. There was one sleet storm in 1900. Five 
records of frost in 1901, and one hailstorm in 1903. 

The following table shows the general weather conditions for 
April : 



86 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Voar 





SKY 










WIND 














Snow- 




Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N W 






































1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 


24 
33 
15 
34 


15 
56 
16 
32 



19 




6 

3 
4 

17 


5 

26 
5 

28 


8 
10 
2 



2 
9 
2 
8 


6 
1 
3 
18 


4 

5 
9 


5 

1 
2 


3 

18 
8 
5 


3 
6 
4 
11 


4 
1 

4 

2 


6 

X 

1 

































Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
April is 362, as follows : 90 for 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1903 each, 
and 1 each for 1907 and 1909. 

The lowest temperature recorded was 18 on April 10, 1909. 
The lowest recorded in years of full records was 25 on April 5, 
1900, and again on April 4, 1903; the highest was 88 on April 
29, 1900. The extremes were as follows: 

1900, 25 on April 5, and 88 on April 29; range 63. 

1901, 30.1 on April 1, and 85.1 on April 30; range 55. 

1902, 22 on April 8, and 86 on April 21; range 64. 

1903, 25 on April 4, and 75 on April 12; range 50. 

The temperature was at or below freezing as follows: In 
April, 1900, at 6 a.m. on the 1st, 3d, 4th, 5th and 10th to 14th, 
inclusive ; at noon on the llth ; and at 6 p. m. on the 3d, llth, and 
13th. The temperature was freezing at 6 a. m. on 9 days, at noon 
on one day, and at 6 p. m. on 3 days. 

- In April, 1901, it was at or below freezing at 6 a. m. only on 
the 1st, and at no time at noon or 6 p. m. 

In April, 1902, it was at or below freezing at 6 a. m. on the 1st, 
2d, 3d, 4th, 7th and 8th; at noon on the 1st and 7th; and at 6 
p. m. on the 1st, 7th and 8th. In this month it was down to 
freezing on 6 days at 6 a. m., on only 2 days at noon, and on 3 
days at 6 p. m. 

In April, 1903, the temperature was down to 30 at noon and 
6 p. m. on the 3d; to 25 at 6 a. m., and 32 at noon and 6 p. m. 
on the 4th, to 28 at 6 a.m. on the 5th, and to 32 at 6 a.m. on 
the 23d. 

In April, 1909, when only one observation was recorded, it 
was 18 at 6 a. m. on the 10th. 

The greatest daily range was as follows : 

April 26, 1900, from 46 to 77, or 31. 
April 30, 1901, from 62.9 to 85.1, or 22.2. 
April 21, 1902, from 48 to 86, or 38. 
April 1, 27, and 28, 1903, from 40, 40 and 50, respectively, 
to 60, 60 and 70, respectively, or 20. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



87 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 . 


30 


55" 


47 


44 


2 


37 


42 


43 


40.6 


3 


27 


44 


32 


34.3 


4 


27 


55 


40 


40.6 


5 


25 


60 


51 


45.3 


6 


38 


70 


55 


54.3 


7 


49 


75 


60 


61.3 


8 


47 


60 


50 


52.3 


9 


38 


57.5 


37 


44.1 


10 


26 


47 


40 


37.6 


11 


29 


32 


30 


30.3 


12 


30 


40 


34 


34.6 


13 


30 


46 


32 


36 


14 


30 


60 


44 


44.6 


15 


48 


78 


65 


63.6 


16 


58 


60 


55 


59.3 


17 


52 


60 


58 


56.6 


18 


55 


60 


52 


55.6 


19 


49 


69 


53 


57 


20 


43 


73 


60 


58.6 


21 


53 


64 


60 


52.3 


22 


58 


65 


51 


58 


23 


45 


76 


65 


62 


24 


51 


74' 


60 


61.6 


25 


45 


74 


60 


59.6 


26 


46 


77 


56 


59.6 


27 


51 


67 


65 


61 


28 


64 


80 


63 


69 


29 


60 


88 


65 


71 


30 


50 


67 


60 


59 


Average 


43 


"62.5 


51.4 


52.3 













88 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


*1 


30.1 


44.2 


45.7 


40.3 


2 


39 


34 


36 


36 


3 


34.1 


49 


44.5 


42.5 


4 


35.1 


53.5 


54 


47.5 


5 


43.1 


51.5 


47.2 


47.3 


6 


43.8 


44.9 


41 


43.2 


7 


38.9 


50 


41.5 


47.1 


8 


34 


40.1 


40.9 


38.3 


9 


34 


48.8 


48 


43.6 


10 


35.8 


51.9 


51.9 


46.5 


11 


40.3 


52.5 


51.9 


42.8 


12 


40.6 


49 


51.5 


47.1 


13 


47.2 


48 


48.8 


48 


14 


43.5 


59.8 


57.8 


57 


15 


43.9 


58.2 


52 


51.4 


16 


41.9 


60.2 


49.4 


50.5 


17 


53.7 


51.5 


40.5 


48.6 


18 


32.5 


37.9 


38 


36.1 


19 


32.2 


41.1 


39 


37.4 


20 


33.3 


47.1 


38.2 


39.5 


21 


35.3 


42.6 


36.8 


38.2 


22 


41.4 


44.5 


50.1 


45.3 


23 


46 


51.9 


52.2 


50 


24 


44 


58.9 


56.5 


53.1 


25 


49.5 


52 


59 


53.5 


26 


52.7 


64.1 


62.5 


59.8 


27 


57.9 


70.5 


63.3 


63.9 


28 


58.6 


78 


71 


69.2 


29 


60.2 


77.5 


71.3 


69.7 


30 


62.9 


85.1 


71.5 


73.2 


Average .... 


42.9 


53.3 


50.4 


48.9 













* Maximum air temperature for the 1st was 48.4; minimum, 26. l c 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



89 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR APPRIL, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


32 


~32 


32 


32 


2 


31 


35 


36 


34 


3 


28 


47 


40 


38.3 


4 


30 


50 


42 


40.6 


5 


36 


56 


50 


47.3 


6 


45 


60 


50 


51.6 


7 


32 


26 


25 


27.6 


8 


22 


38 


36 


32 


9 


35 


58 


45 


46 


10 


35 


65 


60 


53.3 


11 


48 


55 


50 


51 


12 


46 


45 


44 


45 


13 


35 


41 


39 


38.3 


14 


36 


44 


42 


40.6 


15 


38 


50 


45 


44.3 


16 


42 


58 


52 


50.6 


17 


42 


60 


56 


52.6 


18 


48 


68 


56 


57.3 


19 


47 


56 


50 


51 


20 


40 


68 


53 


53.6 


21 


48 


86 


77 


70.3 


22 


67 


80 


78 


75 


23 


42 


50 


48 


46.6 


24 


38 


58 


64 


53.3 


25 


50 


62 


70 


60.6 


26 


50 


46 


50 


48.6 


27 


50 


60 


62 


57.3 


28 


56 


76 


65 


65.6 


29 


54 


78 


66 


66 


30 


56 


62 


60 


59.3 


Average 


41.9 


55.7 


51.4 


49.7 



90 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6p.m. 


Average 


1 


40 


60 




50 


2 


55 


70 


65 


63.3 


3 


36 


30 


30 


32 


4 


25 


32 


32 


29.6 


5 


28 


35 


45 


36 


6 


45 


55 


56 


52 


7 


43 


55 


61 


53 


8 


45 


57 


60 


54 


9 


48 


65 


56 


56.3 


10 


45 


53 


47 


48.3 


11 


55 


65 


70 


63.3 


12 


65 


75 


65 


68.3 


13 


53 


48 


48 


49.6 


14 


45 


50 


47 


47.3 


15 


43 


48 


41 


46 


16 


38 


54 


46 


46 


17 


37 


55 


50 


47.3 


18 


42 


60 


55 


52.3 


19 


41 


55 


.50 


48.6 


20 


43 


57 


57 


'52.3 


21 


43 


43 


43 


43 


22 


36 


42 


42 


40 


23 


32 


50 


48 


43.3 


24 


46 


58 


48 


50.6 


25 


45 


46 


48 


46.3. 


26 


35 


55 


56 


48.6 


27 


40 


60 


63 


54.3 


28 


50 


70 


71 


63.6 


29 


60 


74 


72 


68.6 


30 


63 


36 


32 


43.6 


Average 


44.1 


53.8 


51.9 


49.9 













AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1900 


43.0 


62.5 


51.4 


52.3 


1901 


42.9 


53.3 


50.4 


48.9 


1902 


41.9 


55.7 


51.4 


49.7 


1903 


44.1 


53.8 


51.9 


49.9 


Average for four years . . 


43 


56.3 


51.3 


50.2 



MAY 

Sky: Of 35 observations made in 1900, 21 record the sky as 
clear, and 14 as cloudy; of 95 in 1901, 23 record the sky as clear 
and 72 as cloudy; of 31 records in 1902 we have 15 clear and 16 
cloudy ; and of 76 records for 1903 we have 49 clear and 27 cloudy, 
making a total of 108 records for clear and 129 of cloudy, the 
cloudy periods being somewhat in excess of the clear ones. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



91 



May is generally a bright sunny month, most of the records 
showing a preponderance of bright days. Many of the periods 
marked "cloudy" in 1901, were bright and pleasant, either because 
of thinness of the clouds or broken rifts in them. 

Winds: As with April, this is a month of comparatively few 
calms, none being reported for 1900, 1902, or 1903. In 1901, for 
which our records are much fuller, we have recorded 15 periods 
of calm. 

West winds were rather few; all others were pretty well dis- 
tributed, those from the south being on the whole, the most abund- 
ant. For the year for which we have the fullest records we have 
a goodly record of periods of calm. 

The following is a record of the winds for the time observed : 



Year 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 


1900 


7 


5 





8 


6 


10 


2 


- 1 


1901 


5 


31 


2 


12 


1 


3 


1 


16 


1902 


1 


1 


4 


4 


1 


5 





2 


1903 


8 


1 


8 


12 


38 


5 


1 


1 



Storms: Rainstorms are frequent, just about as frequent as 
in April. Two rainstorms were recorded for 1900, 4 in 1901, none 
in 1902, and 6 in 1903. 

Of other atmospheric phenomena there was one thunderstorm 
in 1901, and there were 2 cases of noticeably heavy dewfall. It 
may be observed that "dew", as commonly observed, especially on 
grass, is as much a biological as an atmospheric phenomenon, 
being the result of transpiration by herbage, although peculiar 
atmospheric conditions favor its manifestation. 

The general weather conditions for May are shown in the fol- 
lowing table : 





SKY 


WIND 






Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 




1900 


21 


14 





7 


5 





8 


6 


10 


2 


1 


2 


1901 


23 


72 


15 


5 


31 


2 


12 


1 


3 


1 


16 


4 


1902 


15 


16 





1 


1 


4 


4 


1 


5 





2 





1903 


49 


27 





8 


1 


8 


12 


38 


5 


1 


1 


6 



Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
May is 310, as follows: 90 in 1900, 91 in 1901, 53 in 1902, and 76 
in 1903. 



92 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



The lowest temperature recorded was 30 on May 1, 1903. 
The highest was 93 on May 14 and again on May 16, 1900. The 
extremes were as follows : 

1900, 35 on May 3, and 88 on May 25; range 53. 

1901, 42.5 on May 30, and 89 on May 23; range 46.5. 
1902,* 43 on May 15, and 88 on May 18; range 45. 
1903, 30 on May 1, and 90 on May 17 and 19; range 60. 

In the 4 years for which records were made the temperature 
in the month of May fell as low as freezing only once, which was 
at 6 a. m. May 1, 1903, when it stood at 30. 

The greatest daily range was as follows : 

May 10, 1900, from 37 to 77, or 40. 

May 23, 1901, from 60 to 89, or 29. 

May 3, 1902, from 62 to 90, or 28. 

May 10, 1903, from 54 to 83, or 29. 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MAY, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 D. m. 


Average 


1 


46 


80 


64 


63.3 


2 


60 


82 


54 


65.3 


3 


35 


55 


45 


45 


4 


45 


56 


48 


49.6 


5 


45 


70 


60 


58.3 


6 


50 


78 


67 


65 


7 


53 


79 


66 


66 


8 


65 


75 


55 


65 


9 


40 


56 


42 


46 


10 


37 


77 


58 


57.3 


11 


50 


77 


65 


64 


12 


60 


88 


70 


72.6 


14 f 


79 


93 


76 


82.6 


15 


70 


9"0 


80 


80 


16 


76 


93 


72 


80.3 


17 


50 


65 


60 


58.3 


18 


56 


60 


51 


59 


19 


50 


63 


51 


54.6 


20 


50 


67 


63 


60 


21 


46 


70 


60 


58.6 


22 


50 


70 


64 


61.3 


23 


61 


80 


74 


71.6 


24 


61 


85 


76 


74 


25 


63 


88 


76 


75.6 


26 


70 


85 


83 


79.3 


27 


68 


80 


70 


72.6 


28 


64 


80 


70 


71.3 


29 


68 


78 


70 


72 


30 


70 


88 


80 


79.3 


31 


70 


80 


70 


73.3 


Average 


56.9 


76.3 


64.7 


66 













*No record after May 18. 

t Maximum air temperature, 93 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



93 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MAY, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


62 


83.8 


80 


75.3" 


2 




85.9 


73.1 


79.5 


3 


51.5 


66 


65.4 


61 


4 


48.9 


67 


62.9 


59.6 


5 


58.9 


74.3 


70.5 


67.9 


6 


62 


73.2 


62.3 


65.8 


7 


57.8 


61.8 


57.8 


59.1 


8 


55 


60.3 


58.8 


58 


9 


49.5 


62 


63.9 


58.5 


10 


53 2 


59.5 


66 


59.6 


11 


50.5 


64 1 


61.8 


58.8 


12 


51.6 


55.5 


53 


53.4 


13 


46.5 


66.1 


55.8 


56.1 


14 


46.6 


" 59.8 


60.5 


55.6 


15 


42.9 


70.3 


83 


65.4 


16 


54 


82.6 


64.5 


67 


17 


55.1 


83 5 


80.5 


73 


18 


62.3 


79.2 


70.4 


70.6 


19 


54 N 2 


64.9 


61 


60 


20 


53.5 


67.9 


59 


60.1 


21 


52.8 


57.4 


59.6 


56.6 


22 


55 


62 


66.6 


61.2 


23 


60 


85.9 


89 


78.3 


24 


60.9 


57.5 


52.5 


57 


25 


47.6 




51.1 


49.4 


26 


45 


51.5 


47 


47.8 


27 


46 


56.9 


54.9 


52.6 


28 


52.2 


65.2 


62.6 


60 


29 


43.9 


57.9 


54.5 


52.1 


30 


42.5 


58.9 


57.9 


53.1 


31 


45 


66 


68.9 


60 


Average 


52.2 


66.9 


63.7 


61 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MAY, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


48 


63 


61 


57.3 


2 


60 


80 


67 


69 


3 


62 


90 


78 


76.6 


4 


67 


88 


76 


77 


5 


60 


72 


70 


67.3 


6 


56 


66 


63 


61.6 


7 


50 


58 


60 


56 


8 


46 


52 


50 


49.3 


9 


43 


50 


54 


49 


10 


45 


48 


49 


47.3 


11 


45 


50 


56 


50.3 


12 


50 


78 


76 


68 


13 


59 


60 


60 


59.6 


14 


58 


62 


54 


58 


15 


43 


56 


58 


52.3 


16 


50 


66 


68 


61.3 


17 


51 


73 


60 


81.3 


18 


65 


88 




76.5 












Average 


53.2 


66.7 


62.4 


61.2 













94 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR MAY, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


30 


55 


50 


45.0 


2 


37 


60 


58 


51.6 


3 


43 


43 


40 


42 


4 


37 


60 


54 


50.3 


5 


47 


68 


60 


58.3 


6 


55 


70 


60 


61.6 


7 


45 


65 


60 


56.6 


8 


45 


70 


62 


59 


9 


55 


82 


65 


67.3 


10 


54 


83 


60 


65.6 


11 


62 


81 


68 


70.3 


12 


60 


84 


73 


72.3 


13 


64 


84 


60 


69.3 


14 


50 


80 


64 


64.6 


15 


57 


78 


63 


66 


16 


60 


84 


65 


69.6 


17 


63 


90 


66 


73 


18 


65 


85 


74 


74.6 


19 


66 


90 


70 


75.3 


20' 


70 


78 


65 


71 


21 


68 


78 


70 


72 


22 


66 


75 


70 


70.3 


23 


68 


80 


78 


75.3 


24 


70 


80 


68 


72.3 


25 


65 


81 




73 


27 


70 


80 




75 












Average 


56.6 


75.5 


63.5 


65.4 













AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR MAY 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1900 


56.9 


76.3 


64.7 


66.0 


1901 


52.2 


66.9 


63.7 


61.0 


1902 


53.2 


66.7 


62.4 


61.2 


1903 


56.6 


75.5 


63.5 


65.4 


Average for four years . . 


54.7 


71.4 


63.6 


63.3 



JUNE 

Sky and Winds: We have complete records for June for only 
2 years, 1900 and 1901, the records of other years being too frag- 
mentary to tabulate. Of 36 records in 1900, 23 record the sky as 
clear and 13 as cloudy; of 78 for 1901 we have 33 records of clear 
sky and 45 of cloudy, leaving the month for 1900 with an excess 
of clear records and that for 1901 with a somewhat similar ex- 
cess of records for cloudy. The total observations for the 2 years 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



95 



are 56 clear periods and 58 cloudy, which is a remarkably even 
balance. 

In 1900 there were 10 more observations marked "clear" than 
cloudy, while in 1901 cloudy periods were somewhat more frequent 
than clear. Taking observations for both years, we have the pe- 
riods pretty evenly divided. 

These observations show that, taken as a whole, the cloudy pe- 
riods and clear periods are about equally divided, the clear periods 
being more prevalent in 1900 but less so in 1901. North and west 
winds are relatively infrequent ; winds from other directions are so 
evenly balanced that none can be called the prevailing wind. This 
is an evenly tempered uneventful month and the minor weather 
phenomena such as fog, haze, electrical storms, etc., were not suf- 
ficiently marked to attract especial attention. 

Rainstorms are not especially frequent during this month. 

The results of our observations are given in the following table : 





SKY 


WINDS 




Rain- 


Year 






I? * 


fall in 




Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N 


N.E 


E. 


S.E 


s 


S.W 


W. 


N.W 




inches 






























1900 


23 


13 


4 


5 


9 


9 


7 


4 


8 





4 


8 


1.5 


1901 


33 


45 


17 





8 


5 


16 


5 


16 


3 


11 


9 





Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
June is 202, as follows : 90 in 1900, 90 in 1901, 10 in 1902, and 12 
in 1903. 

The lowest temperature recorded was 45.5 on June 1, 1901. 
The highest was 95 on June 28, 1901. 

The extremes were as follows: 

1900, 49 on June 3 and 88 on June 16; range 39. 

1901, 45.5 on June 1 and 95 on June 28; range 49.5. 
1902, 1 50 on June 21 and 22, and 66 on June 30; range 16. 
1903 2 , 62 on June 27 and 86.2 on June 30; range 24.2. 



Our records show no freezing temperature for June, 
greatest daily range was as follows : 

June 9, 1900, from 54 to 80, or 26. 
June 16, 1901, from 65 to 90, or 25. 
June 28, 1902 1 , from 56 to 61, or 5. 
June 29 and 30, 1903% 72 and 73 to 85.2 



The 



and 83.2, or 13.2 c 



1 Records for only 6 days. 

2 Records for only 4 days. 



717618 



96 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


76 


86 


73 


78.3 


2 


68 


65 


60 


64.3 


3 


49 


66 


60 


58.3 


4 


58 


75 


70 


67.6 


5 


67.5 


80 


73 


73.5 


6 


68 


78 


68 


71.3 


7 


66 


79 


70 


70.3 


8 


68 


79 


60 


69 


9 


54 


80 


60 


64.6 


10 


65 


80 


70 


71.6 


11 


68 


79 


65 


70.6 


12 


63 


77 


75 


71.6 


13 


70 


81 


76 


75.6 


14 


63 


80 


65 


69.3 


15 


64 


75 


63 


67.3 


16 


60 


88 


78 


75.3 


17 


66 


82 


68 


71.3 


18 


65 


80 


63 


69.3 


19 


65 


76 


74 


71.6 


20 


76 


74 


63.5 


70.5 


21 


63.5 


69.5 


67.5 


66.8 


22 


65 


68 


60 


64.3 


23 


64 


82 


70 


72 


24 


68 


84.5 


70 


70.8 


25 


67 


84 


73 


74.6 


26 


84 


85.7 


76 5 


82 


27 


71 


84'. 7 


79.5 


78.4 


28 


68 


85 


79 


77.3 


2) 


76 5 


79 


69 


74.8 


3) 


ro 


68 


72 


66 6 


Average 


66.2 


78.3 


69 


71 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



97 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1901 



Dftte 


6 a. in. 


NOOT 


6 p. m. 


Average 


l 


45.5 


66.1 


64 


58.5 


2 


52.2 


66.1 


79.5 


65.9 


3 


57.3 


79.5 


81.2 


72.7 


4 


60.1 


84 


82.1 


75.4 


' 5 


69 


65.9 


73.9 


69.6 


6 


65 


72 


76.5 


71.2 


7 


52.5 


56 


52.9 


53.8 


8 


46 


63.9 


58 


56 


9 


55.2 


78.5 


77.1 


70.3 


10 


62 1 


71.3 


79.6 


71 


11 


' 73.8 


91.5 


93.5 


86.3 


12 


70 


94 


75.1 


79.7 


13 


70 


89.8 


80 


7,9.9 


14 


73.8 


-91.6 


82.5 


82.6 


15 


72 


82.5 


80 


78.2 


16 


65 


90 


83.8 


79.6 


17 


66.1 


71.5 


73.5 


70 4 


18 


62.9 


83.6 


73.5 


73 3 


19 


68 


85.9 


79.5 


77.8 


20 


63.9 


77.1 


74.9 


72 


21 


69.9 


75.8 


79.3 


75 


22 


72 


87.8 


87.9 


82.6 


23 


67.8 


81.9 


83.3 


77 7 


24 


73.9 


90.1 


85 


83 


25 


76.1 


94.5 


83.8 


84.8 


26 


74 


91 


88 


84 


27 


76.5 


93.4 


81 


83 6 


28 


71 


95 


91 


86 


29 


76.5 


88 


82.5 


82.3 


30 


79.8 


94 2 


92 9 


88.9 


Average 


66.3 


81.8 


79.2 


75.7 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Rarfc 


Average 


21 


50 










22 


50 










23 


55 










24 


58 










28 
30 


56 
64 


61 

66 


59 
52 


5 
14 


58.7 
60 7 




55 5 


63 5 


55 5 




59.7 















AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Averape 


27 


62 


75" 


74 


70.3 


28 


63.5 


75 


78 


72.2 


29 


72 


85.2 


82.5 


79 9 


30 


73 


86 2 


81 


?0 


Average 


67 6 


80 4 


78.9 


75.6 













98 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 




1900 


66.2 


78.3 


69.0 


71.0 




1901 


66.3 


81.8 


79.2 


75.7 




1902 


55.5 


63.5 


55.2 


59.5 




1903 


67.6 


80.4 


78.9 


75.6 


Average for four years . . 


63.9 


76 


70.6 


70.4 



JULY 

Sky: The records for July are fairly complete for only 3 years 
and accordingly do not admit of the checking up and balancing 
which is possible where we have more years to compare. It may 
briefly be observed that the clear periods were somewhat in ex- 
cess of the cloudy ones for the years under observation and that 
the south winds were somewhat more common than those from 
any other direction. The calm periods were surprisingly few. 

Winds: Northeast, west and northwest winds were the least 
frequent, the prevailing wind being from the south. Periods of 
calm were rather infrequent. 

Storms: Compared with other months, showers were rather 
frequent; of fairly complete records of 34 months, we have only 
six that equal or exceed that of this particular month. 

Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
July is 330, as follows : 93 in 1899, 93 in 1900, 26 in 1902, 93 in 
1903, 24 in 1906, and 1 in 1910. 

The lowest temperature recorded for this month was 54 on 
July 1, 1902; the highest was 103 on July 1, 1910. The extremes 
for each year were as follows : 

1899, 58 on July 8 and 89 on July 21; range 31. 

1900, 60.5 on July 1 and 9, and 92 on July 4; range 31.5. 
1902 1 , 54 on July 1 and 90 on July 7 and 27; range 36. 
1903, 60 on July 15 and 16, and 91 on July 3 and 4; range 31. 
1906 2 60.5 on July 31 and 94 on July 23; range 33.5. 

Our records show no freezing temperature for July. 
The greatest daily range was as follows : 

July 12, 21 and 24, 1899, from 71, 73 and 71, respectively, 

to 87, 89 and 87, respectively, or 16. 
July 14 and 28, 1900, from 71 and 64, respectively, to 88 

and 81, respectively, or 17. 
July 24, 1902, from 65 to 88, or 23. 
July 2, 1903, from 68 to 88, or 20. 
July 31, 1906 3 , from 60.5 to 84, or 23.5. 

1 Records for only 11 days. 

2 Records for only 9 days. 

3 Records for only 9 days. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



99 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


5 


69 


73 


70 


70.6 


6 


65 


77 


77 


73 


7 


69 


80 


78 


75.6 


8 


58 


70.5 


68 


65.5 


9 


65 


76 


76.5 


72.5 


10 


69 


80 


80 


76.3 


11 


71 


83.5 


81 


78.5 


12 


71 


87 


86.5 


81.5 


13 


74 


86 


74 


78 


14 


70 


74 


73 


72 3 


15 


69 




77 


73 


16 


71 


77.5 


74 


77.1 


17 


66 


72 


70 


69.3 


18 


66 


79 


80 


75 


19 


69 


83 


82 


78 


20 


74 


86 


85 


81.6 


21 


73 


89 


84 


82 


22 


73 


87 


84 


81.3 


23 


72 


87 


85 


81.3 


24 


71 


87 


85 


81 


25 


71 


86 


80 


79 


26 


68 


83 


82 


77.6 


27 


69 




78 


73 5 


28 


69.5 


76 


81 


75.5 


29 


72 


77 


68 


72.3 


30 


64 


74 


71 


69 6 


31 


62 


75.5 


75.5 


71 


Average 


68.9 


80.2 


77.9 


75.6 













100 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AiK TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 190U 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


60.5 


73.0' 


76.5 


70.0 


2 


68.4 


86.5 


85 


80 


3 


70.5 


88 


86 


81.5 


4 


85 


92 


85 


87.3 


5 


81 


90.5 


85 


85.5 


6 


77.3 


89.5 


85 


83.9 


7 


71 


86 


76.5 


77.8 


8 


69 


66 


67.5 


67.5 


9 


60 5 


75 


70 


68.5 


10 


64 


79 


76 


73 


11 


76 


89 


67 


77.3 


12 


67 


64 


77 


60.3 


13 


64.5 


75.5 


74 5 


71.5 


14 


71 


88 


85. 


81.3 


15 


78 


88 


84.5 


83.5 


16 


71 


71.5 


79 


73.8 


17 


71.5 


78.5 


71 


73.6 


18 


67 


74 


76 


72.3 


19 


72 


84 


78 


78 


20 


72 


87 


66 


75 


21 


62 


71 


75.8 


72.8 


22 


67 


83 


81 


77 


23 


72 


86 


85 


81 


24 


75 


70 


71 


72 


25 


67 


78 


76 


73.6 


26 


67.5 


75 


70 


69.1 


27 


66 


74 


75 


71.6 


28 


64 


81 


79 


74.6 


29 


73 


82. 


78 


77.6 


30 


70 


82 


76 


76 


31 


70.5 


88.5 


79 


78.6 


Average 


70 


80.4 


77.3 


75.9 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


54 


71 


63 


62.6 


2 


64 


84 


70 


72.6 


3 


75 


84 






7 


80 


90 


75 


81.6 


9 


76 


82 




79 


18 


79 


81 




80 


21 


58 








24 


65 


88 


79 


77.3 


25 


70 


85 


83 


79.3 


27 


75 


90 


70 


78.3 




6J 6 


83 9 


73 4 


76 4 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 101 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Nocn 


tip. m. 


Average 


1 


73.5 


89 


71 


77.8 


2 


68 


88 


84 


80 


3 


75.5 


91 


87 


84.5 


4 


79 


91 


75 


81.6 


5 


78 


sa 


76 


78 


6 


73 


79 


81 


77.6 


7 


73 


84 


82 


79.6 


8 


75.2 


90 


86 


83.7 


9 


73 


87.5 


88.5 


83 


10 


75.2 


85 


83.2 


81.1 


11 


70.5 


-82 


77.5 


76.6 


12 


70 


78.5 


68 


72.2 


13 


63 


78 


73.5 


73.2 


14 


63 


76 


68 


69 


15 


6J 


71.5 


68 


66.5 


16 


63 


75 


74 


69.6 


17 


68 


78 


69 


71.6 


18 


63 


68 


73 


68 


19 


73 


73.5 


73.5 


73.3 


20 


67 


75 


77 


73 


21 


73 


85.5 


78 


77.1 


22 


73 


76 


70.5 


73.1 


23 


< 72 


78 


72 


74 


24 


81 


83 


83 


82.3 


25 


82 


86.5 


83 


83.8 


26 


72 


89 


77 


79.3 


27 


67.5 


78 


80 


75.1 


28 


71 


91 


79 


80.3 


29 


70 


81 


76.5 


75.8 


30 


65 


73 


68.5 


68.8 


31 


58 


61 


07.5 


63.8 


Average 


72.5 


83.9 


76.6 


75.9 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Nocn 


6 p. m. 


Average 


23 


74 


94 


88 


85.3 


24 


66 


74 


73 


71 


25 


63.9 


78 5 




71.2 


26 


66 


87 9 




76.9 


27 


71.9 


84 


83 


79.6 


28 


78 


92.2 


71.8 


80.6 


29 


70 


73.9 


75 


73 


30 


67 


83.9 


79.9 


76.9 


31 


60.5 


84 


82 


75.5 


Average 


68 6 


83.6 


78.9 


76.9 













102 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1899 


6S.9 


80.2 


77.9 


75.6 


1900 


70 


80.4 


77.3 


75.9 


1902 


69.6 


83.9 


73.4 


76.4 


1903 


72.5 


80.9 


76.6 


75.9 


1906 


68.6 


83.6 


78.9 


76.6 


Average for five years. . 


69.9 


81.8 


76.8 


76.1 



AUGUST 

Sky: For August we have fairly complete records for only 2 
years, 1900 and 1906. We have pretty full temperature records 
for 1902 but few. records of other weather conditions. 

Our records show an abundance of cloudy weather, and for the 
summer of 1906, a considerable excess. In many cases of cloudy 
weather, however, the clouds were much broken up, permitting 
many bright days and clear bits of sunshine. 

Winds: August is notably a month of calms and it is due to 
the placid untroubled surface of the lake that the plankton scum, 
which begins either at the end of the preceding month or the be- 
ginning of this, forms on the surface and reaches its maximum de- 
velopment. West winds are the least frequent; east winds the 
most so. 

Storms: In keeping with the prevailing calm, storms are rela- 
tively infrequent. 

The following is the record in tabular form : 





SKY 


WIND 






Cl 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


VV. 


N.W. 




1900 


14 


19 


8 


4 


3 


5 


2 


7 


4 


1 


4 


5 


1906 


19 


48 


34 


5 


3 


12 


4 


5 


2 


2 


7 


3 



Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
August is 382, as follows : 93 in 1899, 93 in 1900, 23 in 1902, 74 
in 1906, and 15 in 1908, 

The lowest temperature recorded was 51, on August 28, 1906; 
the highest was 98, on August 2, 1906. 

The extremes for each year were as follows: 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 103 



1899, 58.5 on August 15 and 88.5 on August 19; range 30. 

1900, 62 on August 31 and 92.1 on August 10; range 30.1. 
1902,' 54 on August 23 and 90 C on August 5; range 36. 
1903, 55 on August 12 and 86.5 on August 23; range 31.5. 
1906, 51 on August 28 and 98 on August 2; range 47. 
1908, 2 62.5 on August 27 and 87.4 on August 31; range 24.9 

Our records show no freezing temperature for August, 
greatest daily range was as follows: 



The 



August 3, 1899, from 69 C 
August 19, 1900, from 70 c 
August 5, 1902, from 65' 
August 21, 1903, from 59 C 
August 29, 1906, from 56 c 
August 28, 1908 2 , from 63 to 81, or 18. 

AIR TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1899 



to 88, or 19. 
to 91.5, or 21.5 C 
to 90, or 25. 
to 79, or 20. 
to 77.5, or 21.5 C 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


67.0 


73.5 


82.5 


74.3 


2 


75 


82 


76.5 


74.5 


3 


69 


80 


88 


79 


4 


73.5 


83 


80 


78.8 


5 


70 


73.5 


73 


72.2 


6 


69.5 


74.5 


76.5 


73.5 


7 


64 


76 


70 


70 


8 


62 


72 


73.5 


69.2 


9 


65 


80 


71 


72 


10 


70 


82.5 


80.5 


77.6 


11 


71 


87 


86.5 


81.5 


12 


72.5 


83.5 


76.5 


77.5 


13 


64.5 


71 


68 


67.8 


14 


62 


70 


74 


68.6 


15 


58.5 


75.5 


76 


70 


16 


60 


75 


78.5 


71.2 


17 


65 


80 


81.5 


68.8 


18 


69.5 


81 


81 


77.2 


19 


71 


88.5 


85 


81.5 


20 


72 


80.5 




76.2 


21 


71.5 


83 


77.5 


77.2 


22 


65 


79 


80 


74.6 


23 


72 


80 


82.5 


78.2 


24 


67 


83.5 


82.5 


78 


25 


67.5 


80 


81.5 


76.3 


26 


68 


82.5 


82.5 


77.<; 


27 


62.5 


82.5 


83 


76 


28 


70.5 


84 


82 


78.8 


29 


69 


75 


74 


72.6 


30 


70 


83.5 


83.5 


79 


31 


72 


81 


82 


78.3 


Average 


67.9 


79.5 


79 


75.1 













1 Records for only 12 days. 

2 Records for only 5 days. 



104 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


Range 


1 


65.8 


76.5 


78.0 


73.1 


79.4 


64.5 


14.9 


2 


69.5 


76 


76 


73.8 


79 


67.2 


11.8 


3 


69 


78 


81.1 


76 


82.8 


67.2 


15.6 


4 


7J.2 


89.8 


87 


82.3 


90.5 


67.4 


23.1 


5 


75 


89.8 


88 


84.2 


91 


73.6 


17.4 


6 


76.5 


87.5 


86.8 


83.6 


89.8 


74 


15.8 


7 


75 


89.5 


86. .5 


83.6 


80.6 


71.8 


8.8 


8 


76 


88 


85.1 


83 


90.4 


70.6 


19.8 


9 


74.5 


90.2 


87.5 


84 


91.5 


70.4 


21.1 


10 


77.4 


90.8 


88.4 


85.5 


92.1 


75.2 


16.9 


11 


77 


91 


78 


82 


92 


73.5 


18.5 


12 


69.5 


77 


76.4 


74.3 


81.8 


69.5 


12.3 


13 


68 


80.2 


81 


76.4 


84.5 


65.6 


18.9 


14 


67.6 


68.5 


77 


71 


80 


63 


17 


15 


71 


70.1 


72 


71 


73.2 


68.5 


4.7 


16 


65.8 


71 


77 


71.3 


78.5 


64.6 


13.9 


17 


73.9 


77 


75 


75.3 


80.5 


67 


13.5 


18 


73 


86.6 


87 


82.2 


90.4 


69.8 


20.6 


19 


77 


90 


68.5 


78.5 


91.5 


70 


21.5 


20 


71.5 


88.5 


81 


80.3 


90.5 


69.6 


20.9 


21 


64.8 


80.9 


75.5. 


73.4 


83.8 


63.2 


20.6 


22 


71.9 


79 


79 


76.6 


82.8 


70.5 


12.3 


23 


69.4 


71 


78 


72.8 


82 


69.4 


12.6 


24 


71.5 


83 


81 


78.5 


86 


70.2 


15.8 


25 


72 


84 


77.3 


77.7 


86.5 


70.6 


15.9 


26 


70.5 


80 


75.5 


75.3 


80.6 


69.8 


10.8 


27 


(8.5 


79.8 


78 


75.4 


82.2 


65.2 


17 


28 


65.5 


79 


78 


74.1 


81.8 


64.5 


17.3 


29 


69.5 


81 


78 


76.1 


82.6 


67 


15.6 


30 


61 


82.5 


81 


74.8 


84 


65 


19 


31 


63 


83 


82 


77.3 


85.2 


62 


23.2 


Average 


70.8 


81.9 


80 


77.5 









AIR TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


NOOT 


6 p. m. 


Average 


5 


65 


9J 




77.5 




56 


74 




65 


10 




75 






11 


56 









19 
20 
21 


72 
76 
65 


86 


80 
74 


79.3 
75 


22 
23 


56 
54 


66 


65 


62.3 


24 

28 
30 


60 
62 


76 
81 
88 


70 
73 


68.6 

72 












Average 


62.2 


79.5 


72.4 


71.4 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 105 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


57 


70 


73 


66. 6 J 


2 


64 


83 


69 


75.3 


3 


72 


87 


70.5 


77.1 


4 


66 


73.5 


75 


71.5 


5 


68 


78.5 


78.5 


75 


6 


68 


74 


68 


70 


7 ' 


55 


73 


67 


65 


8 


60 


76 


68 


68 


9 


62 


75 


68 


68.5 


10 


60 


75 


75 


70 


11 


56 


70 


64 


63.3 


12 


55 


67 


67 


63 


13 


60 


72 


70 


67.3 


14 


61.5 


74 


73 


69.5 


15 


60 


68 


65 


64.3 


16 


63 


75 


74 


70.6 


17 


63 


75 


71 


69.6 


18 


65 


81 


77 


74.3 


19 


63 


64 


69 


65.3 


20 


58 


75 


70 


67.6 


21 


59 


79 


75 


71 


22 


67 


81 


78 


75.3 


23. 


69 


86.5 


82.5 


79.6 


24 


73 


86 


85 


81.3 


25 


76 


86 


72 


78 


26 


60 


71 


75 


68.6 


27 


68 


78 


69 


71.6 


28 


65 


75 


76 


72 


Average 


63.3 


76 


72.7 


70.7 













106 Lo,ke Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


65.5 


83.5 


83.9 


77.6" 


2 


71 


88 


98 


85.7 


3 . 


65.9 


85.5 


75.9 


75.8 


4 


72.9 


91.5 


72.9 


79.1 


5 


75 


87.5 


71.9 


78.2 


6 


70.9 


88 


69 


76 


7 


68.8 


80 


73.4 


74.1 


8 


68.5 


79 


83.5 


77 


9 


70 








10 


67.5 


78 


76.9 


74.1 


11 


66.4 


79.5 


74.9 


73.6 


12 


59 


70.1 


70.1 


66.4 


13' 


59.9 


75 


72.5 


69.1 


14' 


65 








15' 






80 9 




16 


72.5 


87.8 


80.5 


80.3 


17 


71 


76.5 


74.1 


73.9 


18 


68 


81.8 


72.6 


74.1 


19 


75.5 








20 




90 5 


73 


81 8 


21 


80.5 








22 




89 


79 


84 


23 




90 


84 


87 


24 


70.5 


78.5 




74 5 


25 


82.5 








26 




89 5 


66 5 


78 


27 


58.9 


65 9 


61 


61.9 


28 


51 


66.9 


65.5 


61.1 


29 


56 


77.5 


75 


69.5 


30 


61.5 


68 


68 


65.8 


31 


59 


















Average 


67 4 


81 1 


75 1 


74 9 













1 Maximum for the day, 77.8. 

2 Maximum for the day, 74; minimum, 51.9. 
8 Maximum for the day, 89; minimum, 79. 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1908 



Date 1 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


27 


62.5 


80 


76 


72.8 


28 


63 


81 


76 


74.3 


29 


69 


73 


75 


72.3 


30 


70.5 


83 


82.1 


78.5 


31 


73 


87.4 


86 


82.1 


Average 


67 6 


80 9 


79 


75 8 













Records only for the last five days of the month. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 107 



AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 




1899 


67.9 


79.5 


79.0 


75.1 




1900 


70.8 


81.9 


80 


77.5 




1902 


62.2 


79.5 


72.4 


71.4 




1903 


63.3 


76 


72.7 


70.7 




1906 


67.4 


81.1 


75.1 


74.9 




1908 


67.6 


80.9 


79 


76 


Average for six years . . . 


66.5 


79.8 


76.4 


74.3 



SEPTEMBER 

Sky: The month of September generally contains a good pro- 
portion of fair bright days. Our table for 1900 shows a consider- 
able excess of cloudy days, but the conditions are reversed in 1903, 
when, however, we have only about a third of the month repre- 
sented. In 1906, the records cover only the first 19 days and are 
expressed in too general terms to easily adapt themselves to tabu- 
lar form, but which, of the 19 days, record 16 days as "fine" or 
"fair weather" and 3 as cloudy or showery. The only fairly com- 
plete record for September is that of 1900. In 1902 we have 
scattered records covering 6 days, too fragmentary to be tabulated. 
In 1903 we have continuous records only from the 21st to the 
30th, but as these are pretty full records they are entered. 

Winds: Calm days are frequent. In September, 1900, south 
winds were the most prevalent. In September, 1906, northeast 
winds were frequent ; these are usually cold disagreeable winds. 

Storms: Rainstorms are rather frequent most years and are 
accompanied by cool weather. Fogs are occasional, and this is 
the month of the first frosts. 

The following is the table for the two years : 





SKY 


WIND 






Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 




1900 


21 


31 


8 


3 


2 


2 


5 


10 


6 


1 


3 


13 


1903 


12 


6 





2 


1 





3 


7 


1 


1 


1 


1 



Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
September is 452, as follows : 84 in 1899, 88 in 1900, 11 in 1902, 25 
in 1903, 52 in 1906, 61 in 1907, 47 in 1908, and 84 in 1913. 

The lowest temperature recorded was 37 on September 29 and 
30, in 1899; the highest was 95 on September 1, 1913. 



108 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

The extremes for each year were as follows : 

1899, 37 on September 29 and 88 on September 2; range 
51. 

1900, 37.3 on September 18 and 90.3 on September 10; 
range 53. 

1902. 1 42 on September 14 and 80 on September 21; range 
38. 

1906. 2 51 on September 14 and 90 on September 12; range 
39. 

1907. 3 39 on September 25 and 86 on September 17; range 
47. 

1908. 4 50 on September 3 and 88 on September 11; range 
38. 

1913, 39 on September 22 and 23, and 95 on September 1; 
range 56. 



1 Records for only 6 days. 
- Records for only 19 days. 

3 Records for only 22 days. 

4 Records for only 17 days. 

Our records show no freezing temperature for September. The 
greatest daily range was as follows: 

September 16, 1899, from 50.5 to 86, or 35.5. 
September 5, 1900, from 59.5 to 88.8, or 29.3. 
September 5 and 21, 1902, 1 from 51 and 60 respectively to 

71 and 80 respectively, or 20. 
September 22, 1903, 2 from 56 to 76, or 20. 
September 11, 1906, 3 from 65.5 to 88.1, or 22.6. 
September 14, 1907, 4 from 62 to 80, or 18. 
September 3 and 11, 1908, 5 , from 50 and 64 respectively to 

72 and 88 respectively, or 22. 
September 10, 1913, from 51 to 75, or 24. 



1 Records for only 3 days. 

2 Records for only 7 days. 

3 Records for only 16 days. 

4 Records for only 19 days. 

5 Records for only 15 days. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 109 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


73 


81.5 


79 


77.8 


2 


73 


88 


84 


81.6 


3 


76.8 


84.7 


72.4 


77.9 


4 


59.6 








6 


71.5 


78.5 


80 


76.6 


7 


75 


79.1 


77 


77 


8 


68 


73 


68 


69.6 


9 


60 


70 




65 


10 


59.5 


63 


63 


61.8 


11 


62 


69.5 


71 


67.5 


12 


63 


70 


67.5 


66.8 


13 


58 


68 


58 


61.3 


14 


47.5 


58.5 


60 


55.3 


15 


51 


70 


71 


62 


16 


59.5 


86 


82 


75 8 


17 


69 


84.6 


70 


74.5 


18 


65 


66 


63.2 


64.7 


19 


56 


56.4 


55.5 


55.9 


20 


47 


61.6 


54 


54.2 


21 


46.5 


68 


66 


60.1 


22 


57 


72 


59 


62.6 


23 


55.6 


61 


65.5 


60.7 


24 


62 


71.6 


59 


64.2 


25 


49.5 


55 


51 


51.8 


26 


44 


54.5 


48 


48.8 


27 


42 


60.2 


60 


54 


28 


55 


57 


50 


54 


29 


37 


46.5 


41 


41.5 


30 


37 


47.5 


39 


41.1 


Average . . . 


58 


67.9 


63.5 


63.1 













110 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1900 



Da:e 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


71.8 


85 


74 


76.9 


85.0 


71.8 


2 


71 


82 


75 


76 


82.5 


71 


3 


70 


76.5 


71.5 


72.6 


78 


67.5 


4 


61 


76.2 


75 


70.7 


79 


59.8 


5 


64.2 


87 


84.5 


78.5 


88.8 


59.5 


6 


74 


88 


75 


79 


88 


73 


7 


06 


73 


75 


71.3 


77 


63 


8 


64.5 




78.8 


71.6 


82.9 


63 


9 


71 


85.2 


74 


76.7 


86 


66 


10 


69.5 


88.2 


. 77 


78.2 


90.3- 


69.5 


11 


73 


87.5 


79 


79.8 


88.6 


71.5 


12 


63 


71.5 


67.8 


t>7.4 


78 


58.5 


13 


58.5 


74 


73 


68.5 


77.3 


53 


14 


62.2 


79 


76.5 


72.5 


80.6 


60.5 


15 


62 


81.9 


80 


74.6 


85.5 


61.5 


16 


53.6 


57.6 


55 


55.4 


71.6 


53.5 


17 


45 




52 


47.5 


57 


44.5 


18 


38.5 


63 


64 


55.1 


66 


37.5 


19 


57 


58.8 


60.4 


58.7 


61.6 


55 


20 


62 5 


74.5 


71 


69.3 


77 


60.5 


21 


52 


62.2 


61.5 


60.2 


70 


51 


22 


51.5 


68 


65.5 


61.6 


70 


48.6 


23 


55 


72.7 


65 


64.2 


75 


54 


24 


56.5 


72.5 


63.5 


64.1 


76 


51 


25 


71 


87.5 


83 


80.5 


88.8 


70.5 


26 


70 


75.9 


66.5 


70.8 


80.5 


65.5 


27 


58.5 


60.5 


58.7 


59.2 


64.5 


58 


28 


56 


65 


67.5 


62.8 


69.5 


55.2 


29 


59 


61.5 


57 


59.1 


66.2 


55 


30 


50.5 


62.8 


63.1 


58.8 


63.1 


44 


Average 


61.3 


74.2 


69.7 


68.1 





















AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


5 


51 


71 




61 


13 


43 








14 


42 








21 
23 


60 
66 


80 


72 


70.6 


28 


60 


64 


60 


61.3 


Average 


53.7 


71.7 


66 


64.3 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 111 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


21 


55 5 




60 


57 7 


22 


56 


76 


64 


65.3 


23 


59 








24 


50 








25 


46 


70 




58 


26 


60 


-78 


60 


66 


27 


46 


50 


46 


47 


28 


44 


65 


59 


56 


29 


56 


70 


65 


60 


30 


60 


71 


68 


66.3 


Average 


53 3 


67 1 


60 2 


59.5 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER. 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


51 


73 


71.5 


65.2 


2 


71.1 


71 


66 


69.4 


3 


62.5 


70 


65 


65.8 


4 


59.5 




73 


66.3 


5 


56.2 


75 


68 


66.4 


6 


62 


79 


70 


70.3 


7 


63.9 


80.9 


73.9 


72.9 


8 




80.5 


72 


76.3 


9 


69 


81 


75 


75 


10 


63 




67 


65 


11 


65.5 


88.1 


74.9 


76.2 


12 


66 


90 


69 


71.7 


13 


67.5 


68 


69 


68.2 


14 


51 


58.6 


63.1 


57.6 


15 


52 


69 


59.8 


60.3 


16 


61 


77 


70 


69.3 


17 


63 


83 


74 


73.3 


18 


66 


83.5 


82 


77.2 


19 


70 


















Average 


62.2 


76.7 


70.2 


69.3 













112 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1907 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


7 






63 




8 


62 


69 


69 


66.7 


9 


68 


68 


61 


65.7 


10 


55 


57 


56.5 


56.2 


11 


52 


66 


64 


60.7 


12 


56.5 


75 


79.5 


70.3 


13 


62 


79 


73 


71.3 


14 


62 


80 




71 


17 


73 


86 


72 


77 


18 


68 


70 


79 


72.3 


19 


72 


85 


79 


78.7 


20 


72 


78 


73 


74.3 


21 


56.9 


70 


64 


63.6 


22 


47 


60 


59 


55.3 


23 


55 




65 


60 


24 


58 


63 


54 


58.3 


25 


39 


51 


49 


46.3 


26 


43 


58 


58 


53 


27 


52 


51 


57 


53.3 


28 


58 


61 


58 


59 


29 


54 


55 


55 


54.7 


30 


51 




54 


52.5 












Average 


58 


67.5 


63.9 


62.9 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1908 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


74 


75 




74.5 


2 


63.5 


70.5 


60 


64.7 


3 


50 


72 


66.5 


62.8 


4 


58.1 


75 


67 


66.7 


5 


61 




80 


70.5 


6 


69 


77 


66 


70.7 


7 


54 


70 


69.5 


64.5 


8 


59 








9 


62.5 


79.5 


SO 


74 


10 


65.5 


82.8 


78 


75.4 


11 


64 


88 




76 


12 


69 


83.5 




76.8 


13 


68 


83 


77.9 


76.3 


14 


65 


78 


75 


72.7 


15 


67 


73 


75 


71.7 


16 


60 


78 


79 


72.3 


17 1 


66 


81 


78 


75 


Average 


63.3 


77.8 


73.2 


71.5 













1 At 6 a. m. on ths 23th ths air was 43, and tha maximum for that day was 92. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 113 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1913 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 




95 






2 




94 







3 




93 


81 


87.0 


4 


65 




79 


72 


5 


64 


76 


79 


73 


6 


67 


86 


87 


80 


7 


73 


87 


76 


78.7 


8 


69 


76 


71 


72 


9 


53 


73 


68 


64.7 


10 


51 


75 


74 


66.7 


11 


58 


81 


69 


69.3 


12 


60 


67 


62 


63 


13 


49 


- 65 


63 


59 


14 


50 


69 


64 


61 


15 


49 


65 


63 


59 


16 


63 


69 


70 


67.3 


17 


67 


67 


62 


65.3 


18 


55 


65 


60 


60 


19 


51 


71 


67 


63 


20 


62 


54 


49 


55 


21 


44 


49 


43 


52 


22 


39 


49 


47 


45 


23 


39 


60 


62 


53.7 


24 


56 


78 


70 


68 


25 


55 


76 


72 


67.7 


26 


50 


52 


53 


51.7 


27 


41 


60 


60 


53.7 


28 


48 


66 


60 


58 


29 


61 


70 


67 


66 


30 


59 


73 


63 


65 


Average 


55.3 


71 


65.8 


64.1 



AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1899 


58.0 


67.9 


63.5 


63.1 


1900 


61.3 


74.2 


69.7 


68.1 


1902 


53.7 


71.7 


66 


64.3 


1903 


53.3 


67.1 


60.2 


59.5 


1906 


62.2 


76.7 


70.2 


69.3 


1907 


58 


67.5 


63.9 


62.9 


1908 


63.3 


77.8 


73.2 


71.5 


1913 


55.3 


71 


65.8 


64.1 


Average for eight years. 


58.1 


71.7 


66.6 


65.4 



OCTOBER 

Sky: The records are fairly complete for October in the years 
1899, 1900, 1903 and 1913. We have also a fragmentary record 
for 1902 which is too incomplete to tabulate. 



114 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



October is singularly blest with bright, sunny days, the clear 
periods having outnumbered the cloudy periods every year obser- 
vations were taken, and in the sum total of our records exceeding 
the cloudy periods by nearly 50 per cent. 

Winds: It is also a month of calm, the number of calm pe- 
riods generally exceeding that of any other month. October is 
made up largely of pleasant hazy Indian summer days. When the 
calms are broken it is usually by pleasant southeast or southerly 
winds, winds from the north, northeast, west and northwest being 
the least frequent. 

Storms: Storms are not frequent, and such rains as fall are 
usually gentle drizzles such as weight down the loosened leaves and 
bring them to earth. Fogs are common in low places, especially 
in the morning. There are few records of frost, probably on ac- 
count of the fogs. 

The following table gives the general weather features : 





SKY 


WINDS 






Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 




1899 


8 


5 


4 


4 


1 


2 


3 


6 


2 


1 


2 


6 


1900 


46 


32 


27 


1 


6 


10 


19 


10 


3 


2 


5 


9 


*1903 


22 


20 


8 


2 





2 


3 


9 


14 


3 





3 



Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
October is 507, as follows: 88 in 1899, 93 in 1900, 27 in 1902, 
24 in 1903, 42 in 1904, 45 in 1906, 93 in 1907, 1 in 1908, 1 in 
1912, and 93 in 1913. 

The lowest temperature recorded was 28.5 on October 11, 
1906 ; the highest was 84 on October 5, 1900. 

The extremes for each year were as follows : 



1899, 36 

1900, 33.7 

1902. 1 33 

1903. 2 46 

1904. 3 30 
42. 

1906, 28.5 

1907, 33 
1913, 30 

53. 



on October 1 and 82 on October 15; range 46. 
on October 17 and 85 on October 5; range 51.3 c 
on October 29 and 93 on October 26; range 60. 
on October 10 and 80 on October 3; range 34. 
on October 28 and 72 on October 18 and 19; range 

on October 11 and 68 on October 17; range 39.5. 
on October 19 and 78 on October 2; range 45. 
on October 21 and 31 and 83 on October 10; range 



1 Records for only 11 days. 

2 Records for only 8 days. 

8 Records for only 14 days. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 115 

Freezing temperatures were recorded as follows: In 1899, 
1900, 1903, and 1907, none; in 1904, October 27, 32 and October 
28, 30 ; in 1906, October 10, 28.9 and October 11, 28.5 ; in 1913, 
October 21, 30, October 22, 32, and October 31, 30. 

The greatest daily range was as follows: 

October 15, 1899, from 60.5 to 82, or 21.5. 

October 4, 1900, from 62.5 to 84.5, or 22. 

October 26, 1902, 1 from 63 to 93, or 30. 

October 10, 1903, : from 46 to 64, or 18. 

October 28, 1904, 3 from 30 to 51, or 21. 

October 20, 1906 4 from 42 to 63.8, or 21.8. 

October 19 and 22, 1907, from 33 and 40 respectively to 

54 and 61 respectively, or 21. 
October 9, 1913, from 50 to 77, or 27. 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


36 


53 


54.5 


47.8 


2 


49 


60 


59 


56 


3 


50 


71.5 


66.5 


62.6 


4 


50 


65 


59 


58 


5 


48 


61.6 


56 


55.2 


6 


45 


62.5 


58 


55.1 


7 


47 


61.5 


55 


54.5 


8 


44.5 


55 


53.2 


50.6 


9 


42.5 


64 


63 


56.5 


10 


58 


75.2 


63 


65.4 


11 


59.5 


61.5 


63 


61.3 


12 


60.5 


69 


67 


65.5 


13 


64 


72 


77 


71 


14 


65.5 


75 


69 


69.8 


15 


60.5 


82 


76 


72.8 


16 


64 


78.8 


60 


67.6 


17 


50 


53 


52 


51.3 


18 


44 








19 








60 


20 








46 


21 








44 


22 


49 


65 




57 


23 


59 


78 


67 


68 


24 


57 


75 


65 


66 


25 


57 


77 


62 


65.3 


26 


56 


73 


59 


62.6 


27 


54 




53 ' 


53.5 


28 


51 




51 


51 


29 


43 


56 


50 


49.6 


30 


38 


57 


54 


49.6 


31 


42 


59 


43.5 


48.2 


Average 


51.6 


66.4 


59.8 


58.1 













1 Records for only 11 days. 

2 Records for only 8 days. 

* Records for only 14 days. 
4 Records for only 14 days. 



116 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


54.3 


67 


66.0 


62.4 


69 


53.6 


2 


58.5 


77 


73 


69.5 


78.5 


58.5 


3 


62.5 


81.5 


72.5 


72.1 


83 


62.2 


4 


62.5 


83.5 


76.9 


74.3 


84.5 


62.5 


5 


67 


84 


79.8 


76.9 


85 


64.9 


6 


65 


79.5 


74 


72.8 


84.8 


63 


7 


58 


56.5 


53.5 


59.3 


72.5 


52.8 


8 


50.8 


57.5 


51.5 


53.3 


59.8 


50.2 


9 


40.5 


59.5 


54 


51.3 


61 


39.4 


10 


44 


61.5 


60.5 


55.3 


62.4 


41.5 


11 


49 


62 


62 


57.7 


64.5 


46.5 


12 


51.9 


64 


61.1 


59 


65 


51.3 


13 


54.2 


63.9 


63.3 


60.5 


67.2 


51.7 


14 


48.7 


67.5 


61.9 


.59.4 


70.6 


46.5 


15 


48.9 


70.1 


68 


62.3 


73.4 


47.2 


16 


55.3 


55 


51.8 


54 


62 


47.3 


17 


35 


54.5 


52.5 


47.3 


58.4 


33.7 


18 


38.1 


64 


58 


53.4 


67.1 


37.4 


19 


46.3 


60 


59.5 


55.3 


63 


46 


20 


48 


67 


61.9 


59 


68.5 


47.6 


21 


61.1 


65.1 


66.6 


64.3 


69.5 


54.4 


22 


65.8 


69.2 


65.2 


66.7 


70 


60.3 


23 


57.9 


65.3 


61.5 


61.6 


66.4 


57 


24 


43.7 


64.5 


62.5 


56.9 


66.2 


47.5 


25 


55.3 


70 


66.2 


63.8 


72.5 


55.1 


26 


59.3 


76.3 


59.9 


65.2 


77.5 


58.3 


27 


47.3 


64 


61.8 


57.7 


67.7 


46.2 


28 


53.9 


69.5 


67 


63.8 


73.2 


51.2 


29 


61.5 


71.3 


69.5 


67.4 


74.7 


61.1 


30 


62.7 


68 


65 


65.2 


71.7 


62.3 


31 


61 


71.5 


70.1 


67.5 


75 


61 


Average 


53.8 


67.4 


63.8 


61.5 











AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1902 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


16 


48 








19 


53 


65 


55 


57.6 


20 


43 


59 


53 


51.3 


21 


43 


58 


54 


51.6 


22 


50 


68 


65 


61 


23 


58 


70 


65 


64.3 


24 


60 


75 


70 


68.3 


25 


60 


73 


64 


65 


26 
29 


63 
33 


93 


63 


73 


31 






55 
















51.1 


70.1 


60.4 


61.6 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 117 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


66 


74 


67 


69 


2 


61 


. 73 


68 


67.3 


3 


65 


80 


76 


73.6 


4 


64 


76 


70 


70 


5 


67 


69 


66 


67.3 


6 


66 


70 


68 


66 


7 


66 


68 


61 


65 


10 


46 


64 


60 


56.6 


Average 


62 6 


71 7 


67 


67 1 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1904 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


18 


55 


72 


66 


64.3 


19 


53 


72 


66 


63.6 


20 


50 


50 


47 


49 


21 


43 


47 


43 


44.3 


22 


39 


46 


40 


41.6 


23 


33 


50 


44.6 


42.5 


24 


46 


57.5 


52.5 


52 ^ 


25 


40 


43.5 


42 


41.8 


26 


37 


50 


43 


43.3 


27 


32 


42 


40 


38 


28 


30 


51 


48 


43 


29 


38.2 


60 


53.9 


50.7 


30 


40 


53 


50.5 


47.8 


31 


37 


58 


53.9 


49.6 


Average 


40.9 


53.7 


49.3 


48 













118 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1806 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


5 






51.0 




9 


39.0 








10 




- 


28.5 




11- 


28.5 


40.0 


33.5 


34.0 


12 


34.9 


51.8 


49.8 


45.5 


13 


53 


65 


60.5 


59.5 


14. 


44 


65 


58 


56.5 


15 


47.8 


63.7 


57.8 


56.4 


16 


50 


62 


61.5 


57.8 


17' 


54 


68 


62.1 


61.4 


18 


56 


64.9 


62.8 


61.2 


19 


48.8 


62.8 


57.5 


56.4 


20 


42 


63.8 


52 


52.6 


21 


43 


61 


59 


54.3 


22 


50 


55 


54.5 


53.2 


23 


56.6 


56 


56.9 


56.2 


24 


59 


56 


49 


54.7 


27 


46 


37.5 


37 


40.2 


28 


. 32.5 


31.5 


32 


32 


29 


30.5 


41 


43.5 


38.3 


30 


38.5 


49.5 


36 


41.3 


31 


28 


37.6 


37.2 


34.2 


Average 


44.2 


54.3 


49.5 


49.8 













'Minimum for the llth, 28.5 
'Minimum for the 17th, 44. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 119 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1907 



Date 


6 n. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


50 


09 


65 


61.3 


2 


60 


78 


71 


69.7 


3 


67 


74 


69 


70 


4 


57 


63 


57 


59 


5 


48 


63 


56 


55.7 


6 


49 


69 


64 


60.7 


7 


62 


66 


57 


61.7 


8 


42 


53 


50 


48.3 


9 


47 


61 


54 


54 


10 


42 


61 


60 


54.3 


11 


41 


50 


43 


44.7 


12 


38 


44 


43 


41.7 


13 


39 


46 


46 


43.7 


14 


36 


55 


52 


47.7 


15 


44 


53 


51 


49.3 


16 


52 


61 


58 


57 


17 


54 


69 


65 


62.7 


18 


47 


49 


44 


46.7 


19 


33 


51 


51 


46 


20 


47 


48 


43 


46 


21 


36 


53 


48 


45.7 


22 


40 


61 


60 


53.7 


23 


45 


54 


46 


48.3 


24 


37 


56 


53 


48.7 


25 


46 


55 


44 


48.3 


26 


36 


44 


42 


40.7 


27 


44 


45 


39 


42.7 


28 


36 


41 


38 


38.3 


29 


38 


45 


45 


42.7 


30 


43 


46 


47 


45.3 


31 


42 


57 


52 


50.3 


Average 


45.1 


56.2 


52 


51.1 













120 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1913 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


54 


66 


64 


61.3 


2 


52 


63 


58 


57.7 


3 


43 


64 


64 


57 


4 


50 


74 


66 


63.3 


5 


56 


70 


64 


63.3 


6 


62 


76 


69 


69 


7 


61 


81 


68 


70 


8 


61 


77 


69 


69 


9 


60 


77 


71 


69.3 


10 


63 


S3 


78 


74.7 


11 


49 


56 


51 


52 


12 


47 


63 


55 


55 


13 


46 


62 


59 


55.7 


14 


51 


72 


66 


63 


15 


55 


72 


58 


61.7 


16 


54 


60 


59 


57.7 


17 


59 


63 


52 


58 


18 


43 


50 


48 


47 


19 


42 


53 


47 


47.3 


20 


40 


43 


38 


40.3 


21 


30 


34 


36 


33.3 


22 


32 


39 


39 


36.7 


23 


39 


45 


43 


42.3 


24 


45 


54 


50 


49.7 


25 


40 


51 


49 


46.7 


26 


37 


58 


49 


48 


27 


43 


44 


43 


43.3 


28 


40 


46 


44 


43.3 


29 


40 


50 


35 


41.7 


30 


34 


40 


37 


37 


31 


30 


39 


32 


33.7 


Average 


47 


58.9 


53.6 


53.2 













AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1899 


51.6 


66.4 


59.8 


58.1 


1900 


53.8 


67.4 


63.8 


61.5 


1902 


51.1 


70.1 


60.4 


61.6 


1903 


62.6 


71.7 


67 


67.1 


1904 


40.9 


53.7 


49.3 


48 


1906 


44.2 


54.3 


49.5 


49.8 


1907 


45.1 


56.2 


52 


51.1 


1913 


47 


58.9 


53.6 


51.1 


Average for eight years. 


49.5 


62.3 


56.9 


56.3 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 121 



NOVEMBER 

Sky: Unlike October, November is prevalently a cloudy month, 
there being more cloudy periods than clear for every year for 
which we have a record, the cloudy periods for the entire time ex- 
ceeding the clear by nearly 50 per cent. 

Air: Calm periods are still frequent, east winds are the least 
frequent, but the others are pretty well distributed. 

Storms: Storms, both rain and snow are common. It is 
usually a foggy month, the fogs generally being dissipated during 
the day but forming again during the night. Eleven fogs were 
observed during this month in 1900. Frosts are very frequent, 13 
having been recorded for November in 1900. It is the month in 
which the pools first freeze over. 

There are fairly full records for November for four years, 
which are given in the following table: 





SKY 


WIND,. 








Snow- 






Clear dourly 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. | S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 








inches 




1899 


6 


10 


1 


S 


10 


2 


12 


i 


2 


9 


1 












1900 


35 


52 


24 


2 


8 





12 


5 


15 


18 


7 


14 


13 


10 


3 


11 


1902 


3 


6 





2 


2 





2 


3 


2 


1 


1 


5 




2 


5.5 




1904 


28 


43 


16 


14 


1 


1 


5 


11 


6 


6 


6 


9 




7 




5 



Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
November is 402, as follows: 

Three in 1898, 90 in 1899, 90 in 1900, 52 in 1902, 90 in 1904, 3 
in 1906, 3 in 1902, 1 in 1910, 3 in 1912, and 67 in 1913. 

The lowest temperature recorded was 5 on November 26, 1898. 
The highest was 70 on November 1, 1900, and again on November 
2, 1902, and November 20, 1913. 

The extremes for each year were as follows: 

1899, 30 on November 4 and 61 on November 17; range 31. 

1900, 15.9 on November 16 and 70 on November 1; range 
54.1. 

1902. 1 22 on November 28 and 70 on November 2; range 48. 
1904, 19 on November 27 and 64 on November 3; range 45. 

1913. 2 20 on November 11 and 70 on November 20; range 
50. 

Records of temperatures at or below freezing were made as fol- 
lows: In 1898, at 6 a.m. November 24, 26 and 27 (the only rec- 

1 Records for only 17 days. 
- Records for only 24 days. 



122 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

ords for that month in 1898) ; in 1899, at 6 a. m. on November 4, 
5, 12, 26, 27 and 28, none at noon or 6 p. m. ; in 1900, at 6 a. m. 
on November 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 23, 26, 27, 29 and 30, at noon on 
November 14, 15, 16 and 29, at 6 p. m. on November 8, 13, 14, 15, 
28 and 29. In other words, there were 10 days in November, 
1900, when the temperature fell to or below freezing. In 1902 it 
was below freezing at 6 a. m. on November 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30 ; 
at noon on no day, at 6 p. m. on November 29. In 1904 it was at or 
below freezing at 6 a. m. on November 6, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 26, 27, 
28 and 30, at noon on November 26, 27, 29 and 30. There were, 
therefore, 10 days in November, 1904, when the temperature fell 
to or below freezing. In 1907, our only records are for November 
1.8 and 27 when the temperature was 20 and 30 respectively, at 
6 a. m. Our only record for 1910 is for' 6 a. m. November 6, when 
it was 20. In 1912 we have only 3 records, all taken at 6 a.m., 
viz., November 1, 37, November 2, 25, and November 3, 25. In 
1913, the temperature fell to or below freezing at 6 a. m. on Novem- 
ber 1, 9, 10, 11, and 12; at noon on November 9; and at 6 p.m. 
on November 8, 9, and 11. 

The greatest daily range was as follows: 

November 9, 1899, from 40 to 59.5, or 19.5. 
November 22, 1900, from 36 to 67, or 31. 
November 28, 1902, 1 from 22 to 38, or 16. 
November 18, 1904, from 34 to 64, or 30. 
November 12, 1913, 2 from 32 to 52, or 20. 

Am TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1898 

We have only three records for this month, viz. : November 
24, 20 ; 26th, 5 ; 27th, 20, all at 6 a.m. 

1 Records for only 17 days. 

2 Records for only 24 days. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 123 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


40 


"48.5 


44 


44.1" 


2 


34 


40 


36 


37 


3 


34 


38 


34 


35.1 


4 


30 


40 


37 


35.6 


5 


27 


44.5 


42 


37.8 


6 


33 


44 


42 


39.6 


7 


37 


56 


48 


43.6 


8 


40 


56 


45 


47 


9 


40 


59.5 


50 


49.8 


10 


43 


55 


57.5 


51.8 


11 


43 


53 


40 


45.3 


12 


32 


42 


38 


37.3 


13 


33 


51 


50 


44.6 


14 


48 


51 


48 


49 


15 


46 


48 


46 


46.6 


16 


47 


56 


54 


52.3 


17 


49 


61 


55 


55 


18 


56 


57 


50 


54.3 


19 


42 


56 


50 


49.3 


20 


42 


61 


51 


51.3 


21 


49 


59 


54 


54 


22 


51 


55 


50 


52 


23 


41 


41 


42 


41.3 


24 


38 


41 


40 


39 


25 


38 


41 


36 


38.3 


26 


32 


46 


36 


38 


27 


32 


42 


36 


36.6 


28 


32 


50 


56 


46 


29 


36 


43 


42 


37.3 


30 


40 


56 


52.5 


47.5 


Average 


39.5 


49.7 


45.4 


44.6 













124 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


51.8 


51.5 


.50 


51.1 


70.0 


49.7 


2 


37.2 


55.1 


52.3 


48.2 


56.8 


36.5 


3 


37.9 


60.5 


53.4 


50.6 


61.3 


36 


4 


45.3 


64.1 


58.9 


56.1 


66.3 


44.8 


5 


38.8 


57 


51 


48.9 


58.2 


37 


6 


33 


48.5 




40.8 


52 


32 


7 


36 


47.5 


42.5 


42 


49 


31.7 


8 


29.6 


34.5 


30.8 


31.6 


37.5 


29.2- 


9 


32.2 


38.1 


37.6 


35.9 


41.4 


27.8 


10 


33.5 


34.9 


36.8 


35.1 


36.8 


27.9 


11 


33.9 


39.6 


36 


36.5 


41.8 


33 


12 


28.2 


42.8 


41 


37.3 


45 


28.2 


13 


37.3 


39 


27.8 


34.7 


45.7 


26.8 


14 


16.5 


28.6 


27.5 


24.2 


30.2 


16 


15 


27 


30 


27.5 


28.2 


32.5 


16 


16 


19.5 


31.5 


34 


28.3 


34.5 


15.9 


17 


34.1 


42 


48.5 


41.5 


49.1 


30.3 


18 


32 


52.3 


55.5 


53.3 


56.1 


42.1 


19 


55 


57.5 


57.7 


56.7 


60.5 


55 


20 


59.4 


67 


61.2 


62.5 


64 


55 


21 


42.6 


38.4 


37.2 


39.4 


62 


35.5 


22 


41 


63 


61 


55 


67 


36 


23 


29.5 


38.5 


40 


36 


43.2 


28.6 


24 


38 


38.5 


37.5 


38 


40.1 


36.5 


25 


33.8 


33.5 


32.7 


33.3 


35 


32.1 


26 


28.3 


40.1 


34.8 


34.4 


42.1 


26.9 


27 


28.3 


44.3 


46.8 


39.8 


49.9 


26.1 


28 


32.5 


35 


31.1 


32.9 


39 


31.3 


29 


29.1 


30.3 


29.1 


29.5 


31.5 


27.8 


30 


27.3 


44 


42.9 


38.1 


47 


24 


Average 


35.6 


44.3 


44.2 


40.7 





















AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1902 



Date 



Average. 



6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


56 


67 


61 


62 


66 


70 


65 


67 






57 




55 








38 


50 


42 


43.3 


40 


52 


48 


46.6 


60 


67 


62 


63 


60 


69 


60 


63 


61 


70 


64 


65 


63 


68 


56 


62.3 


45 


48 


45 


46 


45 


45 


44 


44.6 , 


60 


68 


61 


63 


48 








30 


44 




37 


40 


40 


40 


40 


30 


34 


30 


31.3 


22 


38 


33 


31 


30 


40 


32 


34 


30 


40 




35 










46.3 


53.5 


50 


49.1 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 125 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1904 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


40.0 


62.0 


57.0 


53.0 






2 


43 


64 


54 


53.6 






3 


43 


64 


56 


54.3 






4 


40.5 


61 


52 


51.2 






5 


41.9 


48 


42 


43.9 






6 


32 


42 


41 


39 






7 


35 


52.2 


49 


45.4 






8 


36 


40.2 


40.1 


38.8 






9 


36 


40 


40 


38.6 






10 


35.5 


39 


33 


35.8 






11 


27.8 


40 


35.9 


31.2 




21 5 


12 


25 


40 


36.2 


33.7 




23.5 


13 


30 


38.4 


34.9 


34.4 




27 


14 


34 


39 


36 


36 3 




33 2 


15 


29.9 


48.8 


42.6 


39 




29.2 


16 
17 
18 
19 


31 
38.1 
36 
45 


52 
53 
58 
63.2 


45 
50.5 
52 
56 


42.6 
47.2 
48.6 
54 7 


56.5 
57 
64 
64 


30.5 
33.9 
34 


20 
21 


51 
30 


45.5 
49 


42 
43 


46.2 
40 6 


57 
50 1 


42 


22 


35.5 


52 


41 


42 8 


54 




23 


38 


55 


48 5 


47 2 






24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 


40 
35 
24 
19 
25 
37 


42 

38 
28.2 
27 
34 


38 
34 
27 
25 
33.8 
25 


40 
35.6 
26.4 
23.6 
30.9 
31 


49 
46 
35 
42 
35.4 


38 
33 
23 
18.5 
22 
34 


30 


19.5 


33 


25 


25 8 




















Average 


34 4 


46 2 


41 2 


40 4 





















126 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


31.5 


44.9 


41.8 


39.7 


2 


32.1 


48.6 


46.1 


42.2 


3 


42 


53 


41.6 


45.5 


4 


40 5 




43.9 


42.2 


5 


38 


61.1 


49 


49.3 


6 


39 








7 


55 








8 


42 


54 


51 


49 


9 


46.5 


46.5 


39 


44 


10 


34 


44 


37 


38.3 


11 


36 


39.0 


34 


36.6 


12 


29.5 


35.1 


29.2 


31.2 


13 


28 


32.5 


32.5 


29.5 


14 


27.9 


41 


36.9 


35.2 


15 


30 


40 


35 


35 


16 


32.5 


42.5 


46.5 


34.4 


17 


50.5 


46.5 


43 


46.6 


18 


43 


42 1 




42.5 


19 


31.5 


36.5 


35.5 


34.5 


20 


34 


33 9 




33.9 


21 


41 5 




30 


35.8 


23 


34 




















37 2 


43 7 


39.2 


39.2 













AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1909 

Our only records for this month are: November 18, 20, and 
November 27, 30, both at 6 a. m. Maximum for November 27, 45. 

AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1910 
The only record for this month is that of 20 at 6 a. m. on the 



6th. 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1912 



There are only three records for this month, all at 6 a. m., viz., 
37 on the first, 25 on the second, and 25 on the third. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 127 

AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1913 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


25 


42 






8 




32 






9 


29 


28 


25 


27.3 


10 


27 








11 


20 


34 


32 


28.7 


12 


32 


52 


52 


45.3 


13 


55 


56 


46 


52.3 


14 


42 


45 


45 


44 


15 


38 


37 


36 


37 


16 


38 


43 


40 


40.3 


17 


42 


52 


53 


49 


18 


54 


60 


62 


58.7 


19 


60 


'~ 64 


62 


62 


20 


65 


70 


60 


65 


21 


59 


65 


67 


63.7 


22 


58 


69 


65 


64 


23 


40 


44 


43 


42.3 


24 


34 


38 


40 


37.3 


25 


33 


45 


48 


42 


26 


42 


46 


49 


45.7 


27 


45 


46 


48 


46.3 


28 


48 


56 


60 


54.7 


29 


54 


60 


58 


57.3 


30 


57 


60 


58 


58.3 


Average 


43.3 


49.7 


49.9 


48.6 













AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1899 


39.5 


49.7" 


45.4 


44.6 


1900 


35.6 


44.3 


42.2 


40.7 


1902 


46.3 


53.5 


50 


49.1 


1904 


34.4 


46.2 


41.2 


40.4 


1913 


43.3 


49.7 


49.9 


47.3 


Average for five years. . 


39.8 


48.7 


45.7 


44.5 



DECEMBER 

Sky: We have an unusually full record for December, cover- 
ing the month for 1899, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1913, and a good part 
of 1901. 

December is generally a cloudy month, our observations for 
every year except 1899 showing more cloudy periods than clear, the 
excess of cloudy periods usually being considerable. 

Winds: Periods of calm are generally frequent, the weather 
being as a usual thing pretty well settled and steady. North winds 
are the least common, those from the southeast the most frequent. 

917618 



128 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Winds from other directions are common and pretty evenly dis- 
tributed. 

Storms: Rainstorms are generally pretty frequent, but not so 
much so as snowstorms.. We have a record of 2 sleet storms in 
1904, and of several fogs. 

The various elements of weather are exhibited in the following 
table : 



Year 


SKY 


WIND 


Rains 


Rain- 
fall in 
inches 


Snows 


Snow- 
fall in 
inches 


Fogs 


Clear 


Cloudy 


Calm 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 


1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 
1904 
1913 


19 
28 
12 
8 
32 
17 


11 

63 
17 
19 
59 
19 


1 
24 


20 


1 

1 

4 


1 
6 
1 
3 
6 
1 


3 
4 

1 

i5 


11 
13 
4 
4 
5 


1 
5 
4 
3 
11 


8 
13 
6 
12 
10 


8 
10 
4 
1" : 
13 


6 

10 
7 
3 
3 
1 


4 
5 
3 
6 
4 
3 




6 
9 

4 
3 
11 
4 


4 

m 

i 

14 


1 
5 




3 






1 





















Temperatures: The total number of temperature records for 
December is 528, as follows : 4 in 1898, 93 in 1899, 83 in 1900, 72 
in 1901, 88 in 1902, 93 in 1904, 2 in 1907, and 93 in 1913. 

The lowest temperature recorded was -13 on December 19, 
1901 ; the highest was 54 on December 18, 1901. 

The extremes for each year were as follows : 

1899, -1 on December 31 and 54 on December 8; range 55. 

1900, 10.4 on December 29, and 50.1 on December 22; range 
39.7. 

1901, 1 -13 on December 19 and 54 on December 18; range 

67. 

1902, 4 on December 9 and 47 on December 1; range 43. 
1904, 3 on December 29 and 55 on December 23; range 52. 
1913, 17 on December 7 and 62 on December 3; range 45. 

Records of temperatures at or below freezing are as follows: 
In 1898 at 6 a. m., December 7, 8, 9 and 14 (the only records made 
for that month in 1898) . In 1899 at 6 a. m. on December 4, 5, 
6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 
and 31 ; at noon on December 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25, 26, 27, 
28, 29, 30 and 31 ; at 6 p. m. on December 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 
16, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. The temperature was 
at or below freezing at 6 a. m. on 21 days, at noon on 14 days, and 
at 6 p.m. on 19 days. In 1900 it was at or below freezing at 6 
a. m. on December 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 
24, 28, 29, 30, and 31 ; at noon on December 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 

1 Records for only 24 days. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 129 

24, 28, 29, and 31 ; at 6 p. m. on December 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 28, 
29, and 31. Thus the temperature in December, 1900, was at or 
below freezing at 6 a. m. on 19 days, at noon on 11 days, and at 6 
p.m. on 9 days. In 1901, observations began on the eighth and 
records at or below freezing were made at 6 a. m. on the 9th, 10th, 
llth, 12th, 14th to 24th, both inclusive, and 28th and 31st, both in- 
clusive ; at noon on the 14th to 21st, both inclusive, and 29th and 
31st; at 6 p. m. on the 9th to 12th, both inclusive, 13th to 23d, 
both inclusive, 25th, and 27th to 31st, both inclusive. 

In 1902 freezing temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. on the 
1st, 2d, 4th, 6th to 9th, both inclusive ; 12th to 19th, both inclusive ; 
23d, and 25th to 31st, both inclusive; at noon on the 4th, 7th to 9th, 
both inclusive; llth to 14th, both inclusive; 16th, 17th, 18th, and 
24th to 31st, both inclusive; at 6 p.m. on the 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 
llth to 14th, both inclusive ; 16th to 18th, both inclusive, and 24th 
to 31st, both inclusive. It will thus be noted that in this month 
the temperature was at or below freezing at 6 a. m. on 23 days, 
at noon on 19 days, and at 6 p.m. on 19 days. In 1904 freezing 
temperatures were recorded at 6 a. m. on the 1st to 22d, both in- 
clusive; 24th, 25th, 26th, 28th, 29th and 30th; at noon on the 1st 
to 6th, both inclusive; 9th to 21st, both inclusive; 24th, 25th, 28th, 
29th and 30th; at 6 p.m. on the 1st to 21st, both inclusive; 24th, 
25th, 27th, 28th and 29th ; from which it is seen that in December, 
1904, the temperature was down to freezing at 6 a. m. on 28 days, 
at noon on 24 days, and at 6 p. m. on 26 days. In 1913, the tem- 
perature was at or below freezing at 6 a. m. on December 8, 15, 19, 
20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 ; at noon on December 7, 29, 30 
and 31 ; and at 6 p. m. on December 7, 8, 18, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 
30 and 31. 

The greatest daily range was as follows: 

December 8, 1899, from 29 to 54, or 25. 
December 12, 1900, from 14 to 35.3, or 21.3. 
December 18, 1901, from -13 to 54, or 67. 
December 9, 1902, from 4 to 23, or 19. 
December 13, 1913, from 34 to 54, or 20. 

AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1898 

For this month there are only 4 records of air temperatures, 
all at 6 a. m., viz. : 16 on the seventh, 5 on the eighth, 10 on 
the ninth, and 5 on the fourteenth. 



130 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


40 


46 


37.5 


41.1 


2 


38.5 


44 


38 


40.1 


3 


36 


38 


31 


35 


4 


24 


33 


25 


27.3 


5 


9 


27 


23 


19.6 


6 


19 


43 


32 


31.3 


7 


37 


46 


34 


39 


8 


29 


54 


38 


37 


9 


36 


41 


40 


39 


10 


46 


50 


48 


42 


11 


48 


53 


50 


50.3 


12 


30 


30 


30 


30 


13 


20 


30 


20 


25 


14 


25 


27.5 


24 


25.5 


15 


7 


17.5 


10 


11.5 


16 


14 


22 


25 


20.3 


17 


39 


46 


44 


43 


18 


39 


44 


48 


43.6 


19 


28.5 


32.5 


30 


30.3 


20 


22 


45 


30 


32.3 


21 


26 


46 


38 


36.6 


22 


26 


42 


38 


35.3 


23 


34 


40 


35 


36.3 


24 


30 


26 


20 


25.3 


25 


5 


16 


12 


11 


26 


4.5 


20 


20 


14.8 


27 


9 


20 


13 


14 


28 


5 


18 


15 


12.6 


29 


3 


14 


7 


8 


30 





11 





3.6 


31 


1 


17 


10 


8.6 


Average 


23.5 


33.5 


27.9 


28.2 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 131 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6~p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


36.1 


39.7 


40.0 


38.6 


42.0 


34.1 


2 


29.8 


40 


45.7 


38.5 


48.5 


28 


3 


34.2 


41 


39.6 


38.3 


48.5 


33 


4 


36.1 


36 


35.7 


35.9 


38.7 


34.9 


5 


34.5 


35.5 


35 


35.2 


37 


33.9 


6 


27.5 


40 


41.9 


36.5 


43.9 


27 


7 


37.9 


37.5 


35.6 


37 


39.1 


35 


8 


30.8 


35.3 


33.8 


33.3 


37.2 


30 


9 


28.7 


24.4 


21.3 


24.8 


37.2 


20.6 


10 


16 


25.8 


24.5 


22.1 


27.5 


13 


11 


20.3 


26 


22.5 


22.9 


27.7 


19.9 


12 


14 


35.3 


34.6 


28 


39.2 


13.3 


13 


29.8 


32 


25.1 


29 


36.2 


24 


14 


15.9 


20 


24 


16.6 


24.5 


14.8 


15 


20.6 


26 


25.5 


24 


26.5 


19.3 


16 


20.5 


27.5 


32.5 


26.8 


32.6 


19.4 


17 


35 


42.1 


40.5 


39.2 


43 


31 


18 


36.8 


39.9 


38.8 


38.5 


43.9 


33.4 


19 


26.8 


42 


35.7 


34.8 


45 


23.9 


20 


23.1 


34.3 


33 


30.1 


37.4 


21.4 


21 


29.8 


43.5 


41.5 


38.3 


45.4 


28 


22 


38.2 


49 


49 


45.4 


50.1 


37.2 


23 


43.3 


36.7 


32.2 


37.4 


49.5 


32 


24 


26.3 


30.5 




28.4 


32 


26 


28 


28.6 


28.1 


22.2 


26.3 


33.8 


13.4 


29 


11.1 


30.1 


25.8 


22.3 


30.8 


10.4 


30 


29.3 


33 


32.5 


31.6 


33.9 


20.9 


31 


30.5 


31.5 


20.8 


27.6 


34.5 


19.4 


Aver&gc 


28.3 


34.4 


31.8 


31.7 





















132 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


8 


40 


48 


36 


41.3 


9 


30 


34 


28 


30.6 


10 


26 


34 


24 


28 


11 


27 


40 


32 


33 


12 


28 


46 


38 


36.6 


13 


48 


54 


32 


44.6 


14 


7 





7 





15 


12 


2 


4 


6 


16 


5 


9 


8 


4 


17 


5 


10 


8 


4.3 


18 


3 


8 


5 


3.3 


19 1 


9 


8 


8 


2.3 


20 


8 





5 . 


4.3 


21 


8 


13 


10 


5 


22 


18 


35 


31 


28 


23 


31 


36 


32 


33 


24 


32 


38 


35 


35 


25 


34 


37 


32 


34.3 


26 


33 


36 


34 


34.3 


27 


33 


36 


32 


33.6 


28 


30 


34 


32 


32 


29 


30 


31 


29 


30 


30 


28 


34 


32 


31.3 


31 


27 


32 


27 


28.6 


Average 


18.8 


27.1 


22 


22.6 













'Minimum, 13. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 133 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1902 






Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m 


Average 


1 


30 


47 


40" 


39 


2 


30 


40 


41 


37 


3 


40 


40 


38 


39.3 


4 


28 


30 


30 


29.3 


6 


29 


34 


39 


34 


7 


23 


19.5 


18 


20 


8 


7 


18 


12 


23 


9 


4 


23 


25 


17.3 


10 


35 


37.5 


35 


35.8 


11 


34 


32 


30 


32 


12 


28 ' 


28 


27 


27.6 


13 


22 


22 


23 


22.3 * 


14 


12 


26 


28 


22 


15 


28 


38 


36 


34 


16 


32 


28 


26 


28.6 


17 


20 


32 


29 


27 


18 


22 


32 


32 


28.6 


19 


32 


41 


38 


37 


20 


37 


41 


39 


39 


21 


38 


40 


37 


38.3 


22 


37 


38 


35 


36.6 


23 


30 








24 


37 


18 


12 


22.3 


25 


9 


12 


8 


10.6 


26 


10 


16 


15 


13.6 


27 


14 


22 


16 


17.3 


28 


14 


30 


27 


23.6 


29 


25 


29 


26 


26.6 


30 


8 


20 


13 


13.6 


31 


11 


31 


26 


22.6 


Average 


24.2 


29.8 


27.6 


27.5 













134 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1904 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


Maximum 


Minimum 


1 


22 


32 


30 


28 






2 


29 


26 


23 


26 


32 


9 


3 


22 


25.2 


23 


23.4 


28 


21 


4 


22 


30 


25 


25.6 


34 


17.5 


5 


23 


32 


29 


28 


37.5 


21.5 


6 


19 


30.5 


30 


28.5 


36 


16.1 


7 


24 


33 


31 


29.3 


37 


23 


8 


26 


36 


32 


31.3 


40 


26 


9 


26.8 


25 


22 


24.6 


32 


22 


10 


19 


25 


26 


23.3 


30 


19 


11 


20.5 


26 


24 


23.5 


36 


19 


12 


23 


27.2 


20.5 


23.5 


33.2 


20 


13 


9 


20 


17 


15.3 


24.5 


4.2 


14 


9 


20 


16 


15 


20 


7.5 


15 


7. 


20 


16 


14.3 


22 


14.5 


16 


11 


22 


21 


18 


30 


10 


17 


22 


27.5 


20 


23.1 


29.5 


18.3 


18 


20.5 


29.9 


30 


26.8 


31.5 


12 


19 


22 


23 


17 


21.6 


31 


15.1 


20 


27 


28 


21 


25.3 


33 


13.9 


21 


11.9 


26 


23 


20.3 


30 


8 


22 


28 


43 


44 


38.3 


50 


20.1 


23 


50 


54 


36 


46.6 


55 


36 


24 


28 


26 


24 


26 


37.2 


24 


25 


25 


28 


28 


27 


29 


23.9 


26 


30 


36 


39.8 


35.2 


41 


27.5 


27 


36 


38 


10 


28 


47 


29 


28 


7.8 


10 


7 


8.2 


10 


6 


29 


8 


21 


23 




30 


3 


30 


17.6 


25 


41 


37 


42.9 


23 


31 


34.3 


36 


48 


41.3 


50 


35.2 


Average 


21.9 


28.4 


25.7 


25.2 





















AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1907 

Only two records : December 7, 42, and December 8, 52, both 
at noon. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 135 



AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1913 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Range 


Average 


1 


56 


57 


56 


1 


56.3 


2 


53 


58 


57 


5 


56 


3 


56 


62 


60 


6 


59.3 


4 


45 


50 


42 


8 


45.7 


5 


35 


45 


43 


10 


41 


6 


42 


50 


47 


8 


46.3 


7 


34 


22 


17 


17 


24.3 


8 


27 


38 


26 


12 


30.3 


9 


35 


40 


37 


5 


37.3 


10 


35 


45 


35 


10 


38.3 


11 


35 


46 


39 


11 


40 


12 


39 


50 


48 


11 


45.7 


13 


34 


54 


41 


20 


43 


11 


36 


52 


40 


16 


42.7 


15 


30 


40 


38 


10 


36 


16 


38 


46 


36 


10 


40 


17 


38 


40 


37 


3 


38.3 


18 


36 


42 


31 


11 


36.3 


19 


26 


43 


34 


17 


34.3 


20 


32 


38 


34 


6 


34.7 


21 


28 


38 


30 


10 


32 


22 


22 


33 


36 


14 


30.3 


23 


32 


36 


35 


4 


34.3 


24 


36 


39 


36 


3 


37 


25 


33 


36 


31 


5 


33.3 


26 


34 


37 


30 


7 


33.7 


27 


30 


33 


35 


5 


32.7 


28 


28 


34 


30 


6 


30.7 


29 


30 


31 


30 


1 


30.3 


30 


30 


30 


29 


1 


29.7 


31 


29 


31 


32 


3 


30.7 


Average 


35.3 


41.8 


37.1 




38.1 















AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER 



Year 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


For the month 


1899 


23.5 


33.5 


27.9 


28.2" 


1900 


28.3 


34.4 


31.8 


31.7 


1901 


18.8 


27.1 


22 


22.6 


1902 


24.2 


29.8 


27.6 


27.5 


1904 


21.9 


28.4 


25.7 


25.2 


1913 


35.3 


41.8 


37.1 


38 


Average for six years . . 


25.4 


32.5 


28.7 


28.8 



136 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

THE WINDS 
INTRODUCTION 

Of the more obvious relations of the winds to the lake, little 
need be said. Their effect upon the lake surface is evident to every 
one. Their effect upon the plankton-scum, the calm days allowing 
the minute organizations to ascend to the surface and the more 
windy days keeping them churned up with the upper layers of the 
water, and the effect upon the temperature of the water of differ- 
ent depths the calm days allowing the surface layers to heat 
gradually downward while the windy days mix up waters of dif- 
ferent temperatures and break up definite stratification are effects 
more keenly appreciated by students of these special problems. It 
is due to the winds, also, that we have more or less fine sand of a 
peculiar sort in the bottom, this having been blown in from the 
neighboring hills. 

It is doubtless due to the winds that the lake owes the presence 
and peculiarities of its plankton, many of the organisms consti- 
tuting the plankton being carried to the lake by winds, a fact 
which accounts for the worldwide distribution of some of the 
species. 

In the matter of keeping records, no instruments were used, 
and the manner of recording the observations varied somewhat 
from time to time and with different observers. At the beginning 
of the work, and for some time after the practice of taking the 
temperatures of air and water three times a day had been estab- 
lished, only a general weather record for the day was made; such 
as, for a certain date, "northeast wind, changing to southeast, and 
rain" or "wind changing to north" ; "clear" ; "first pleasant day of 
spring, though snowing" ; "has been cold with east wind all week," 
etc. Later on, although the general observations were continued, 
the habit was formed of observing and recording along with the 
temperature observations, the condition of the sky and the direc- 
tion of the wind. In summing up results and arriving at conclu- 
sions, both the journal and the periodic observations have been con- 
sulted and taken into consideration. In the absence of instru- 
ments of precision which give in definite units the force and di- 
, rection of the wind, the general method which gives in general 
terms the prevailing "atmosphere" of the day is about as good as 
any, and is certainly in any case indispensible in giving data for 
a just estimate of the weather. It has the defect of taking into 
consideration only the more remarkable and striking weather 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 137 

phenomena, leaving the gentler or less obvious processes pass by 
unobserved. The method of periodical observations on the other 
hand is likely to present weather as a series of disconnected events, 
to ignore even important intervening phenomena, and to force into 
prominence unimportant and insignificant details. 

Moreover, so far as minor weather events are concerned, the 
position of the observer in regard to the lake is of importance. In 
the sheltered location of the cottage just below Arlington, where 
many of the observations were made, it would be difficult to ap- 
preciate the force and keenness of west and northwest winds, 
though the position of elevated vanes would show well enough in 
which direction the wind was blowing; on the other hand, the 
slightest northeast, east, south or southeast wind would be im- 
mediately manifest. At Long Point, on the other hand, where 
many of the observations were taken, one was protected and kept 
from a full realization of the force of southeast and southerly 
winds. Even with instruments which gave unbiased records, a 
wind on the leeward side of the lake would give somewhat different 
effects than the same wind after it had passed to the windward side 
and had been tempered by the water surface ; a dry wind taking up 
some moisture and a hot wind losing some of its heat. 

As a basis for the wind record, where only the journal method 
was used, this has been of necessity the basis for calculation. 
Where three daily observations were made, these have been used 
for the basis, but have been so modified by the journal records that 
the number of records for each month is exceedingly variable; 
winds shown by the journal as having occurred between observa- 
tion periods have been counted in, while on the other hand when 
the records show the same wind to have continued throughout sev- 
eral periods of observation the records have been fused into one 
count so that the number of observations for any one month is 
usually more or fewer than 93, generally fewer. 

A prominent feature of Maxinkuckee weather is the frequent 
occurrence of light, fitful breezes that last for only a short time 
and die away, winds that do not belong to the general weather of 
the country but are purely local phenomena. That such should 
be the case could naturally be expected from the nature of the 
country, for we have closely juxtaposed on a small scale as high a 
"difference of potential", to use an electrical phrase, as could well 
be imagined : a lake of considerable depth and withal spring-fed, 
so that the mass of water does not heat up like shallow ponds, but 
remains comparatively cool, and, not a great way to the west, 



138 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

barren stretches of wind-blown sand which on hot days overheat 
the layers of air above them just as the tendency of the lake is 
to keep the air above lower than the surrounding air. 

Severe wind-storms, however, are rare, and tornadoes almost 
unknown. In the record of August 19, 1900, occurs the entry: 
"Warm this morning but a breeze came up about 2 p.m. from 
south, then changed to north and about 3 p. m. heavy rain came up 
from the north with strong wind, thunder and lightning, changing 
more or less to all points of the compass and continuing until about 
7 p.m. Brilliant lightning in the south until late at night; lake 
the roughest I have seen it: steamers had difficulty making land- 
ings, excursionists got drenched, one small sailboat capsized two 
boys no damage. During p.m. temperature fell from 91.5 to 
68.5, a drop of 23." Again in the journal record of September 
11, 1900, occurs the note: "Cloudy; barometer fell rapidly during 
morning ; strong southwest wind began about 9 a. m. and continued 
until 8 or 9 p. m. Severest wind known here for many years ; 
several trees blown down ; lake very rough, rain followed the wind 
at night." A pretty severe windstorm occurred early in the sum- 
mer of 1908 and blew down the large ice-houses on the west side 
of the lake. This appears to have been an unusually strong wind ; 
none of the dwelling houses in the immediate vicinity, however, 
was injured and the destruction of the ice-houses was due to their 
being empty at the time and offering much surface and little resist- 
ance to the wind. 

On July 8, 1913, there was a very severe storm soon after noon 
from the northwest, a small tornado, lasting 30 minutes. It be- 
gan as a severe windstorm, the wind being full of cutting sand. It 
did trifling damage to some buildings and a great deal to forests, 
the woodlands around the lake being strewn with fallen timber 
many trees being uprooted, and many twisted off from 10 to 20 
feet above the ground. The storm was accompanied by some rain, 
and by thunder and lightning, the lightning striking one or more 
trees on Long Point. A few miles north of the lake there was 
at the same time a severe hail-storm which cut the corn into 
ribbons. 

On the other hand, though local calms are frequent, periods of 
widespread calm when the entire surface of the lake lies like 
an unruffled mirror, are rather rare; and pretty rough conditions 
when the lake is covered with white-caps and it is very unpleas- 
ant, though not especially dangerous, to be out on the lake with a 
rowboat, are not rare, particularly during the spring and autumn. 



Lake Maxinkuckec, Physical and Biological Survey 139 

Character of various winds: Everybody has pretty definite no- 
tions concerning the character of different winds, and associates 
the north and northwest winds with storm and cold; east winds 
with raw, disagreeable weather; south winds with balmy, pleas- 
ant weather, etc. An attempt was made by collecting data con- 
cerning each wind with the accompanying weather, to get more 
precisely at the character of each wind. The same associations 
were not found together nearly so uniformly as expected; it is 
only the general and long continued, persistent winds that 'have 
deep-seated influence on the weather. The light local surface 
winds are more or less characterless. 

Calms: These are generally associated with pleasant weather, 
although there are not infrequent instances where they are noted 
during cloudy and sprinkling or rainy weather. Calm may be 
associated with exceedingly cold weather, and in some cases the 
cold of calm fogs is rather depressing. Generally during the win- 
ter, calm weather is much to be preferred to wind from any di- 
rection whatever. In the hot, sultry days of midsummer, however, 
which are fortunately rather few, the calms are very oppressive, 
and light winds from almost any direction are welcomed as a 
relief. 

During the summer the calms are usually associated with fine, 
hazy mornings. During the autumn and spring they are usually 
associated with low fogs on the marshes and certain parts of the 
lake and with heavy frosts. The heavy hoar-frosts which are at 
times such a striking feature of the region, in which the various 
trees are surrounded by a halo of long needle-like white crystals 
standing at right angles to the trunk and branches, are formed only 
during periods of almost perfect calm, and are quickly blown off 
by the first breeze that springs up. Calms are generally character- 
istic of the mornings and evenings of fine days during settled 
weather, and on only rather rare occasions do they persist through- 
out the entire day. It is rather unusual for the winds to die down 
to a calm during the middle of the day. 

North winds are relatively infrequent at the lake. The lighter 
winds may be associated with either clear or cloudy sky. The 
stronger winds, especially in summer, are usually though not al- 
ways accompanied by clouds, and frequently storms. During late 
autumn and winter and early spring, they are usually character- 
ized as "raw, cold, and disagreeable," especially when accompanied 
by dampness, drizzle or rain. 



140 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Northeast winds: Some of the lighter northeast winds, even 
as late as October and November, are recorded as warm and pleas- 
ant, and accompanied by bright, clear weather. These, however, 
are exceptional cases, and generally speaking, are among the most 
disagreeable winds at the lake. Northeast winds are usually raw, 
cold and disagreeable, and are noteworthy for their persistency, 
usually lasting from one to several days when well under way, 
and during the colder season often accompanied by cutting sleet. 
They often bring heavy snowstorms. In April and May they fre- 
quently bring disagreeable and persistent drizzles. 

East winds are relatively infrequent at the lake and are almost 
always associated with cloudy skies, and during the winter are 
often accompanied by a heavy fall of snow. Most of those occur- 
ring during the summer are simply noted without any special char- 
acterization; those mentioned during winter records are usually 
noted as "cold, stormy, disagreeable." Winds from the southeast 
are among the most common about the lake ; however, they rarely 
attain to the dignity of winds, and are almost always referred to 
in the notes as "breezes" light, brisk or stiff, as the case may be, 
but very rarely winds. They are, indeed, the next thing to a calm, 
and, in the fairest and best sorts of weather, if it is not actually 
calm in the morning the calm is usually replaced by a light south- 
east breeze. They are usually characteristic of fine mornings. 
They are less frequent in the evening and not common at noon. 
Rarely they persist through the day. The stronger breezes or 
winds from the southeast may be accompanied by clouds or rains 
in summer or by snow in winter, but this is rather exceptional. 
Usually they are more pleasant than winds from any other direc- 
tion. One noted December 18, 1900, is characterized as a "cold, 
penetrating raw wind" and one of March 12Js mentioned as hav- 
ing "become almost a gale, cold, raw and disagreeable" ; but these 
are highly unusual cases. 

South winds are much like southeast winds in character, but 
are not so common. They are generally gentle breezes and when 
they rise to the dignity of strong winds, are frequently accom- 
panied by mild sprinkles or in extreme cases by thunder, lightning 
and heavy showers of rain. It is doubtless on account of the gen- 
tleness of the south and southeastern breezes that the great ma- 
jority of the duckweeds of the lake find their harbor in that por- 
tion of the lake, only a few, being the progeny of individuals driven 
out at rare intervals by southern storms, finding harbor in other 
portions of the shore behind sheltering rushes. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 141 

Southwest winds: The southwest wind from our point of ob- 
servation was always a land wind, and the fact that it always came 
from stretches of solid earth, whispering through grasses, rustling 
through leaves, or roaring through trees, made it impossible to 
mete out to it the same measure of judgment as is given to the 
other winds above mentioned which came across stretches of water. 
It is frequently mentioned in the notes as noisy, or howling, and 
was associated with the moaning or roaring winds which presage 
the coming of winter. This, however, was merely accidental, and 
from the opposite side of the lake would apply with still greater 








Cutter Drill, Culver Summer Naval School. Lake Maxinkuckee covers an area of 1,854 
acres, which is ample for Naval drills, and yet small enough for safe supervision. 

force to northwest winds. Disregarding the point of observation, 
however, southwest winds have certain pretty constant character- 
istics. They are generally a good deal stronger than those from 
the southeast or south, and in the notes taken at the time of obser- 
vation are usually referred to as "winds" instead of breezes light, 
brisk or strong, as the case may be. They are frequently asso- 
ciated with clouds and rain, often with heavy storms. They are 
not limited to any particular time of day but are liable to spring 
up at any time. They do not have the persistency of the northeast 
winds and usually do not last much more than a half day or day. 



142 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

They are generally more prevalent during the colder seasons than 
during the summer, but even in the winter are not often referred 
to as being particularly raw, cold or disagreeable. 

West winds: These are relatively infrequent at the lake and 
are much more prevalent during the winter than in summer. They 
are usually moderately strong winds. They are not generally of 
great duration, though they occasionally last from 12 to 18 or 24 
hours, and they are not especially associated with any particular 
time of day. They are often associated with clouds and storms, 
and in the winter, with snow. In cold weather they are often raw 
and searching. 

Northwest winds are rather frequent at the lake and vary 
greatly in strength, sometimes being light breezes but more often 
rather brisk to strong winds. They are rather infrequent in the 
morning but usually spring up some time during the day. When 
strong winds they are usually markedly disagreeable and are often 
associated with clouds and rain or snow. In the winter they are 
cold and chilling but not so persistent and depressing as winds 
from the northeast. 

Relative duration and frequency of winds: The direction of 
the wind Curing the summer of 1899 was observed 223 times, 
morning, noon and night, as follows: Easterly 90, southerly 47, 
northerly 34, westerly 31, calm 21. During the summer of 1900 
the result of 200 observations was as follows : Southerly 66, east- 
erly 60, westerly 31, northerly 22, calm 21. During the summer 
of 1903 the result of 172 observations was as follows: Easterly 
59, westerly 45, northerly 32, southerly 21, calm 15. 

Summary of 595 observations during three summers, 1899, 
1900 and 1903 as follows: 

Easterly winds 209 

Southerly winds 134 

Westerly winds 107 

Northerly winds 88 

Calm . 57 



Total 595 

Observations so far made show that the easterly winds prevail 
during the s^vmmer at Lake Maxinkuckee. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 143 



Winds for a year: In order to get data for the winds of an 
entire year, the period extending from July 1, 1900, to June 30, 
1901, was chosen, this being the period during which the fullest 
records were kept. The tables will explain themselves : 





CALMS 


NOBTH 


NORTHEAST 


EAST 


SOUTHEAST 


MONTH 


. 




| 


M 




| 




| 






M 




M 

B 






_ 




ti 


* 




! 




M 


& 






E 


5 


1 


e 


2 


E 


8 


S 


8 


| 


E 


8 





3 


| 


E 


B 


1 





'i 


E 





I 


o 


1 




a 


55 


H 


5 


H 


s 


* 


w 


5 


H 


s 


55 


& 


5 


H 


s 


55 


s 


< 


H 


a 


55 









July, 1900 





1 


3 


1 


5 


9 





J 


n 


4 


a 


n 








2 


' 3 


1 


1 


o 


R 


I 


I 


1 


ft 


n 


August, 1900 


2 


1 


1 


3 


7 








4 


2 


6 


8 





i 


i 




2 








2 


4 


1 











1 


September, 1900. 


1 


1 


1 


3 


(i 








1 


i 


2 


2 


l 








8 


2 











2 


4 








1 


8 


October, 1900.... 


3 


1 


7 


9 


20 

















1 


2 


2 


1 


fi 


8 


2 


8 


1 


9 


7 


8 


2 


8 


15 


November, 1900. 


6 


1 


6 


10 


23 





1 


1 





2 


J 


3 





2 


5 

















4 


8 


8 





10 


December, 1900. 


4 


1 


5 


5 


15 











l 


1 


2 





1 


1 


4 


1 


2 


1 





4 


8 


2 


3 


2 


15 


January, 1901 .... 


6 





3 


7 


u 





1 








. 1 


2 


1 


1 





4 


1 


1 


1 





* 8 


4 


6 


^ 





13 


February, 1901... 


10 


2 


6 


6 


24 




















1 


1 


1 


8 


2 


1 


1 


2 


6 


2 


4 


1 





7 


March, 1901 


7 


3 


1 


4 


15 


3 


1 


1 





5 


8 


8 


3 





! 9 











2 


a 


2 


8 


8 





8 


April, 1901 


7 


3 


6 


4 


''0 


n 


1 


1 


o 


4 


4 


7 


7 


4 


o.) 


1 


o 


1 


3 


a 


, 


1 


1 


n 


g 


May, 1901 


7 


2 


5 


2 


16 




8 




o 


s 


1 


It 


5 


6 


ftl 


o 


7 


o 


o 


1 


4 


1 


1 


'' 


i 


June, 1901 


7 




11 





'n 


n 


1 





o 


1 


5 


ft 


ft 


1 


1? 




ft 


1 


o 


5 


4 


4 


g 


2 
























































Total 


60 


18 


55 


54 


1S7 


7 


10 


18 


4 


84 


80 


25 


24 


17 


96 


18 


11 


9 


10 


48 


50 


30 


24 


17 


121 







SOUTH 


SOUTHWEST 


WEST 


NORTHWEST 


MONTH 


M 
c 
' 

~ 
o 

~ 




fc 


y 

c 

1 

W 



o 

< 


3 
1 


i/ 

5 

* 


2 


M 
c 

'I 

w 


1 



< 


Tj 
1 


| 

8 

a 


1 

fc 


M 
c 

1 

& 


& 

3 

: - 


- 
$ 


u 
B 

'5 
B 

a 




55 


| 
c 

9 


H 


S 

Q 

< 


j| 

i 


July, 1900 


6 

4 
1 
1 
1 
1 
6 
1 
2 
1 

1 




1 
4 

2 
8 
4 
,1 

1 




1 


A 

2 
1 

1 
8 



n 



1 


ft 


2 

4 
8 





8 






16 

10 

n 
10 
6 
5 
12 
2 
12 
1 

3 


8 
2 
8 

8 
8 
4 
ft 
7 


7 


4 
1 
2 

1 
4 
4 
3 
A 
7 
f 
2 
6 


8 

8 
1 
1 
8 
8 
2 
4 

1 
8 




1 

1 
1 



4 



1 


10 
8 

!) 
2 
14 
13 
15 
18 

a 
i 

8 

17 


2 
1 
2 
1 
5 
8 
2 
1 
1 

1 



1 

2 
1 
ft 
3 
1 
4 
I 



i 






8 
8 
9 
1 
1 


l 






1 
1 
2 
2 
1 





3 
1 
4 

2 
15 
10 
14 
10 
4 

1 
2 



2 
2 
2 
2 
8 
4 
4 
2 
5 
8 
t 


8 

1 

1 
5 

s 
(i 
4 
1 
5 
1 
5 



2 
1 



2 

4 
4 
7 
ft 
5 
4 
5 




(i 

2 

1 
1 
2 
8 
1 
2 



8 
5 
8 
5 
9 
Hi 
15 

17 

12 

ii 

10 

13 


August, 1900 


September, 1900 


October, 1900 


November, 1900 


December, 1900 


January, 1901 


February, 1901 


March, 1901 


April, 1901 


May, 1901 


June, 1901 




Total 


23 


17 


19 


24 


81 


43 


40 


81 


s 


122 


19 


20 


20 


7 


86 


32 


4ii 


40 


12 


124 





1017618 



144 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



TABLE OF WINDS FROM JULY 1, 1900, TO JUNE 30, 1901 



Month 


Calms 


N. 


N.E. 


E. 


S.E. 


S. 


S.W. 


W. 


N.W. 


Total 


July, 1900 


5 


4 


2 


5 


13 


16 


10 


3 


3 


61 


August, 1900 


7 


g 


5 


4 


1 


10 


3 


j 


5 




September 1900 


6 


2 


3 


2 


5 


5 


9 


4 


3 




October, 1900 


20 





6 


9 


15 


10 


2 


2 


5 


69 


November, 1900 . . . 


23 


2 


5 


o 


10 


g 


14 


15 


9 


84 


December, 1900 . 


15 


1 


4 


4 


15 


5 


13 


10 


16 


83 


January, 1901 .... 


16 


1 


4 


3 


13 


12 


15 


14 


15 


93 


February, 1901 


24 





3 


| 


7 


2 


13 


10 


17 


82 


Maroh, 1901 


15 


5 


g 


2 


g 


12 


22 


4 


12 


89 


April, 1901 


20 


4 


22 


6 


9 


1 


1 


o 


16 


79 


May 1901 


16 


8 


21 


2 


9 


o 


3 


j 


10 


70 


June, 1901 


20 


1 


12 


5 


16 


3 


17 


2 


IS 


89 
























Total 


187 


34 


96 


48 


121 


83 


122 


66 


124 


881 
























Per Cent 


21 2 


3 8 


10 8 


5 4 


13 7 


9 4 


13 7 


7 5 


13 7 



























RAIN 

The number of rains observed from July 1, 1899, to September 
15, 1909, is 277. This number is of little significance, however, as 
there are numerous gaps or periods during which the weather 
at the lake was not under observation. 

Taking the year from July 1, 1900, to June 30, 1901, the year 
for which we have a complete set of observations, the following 
is the record of rains at the lake : July, 7 ; August, 5 ; September, 
9; October, 5; November, 8; December, 3; January, 3; February, 
0; March, 10; April, 10; May, 11; June, 9; total, 80. From this 
it appears that May is the most showery month, and February 
the least. 

Of these rains, 40 are marked as "rains", 31 as "sprinkles", and 
5 as "drizzles", the character of the 4 others not being designated. 

Twenty are reported as occurring during the forenoon, 25 in 
the afternoon, and 25 during the night. The 10 others are continu- 
ations of other showers, or parts interrupted by brief periods of 
calm. None of the rains recorded for this year was continuous for 
24 hours but each usually more or less fitful. 

Among the especially heavy rains was one from the southwest 
on July 24, from 10 a. m. till noon, and again from 4 to 9 p. m., 
very hard from 5 to 6 p.m. and from 7 to 8 p. m. This storm 
raised the lake 2.5 inches. Outside of the particular year under 
discussion there is a record (Oct. 27, 1899,) of a continuous rain 
of "all day and all night, 36 hours, raised the lake 5 inches" ; and 
another on Dec. 11, of the same year of a rain 24 hours. 

There is another record of a severe thunder-storm on July 1, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 145 

1903, during which at least 3 inches of rain fell, raising the lake 
8^ inches. 

In July of the same year there was a severe rainstorm with a 
total fall of fully 2 inches. 

Again on August 27, 1903, there was a heavy fall of rain during 
the night which caused the lake to rise about 2| inches. Rain was 
abundant during this season so that the level of the lake was higher 
than usual. On May 11, it rained 5 inches in 12 hours and on 
January 22, 1906, it is recorded that it "has been raining for a 
week but that the lake is 18 inches below high water mark, al- 
though it has raised 3 inches." 

We have few data in regard to the directions from which 
storms come. Of 35 records one storm is recorded as having oc- 
curred during calm weather, 5 storms came from the north, 1 from 
the northeast, 3 from the east, 6 from the southeast, 3 from the 
south, 10 from the southwest, 2 from the west, and 4 from the 
northwest. 

The following is a table of the rainfall in inches at Logansport 
for the year 1902 : 

January 1.00 July 4.84 

February 1.10 August 2.55 

March 2.64 September 5.02 

April 2.13 October 2.37 

May 4.27 November 3.92 

June 10.54 December 3.48 

This makes a total of 43.86 inches of rainfall for the year. 
As Logansport is only 32 miles distant from Lake Maxinkuckee 
the rainfall at the two places is probably approximately the same. 

FROST 

Economically considered, one of the most important questions 
concerning any particular region is the average date of the last 
killing frost of spring and the first of autumn. This question is 
of importance not only to the farmer and gardener but also to the 
lover of flower-beds and house-plants as well, and it has a direct 
and important bearing upon the aquatic life of a region such as 
Lake Maxinkuckee. 

Taking the weather records for the whole period under observa- 
tion, the number of frosts recorded is not many, there having- been 
only 99 noted. This is largely due to the fact that it is only the 
first and last killing frosts that are of especial importance or in- 
terest to people in general, and also to the fact that a frost is not 



146 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

an especially attention-arresting phenomenon like a rain or a 
thunder shower, and is likely to be overlooked, especially in the 
dead of winter in snowy weather. 

In considering frosts, especially first and last frosts, it is nec- 
essary to distinguish between local and general frosts, or to be 
specific, as to locality ; for there is a remarkable difference between 
closely neighboring areas in regard to susceptibility to frost. The 
low, flat, extensive peaty or mucky plains, and various sphagnous 
bogs, such as Hawk's marsh, usually have their early fall frosts 
from three weeks to a month before the upland, and quite possibly 
the tender, succulent herbage that they produce is much more sus- 
ceptible to the effect of light frosts than the firmer growths of more 
solid soil. Certain plants such as cucumber vines, touch-me-not, 
fireweed, etc., often succumb and turn black at the touch of a frost 
so light as to escape ordinary observation. The upland, just about 
the lake, is especially favored by its freedom from killing frosts 
in late spring and early autumn, and peaches and other delicate 
orchard fruits, where planted and properly cared for, do exceed- 
ingly well. 

The first autumnal frost noted about the lake in 1900 was on 
October 17 ; the first in 1901 was November 23, the first in 1902 
was September 14. In 1904, the first record was October 23, but 
the lake had not been under observation for some time and there 
were quite certainly frosts much before this. In 1906, a frost 
was reported on August 28, but this was in the flat lowlands back 
from the lake. The lake was under constant observation at the 
time, and no frost, nor sign of any, was observed at the lake until 
Ocotber 29. In 1907, again when the lake was under constant ob- 
servation, the first frost was reported for the" region on Septem- 
ber 25, but none was actually seen at the lake until October 10. 
The first frost in the fall of 1913 was noted on the morning of Sep- 
tember 23, killing sweet potato vines and other delicate vegetation. 

Of the late frosts of spring there are fewer records. In the 
spring of 1901, for which we have complete records, the last frost 
occurred April 20. In 1903 there is a record of a frost on May 2. 

In the winter of 1900-1901, for which we have complete rec- 
ords, 39 frosts were observed; 1 for -October; 7 for November; 11 
for December; 7 for January; 3 for February; 3 for March, and 
7 for April. Frosts were liable to occur any clear, calm night dur- 
ing the winter. In addition to the ordinary frost known every- 
where, several modifications were common about the lake. Vapors 
arising from airholes in the ice were often congealed at the edge 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 147 

of the airhole in the form of long plume-like or feathery objects. 
Indeed, on one occasion after Lost Lake had entirely frozen over, a 
dense steam arose from the surface of the ice and much of it 
congealed in the shape of long, feathery crystals. 

Hoar-frost, which is frequent in all locations where there are 
large, exposed bodies of water such as near Lake Michigan and 
the Mississippi River, is of rather frequent occurrence at Lake Max- 
inkuckee and occasionally appears in great beauty, coating trees 
thickly and entirely with long, needle-shaped crystals almost an 
inch long. The rising sun melts the bases of the crystals first and 
the awakening morning breezes stirring among the bejewelled 
branches shake the frost crystals down in great multitudes, reduc- 
ing the tree in a moment from one of the most magnificent spec- 
tacles to one quite commonplace, but producing for the moment a 
cataract of sparkling crystals as indescribably splendid as it is 
evanescent. 

Frosts affect the life of the lake in various ways and through 
various channels. One of the first and very interesting effects is 
that of a decided change in the methods of the anglers. During 
late summer and early fall grasshoppers constitute the principal 
and most popular bait used by the anglers. As the season ad- 
vances grasshoppers gain in popularity so long as readily obtain- 
able. It is only when the first frosts have come and chilled the 
grasshoppers so that they can no longer be easily found that the 
anglers abandon their use and turn to other lures. 

Then, again, the early frosts kill down the patches of delicate 
vegetation such as touch-me-nots, Eleocharis interstincta, etc., and 
affect the Scirpus and other aquatic plants that extend above the 
surface of the water thus killing or driving away the various in- 
sects that live upon or frequent such plants. The same frosts act 
in the same way on the marsh vegetation along the shore and the 
trees and shrubs which overhang the banks. The quantity of in- 
sect life living upon, in, or with this vegetation and which falls 
into the lake with the falling leaves or on account of the chill, or 
which is driven away every year, is enormous. 

SNOW 
INTRODUCTION 

Our record of snowstorms, extending from March, 1899, to 
February 1, 1914, with important omissions for some years, makes 
mention of 194 snowstorms, varying in all degrees of intensity from 



148 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

light flurries to blinding storms. The earliest snow recorded in 
any year was that of October 10, 1906, and the latest, at the ending 
of winter, was a light snow, sufficient, however, to whiten roofs, 
of May 4, 1907. The last snow of the winter of 1898-1899 was 
on March 31; the snowy period of the winter of 1899-1900 was 
from November 2 to April 12 ; that of 1900-1901 from November 
7 to April 21. Records for the fall of 1901 are incomplete, the first 
snow recorded being on December 9, and the latest of the spring 
of 1902 on April 12. The first snow of the winter of 1902-3 was 
November 26, and the latest April 3. The record for the winter 
of 1904-1905 is incomplete; the earliest snow in the fall was on 
November 8, but there are no records for the following spring. 
For the autumn of 1905 an especially heavy snow occurred Novem- 
ber 25. In the fall of 1906 a very heavy snow began October 10, 
and continued until 10 inches fell. This is the earliest and most 
noteworthy snowfall shown by our records. The latest snow in 
the spring of 1907, as already stated, was on May 4. The winter 
of 1906-1907 is, therefore, noteworthy in that it had both the 
earliest and the latest snowfall in the years covered by our records. 

The first snow in the fall of 1913 came on the night of October 
21 ; the next on the evening of October 29. It snowed again on 
November 8 and 10, a total of 12 inches falling, and drifting con- 
siderably, but all disappearing by the 18th. No more fell until 
December 7 when it snowed all day. On the 20th about one inch 
fell, and on the 22d there was snow and rain. On January 2, 
1914, it snowed all day but melted as rapidly. Snow fell on the 
3d and 4th and again all day on the 31st, when the first sleighing 
was possible. 

Depth of snow: Most of the snowstorms recorded were rather 
light flurries, with less than \ inch of snowfall. Records of 1, 2, 
and 3 inches of snowfall are fairly frequent. There are 2 rec- 
ords of 4 inches each, one each of 5, 6, and 7 inches, 2 of 10 
inches, and one of the maximum snowfall of 18 inches, which was 
recorded for March 5 and 6, 1899. 

Direction of snowstorms: Record of the direction from which 
the* heavier snowstorms came was kept. Of such a record for 
33 storms, 5 came from the north, 7 from the northeast, 3 from 
the east, 2 from the southeast, 1 from the south, 5 from the south- 
west,. 1 from the west and 9 from the northwest, thus showing 
the northwest to be the prevailing direction from which snows 
come, the northeast being a rather close second. The northeast 
storms hang on longer, and the snows they bring are generally sup- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 149 

posed to. stay on longer, most likely because the snowstorms from 
that direction are more persistent and heavier. 

Forms of snow: One of the most common forms of snow at 
the lake is that of firm, white, little pellets like minute snowballs, 
a sort of form somewhat intermediate between genuine snow and 
sleet, and coming down with considerable force and directness; 
this may harden at times into genuine icy cutting sleet. This 
pellet snow contains more water and less enmeshed air than the 
feathery flakes, and it packs more tightly, an inch of it being 
equivalent to 2 or 3 inches of the lighter snow. The feathery 
flakes are common, especially in little snow flurries. The loose 
flakes, sometimes adhering in large masses, are the common forms 
in the great snowstorms which result in the deeper snows. 

The following is the record of the snows for the winter of 
1900-1901, the year for which there is a complete set of observa- 
tions. The first snow of the winter, as given above, was on the 
night of November 7, when a rain, which began at 8 o'clock in the 
evening, changed into snow. It snowed the next night nearly all 
night giving a total snowfall of 3 inches. From this time on, snow- 
storms were of frequent occurrence, there being 11 in November, 
9 in December, 16 in January, 13 in February, 11 in March and 
2 in April. The last well-marked storm, that of April, was un- 
usually unseasonable; the hazel and many other plants were fully 
in bloom, and the tender verdure of spring, just beginning to put 
forth, was covered f of an inch with fluffy, sticky snow. No harm 
to vegetation was caused, however, as the weather was fairly warm 
and the snow soon melted off. The early snow of October 10, 1906, 
was still more unseasonable and striking in its effects, though not 
so much damage resulted as would have been the result of a single 
light frost. It had snowed heavily during the night and continued 
until 10 a. m., part of the time the snow coming down in remark- 
ably large masses composed of adhering flakes. It took the birds 
entirely by surprise. A flock of tree swallows twittered musically 
from the snowclad telephone wires, and crickets were chirping 
underneath the snow. The houseflies, which were still present 
in considerable abundance out of doors, settled thickly on the 
window screens of the hotel, and the yellow-rumped warblers, then 
migrating, alighted on the screens and ate the flies. At one time 
there were 3 of the warblers on a window screen at the same time. 
About all the unoccupied cottages around the lake these warblers 
took refuge on the porches underneath the roof as if semi-domesti- 
cated. The golden-crowned kinglets, like the warblers, took refuge 



150 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

in porches, and late dragon-flies flew about over the snow. The 
evening of the day closed in dark and snowy, and it snowed pretty 
hard all night, leaving 10 inches of snow on a level on undisturbed 
places. The snow settled thickly on the leaves of poplar trees, 
which were still green, and the weight in many instances broke 
off the boughs. 

Relation of snow to the lake: During the parts of early winter 
before the ground is covered with snow, a considerable amount of 
sand from the dry, barren sand hills about the lake is driven on 
to the ice and subsequently finds its way to the lake bottom. A cov- 
ering of snow over the surrounding country of course puts a stop 
to this process. 

A still more marked effect is that produced by a thick blanket 
of snow upon the ice of the lake. Among the most striking of the 
phenomena of the ice is its expanding and contracting on the clear, 
warm days and cold nights of winter ; great cracks opening in cer- 
tain places by the contracting of the ice, and the ice being heaved up 
in others, because of the expansion, until it forms high rooflike 
ridges. All these movements are accompanied by sharp cracking 
and booming like the firing of distant cannon. These movements 
are the cause of the shoving up of the ice-beach, and are said to 
have been quite striking during the winter of 1899-1900. They 
were well under way during the winter of 1900-1901 when a heavy 
blanket of snow covered the ice, the great weight of the snow 
weighing heavily on the ice, and by protecting it from alternate 
contractions and expansions, put a stop to its movements. 

FOG 

General fogs are rather uncommon about the lake; they are 
very local in their nature and are confined to certain localities for 
the greater part. The dry, sandy soil, so common in the higher 
ground, warms up readily during the day and is unfavorable to the 
formation of fog. On the other hand, the extensive level, peaty 
tracts lying in the country west of the lake are especially favorable 
to the formation of fogs; so are Green's marsh and the marsh at 
the north end of Lost Lake, Inlet marsh, and the region along the 
outlet. Lost Lake, which warms up more readily on account of its 
shallowness, and also cools more readily at night, is more favorable 
to the formation of fogs than Lake Maxinkuckee, and when small, 
local fogs are formed on the lake they are usually formed over 
stretches of shallow water, such as Aubeenaubee or Outlet bay. 
The fogs of the flat, peaty plains are generally very chilly and de- 

\ 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 151 

pressing. How many fogs one would record in any given length of 
time would depend much upon the point of observation. Those 
herein recorded were observed from Long Point, and of these many 
were seen at a greater or less distance. Fogs are almost or entirely 
absent during the summer, most common through the autumn and 
spring months and in early winter. One of the conditions neces- 
sary for their formation is a calm or very little movement of 
air, as winds blow forming fogs away. During the year between 
July 1, 1900, and June 30, 1901, twenty-nine fogs were observed, 
distributed according to months as follows: July, 0; August, 1; 
September, 2 ; October, 8 ; November, 3 ; December, 5 ; January, 1 ; 
February, ; March, 4 ; April, 1 ; May, 4 ; June, 0. From October, 
1899, to August, 1906, a period in which there are considerable 
gaps in observation, there is a total record of 59 fogs. 

The appearance and behavior of the fogs vary somewhat. 
Usually they are low, heavy blankets of uniform density covering 
limited areas, the form in which fogs are generally known, but 
sometimes on the lake they assume the form of tall, vertical col- 
umns which glide over the water in a peculiar, ghostly fashion. 
Usually the fogs form in the evening or some time during the night, 
and remain until morning, imperceptibly dissipating in the heat of 
the morning sun. Sometimes they condense on sticks, grass and 
other objects, or uniting to form drops, fall to the earth as a sort of 
rain. On December 3, 1900, a fog was noted rising from the lake, 
passing gradually into the far-off sky and assuming the form of 
immense and imposing thunderheads, the passage from fog to cloud 
being complete. This transition from fog to cloud was subse- 
quently frequently seen on the upper Cumberland but never on so 
magnificent a scale. 

Among the most noteworthy fogs observed about the lake may 
be mentioned the following: 

Some time in December, 1896, when a thin ice extended out a 
considerable distance from shore, there appeared an extremely 
dense fog on the lake which, according to Mr. S. S. Chadwick, was 
the heaviest fog he has ever seen here. A large flock of wild geese 
was on the lake and were unable to leave on account of the fog. A 
party went out after the geese and, becoming bewildered in the 
fog, had great difficulty finding a place to land. 

On October 18, 1900, a heavy fog set in about 8 o'clock and con- 
tinued until about 10 the next day. A steamer got lost on the 
lake and did not get in until 2 or 3 o'clock the next morning. 



152 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

DEW 

As might be expected dews are so frequent in the mornings of 
the warmer portion of the year that their absence rather than their 
presence is generally commented upon. Yet the dews of the up- 
lands immediately about the lake are not drenching and quickly 
dry up in the mornings so that one can walk about without getting 
wet almost any morning after 8 or 9 o'clock. The dews of the 
mucky or peaty lowlands are much heavier and more persistent. 

It may be worth while to remark here that much that is gen- 
erally taken for dew, such as the sparkling drops at the tips of 
spears of grass, is not condensed vapor, but water of transpiration 
which has passed through plants and has not evaporated from the 
leaves as it exuded. This might be termed organic dew, and is 
particularly noticeable on the leaves of strawberries, muskmelons, 
etc., where it is found in prominent drops at the water-pores of the 
leaves. This "dew" is always abundant at times when evapora- 
tion is checked in the atmosphere surrounding rapidly growing 
plants. 

Dew proper is common on all calm nights during the summer. 
The dews first become noticeable about the end of April and con- 
tinue until freezing weather. When fogs appear on the land they 
usually leave a good deal of moisture on the herbage. 

WATER TEMPERATURES 

Temperature of the surface of the lake: Considerable time and 
attention were devoted to a study of the temperature of the lake 
water. Regular observations regarding the temperature of the 
water at the lake surface were begun July 5, 1899, and continued 
daily, practically without interruption, to July 1, 1901. An 
observation station was established at the pier in front of the cot- 
tage now known as Shady Point, on the west side of the lake at the 
base of Long Point, and at that time occupied by the Fish Commis- 
sion party. A copper- jacketed Wilder protected thermometer was 
used. Observations were made and temperatures recorded three 
times daily at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. In getting tempera- 
tures, the thermometer was placed in water to a depth of a foot 
to 18 inches. When there was ice a hole was cut, through which 
the thermometer was lowered into the water beneath. 

From July 5 to October 19, the observations were made and 
recorded by a member of the Fish Commission party. From Oc- 
tober 19, 1899, to June 25, 1900, the readings were taken and 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 153 

recorded by Mr. S. S. Chadwick. Up to April 5, 1900, the tempera- 
tures were taken at the Chadwick houseboat on the east side of 
Long Point; after April 5 they were taken on the north end of 
Long Point in the south side of Outlet Bay, but sometimes at the 
wagon bridge across the Outlet. From June 25, 1900, to June 30, 
1901, the temperatures were again taken at the pier in front of 
the Shady Point cottage, and usually by Mr. Clark. 

Besides these regular observations, a large number of miscel- 
laneous records were made; a few in November and December, 
1898, and at various odd times since 1901, by Mr. Chadwick; and a 
large number by the present writers during the various times when 
one or both of them have been at the lake since 1901. And many 
more were taken in various places in the lake during the regular 
investigations of 1899-1901. 

In addition to the surface temperature observations at the regu- 
lar station, many other records were made in various parts of the 
lake, particularly in connection with the seining and other collect- 
ing operations, and in connection with the serial temperature work. 
Surface temperatures were also taken as a part of the plankton 
studies. Since July 1, 1901, surface temperatures have been re- 
corded at intervals by Mr. Chadwick, also by Dr. Scovell, and by 
the present writers when any of them happened to be at the lake. 
The total number of water surface temperature readings taken 
and recorded exceeds 10,000. Most of these are given in the tables 
on pages 160 to 215. 

It was felt that the large amount of attention given to tempera- 
ture observations was justified because of the very intimate re- 
lation which the temperature of the water bears to aquatic animal 
and plant life. 

It was desired to learn the relation between temperature and 
the feeding, breeding, and other habits, and the distribution of 
the different species of fishes, turtles and other animals in the lake, 
also of the various species of aquatic plants. It is believed that 
a number of interesting and important correlations have been es- 
tablished. 

The details of the records may now be considered. 

For the month of January, there are 5 records for 1899, 93 for 
1900, 93 for 1901, and 12 for 1905. 

As might be expected, there is but slight variation in January 
in the temperature of the water at the surface of the lake. The 
temperature of the air is at, below, or near, freezing during most 
of the days of the month, and, as the water-surface temperature, 



154 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

until it reaches the freezing point, varies directly with that of 
the air, the water temperature will usually be close to freezing. 

In January, 1899, only 5 records were made (on the 1st, 8th, 
29th, 30th, and 31st) , all of which were 32. These were all taken 
through the ice. In 1900, the variation was from 32 to 38 at 
6 a.m., from 32 to 40 at noon, and from 32 to 39 at 6 p.m. 
The lowest daily average was 32, the highest was 39, and the 
average for the month was 33.8, the average for the air for the 
same period being 28.6. 

In 1901, the variation was from 33 to 39.5 at 6 a.m., from 
34 to 41 at noon, and from 33.5 to 40.6 at 6 p.m. The lowest 
daily average was 33.7, the highest was 42, and the average for 
the month was 36, the average for the air for the same period 
being 27.9. 

In 1905, records were made only on the first 4 days of January. 
The variation was from 32 to 34 at 6 a.m., from 32 to 34.9 
at noon, and from 32 to 34.8 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average 
was 32, the highest was 34.3, and the average for the 4 days 
was 33.8. 

Any discussion or interpretation of these January water tem- 
peratures is difficult. Any consideration given them must be in 
connection with the air temperatures. The observations in 1899 
and 1900 were before the regular beginning of our work and were 
made by a volunteer observer whose records must be regarded as 
only approximately accurate. On all the days (9 in number) cov- 
ered by records in January of those two years, the air was at or 
below freezing, and on most of the days the water temperature 
was taken through the ice. This will account for the large number 
of records of 32 or slightly above. In January, 1901, the air was 
at or below freezing on 24 days. The water temperatures were 
taken perhaps with somewhat greater care. It is interesting and 
significant to note, however, the close approximation of the aver- 
ages for the Januarys of the 2 years, 33.8 in 1900 and 36 in 
1901. 

Notwithstanding the almost freezing temperature of the water 
near shore in January and other winter months, it was interesting 
to observe that various species of small fishes such as grayback 
minnows, straw-colored minnows, and skipjacks, gathered up in 
large schools under the ice in shallow water, particularly on bright 
sunny days. This phenomenon is considered more fully elsewhere. 

In February, 1899, only 7 records were made, on the 1st, 2d, 
7th, 10th, 13th, 15th and 27th, on each of which dates the air was 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 155 

below freezing. All these were 32 except that on the 27th when 
it was 36. In 1900, the record is complete for the month. The 
variation was from 32 to 35 at 6 a.m., 32 to 34 at noon, and 
32 to 34.5 at 6 p.m., the lowest daily average for the air during 
the same period being 22.6. 

In 1901, the record is also complete for the month. The varia- 
tion was from 32.5 to 35.5 at 6 a.m., from 32 to 34.5 at noon, 
and from 32.9 to 34 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 
32.5, the highest 34.3, and the average for the month was 33.1, 
that of the air for the same period being 19.3. 

For March, 1899, the only record is for the llth when the water 
was 33.5. In 1900, the record is complete. The variation was 
from 33 to 37 at 6 a.m., from 33 to 37.5 at noon, and from 
33 to 38.5 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 33.1 on the 
17th, the highest 37.5 on the 31st, and the average for the month 
was 35.4, that for the air in the same period being 30.1. The 
record for March, 1901, is complete. The variation was from 
32.3 to 39.8 at 6 a.m., from 33 to 49 at noon, and from 32.9 
to 43.4 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 33 on the 1st 
and 3d, the highest 42.4 on the 29th, and the average for the 
month was 36.4, that for the air in the same period being exactly 
the same, 36.4. The average for March of the 2 years was 35.9, 
that of the air 33.25. 

For the month of April, the record is complete for 1900 and 
1901. In 1900, the variation was from 39 to 67 at 6 a.m., from 
44 to 67 at noon, and from 45 to 67.5 at 6 p. m. The lowest 
daily average was 42.6 on the 1st, the highest 67.1 on the 30th, 
and the average for the month was 49.8, that for the air in the 
same period being 52.3. In 1901, the variation was from 36 
to 60.1 at 6 a.m., from 38.5 to 65.5 at noon, and from 39 to 
69.8 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 38.6, the highest 
64, and the average for the month was 47.9, that for the air 
in the same period 48.9. The average for April of the 2 years 
was 48.8, that for the air, 50.6. 

For the month of May, the record is approximately complete 
for 1900 and 1901. In 1900, the variation was from 56 to 72.5 
at 6 a.m., from 57 to 74 at noon, and from 57 to 74 at 6 p.m. 
The lowest daily average was 57 on the 10th, the highest 73.3 
on the 30th, and the average for the month was 64.74, that for the 
air being 66. In 1901, the variation was from 51.9 to 66 at 6 
a.m., from 50.5 to 70.1 at noon, and from 51.1 to 68 at 6 p. 
m. The lowest daily average was 52.8, on the 2d, the highest 



156 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

68.4, on the 18th, and the average for the month was 60.93, 
that for the air being 61. 

For the month of June, the record is complete for 1900 and 1901. 
In 1900 the variation was from 70 to 78 at 6 a.m., from 71 
to 78 at noon, and from 71 to 78 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily 
average was 71 on the 4th, the highest 77 on the 26th and 28th, 
and the average for the month was 74.6, that for the air being 
71. In 1901, the variation was from 58 to 79.2 at 6 a. m., from 
64.5 to 86.2 at noon, and from 62.9 to 84.6 at 6 p. m. The low- 
est daily average was 61.8, on the 1st, the highest 83.2 on the 
28th, and the average for the month was 74.11, that for the air 
being 75.7. 

For the month of July, there are complete records for 1899, 
1900, and 1903, and partial records for 1906. 

In 1899, the variation was from 70 to 79 at 6 a. m., from 75 
to 88.5 at noon, and from 73.5 to 85.5 at 6 p. m. The lowest 
daily average was 74.1 on the 9th and 10th, the highest 84.2 
on the 23d, and the average for the month was 78.2, that for 
the air being 75.6. 

In 1900, the variation was from 71 to 80 at 6 a.m., from 
72 to 83 at noon, and from 75 to 82 at 6 p.m. The lowest 
daily average was 74.6 on the 1st, the highest 80.3 on the 5th, 
and the average for the month was 78.4, that for the air being 
75.9. 

In 1903, the variation was from 71 to 81.5 at 6 a.m., from 
73 to 87 at noon, and from 71 to 87.5 at 6 p.m. The lowest 
daily average was 73.1 on the 1st and 2d, the highest 83.3 on 
the 9th and llth, and the average for the month was 77.86, that 
for the air being 75.9. 

The records for July, 1906, cover only the last 7 days of the 
month. The variation was from 62.5 to 75 at 6 a. m., from 72.5 
to 82 at noon, and from 73 to 83.3 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily 
average was 67.5 on the 25th, the highest 74.5 on the 26th, and 
the average for 6 days 74.3, that for the air being 76.9. 

For the month of August, the records are nearly complete for 
1899, 1900, 1903, and 1906. 

In 1899, the variation was from 67 to 77.5 at 6 a.m., from 
77 to 84.5 at noon, and from 75 to 84.5 at 6 p. m. The lowest 
daily average was 74.5 on the 9th and 15th, the highest was 82 
on the 27th, and the average for the month was 78.4, that for 
the air being 75.1. In 1900, the variation was from 74 to 79.4 
at 6 a.m., from 72.1 to 83.6 at noon, and from 78 to 83.6 at 6 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 157 

p. m. The lowest daily average was 75.4 on the 15th, the highest 
81.7 on the 22d, and the average for the month was 79.7, that 
for the air being 77.5. In 1903, the variation was from 68 to 
77.1 at 6 a.m., from 71 to 78.5 at noon, and from 70.5 to 78 
at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 70 on the 15th, the 
highest 76 on the 5th, and the average for the month was 73.8, 
that for the air being 70.7. In 1906, the variation was from 67 
to 76.4 at 6 a. m., from 71 to 85 at noon, and from 72 to 
84.5 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average was 72.5 on the 30th, 
the highest was 81.3 on the 26th, and the average for the month 
was 76.2, that for the air being 74.9. 

There are 14 records for the last 5 days of August, 1908. The 
variation was from 65 to 72.9 at 6 a.m., from 70.5 to 81 at 
noon, and from 73.5 to 80 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average 
was 69 on the 27th, the highest was 77 on the 30th, and the aver- 
age for the 5 days was 73.2, that for the air being 75.8. 

For the month of September, the records are practically com- 
plete for 1899 and 1900, and there are partial records for 1906, 
1907, 1908, and 1913. In 1899, the variation was from 54.8 to 
80 at 6 a.m., from 60 to 84.2 at noon, and from 56 to 81.2 at 
6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 56.9 on the 30th, the high- 
est was 81.3 on the 3d, and the average for the month was 68.1, 
that for the air being 63.1. In 1900, the variation was from 59.3 
to 77.5 at 6 a. m., from 65.5 to 83 at noon, and from 66.5 to 
81 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 65.6 on the 28th, 
the highest was 80.5 on the 1st, and the average for the month 
was 72.4, that for the air being 68.1. For September, 1906, 
the record is nearly complete for the first 18 days. The variation 
was from 60 to 76 at 6 a.m., from 67 to 80 at noon, and from 
67 to 80 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 65.1 on 
the 14th, the highest was 75.4 on the llth, and the average for the 
18 days was 71.2, that for the air being 69.3. For September, 
1907, the record is partial for the 13th, 14th, 23d, and 30th, and 
complete for the 19th to 29th both inclusive. The variation was 
from 57 to 70 at 6 a.m., from 60 to 74 at noon, and from 
59 to 73 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average was 59.7 on the 
29th, the highest was 72.2 on the 19th, and the average for all 
the records was 64.5, that for the air being 62.9. For Septem- 
ber, 1908, the record is practically complete for the first 17 days. 
The variation was from 61.5 to 75 at 6 a. m., from 72 to 81 
at noon, and from 70 to 78 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average 
was 67.8, on the 3d and 7th, the highest was 76 on the 12th, and 



158 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

the average for the month was 72.2, that for the air being 71.5. 
For 1913, there is only one record, which is 62 at 6 a. m. on the 
13th. 

For October, there are nearly complete records for 1899, 1900, 
1907 and 1913, and partial records for 1904 and 1906. In 1899, 
the variation was from 48.5 to 60.5 at 6 a.m., from 58 to 70.5 
at noon, and from 55 to 65 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average 
was 53 on the 21st, the highest was 65.3 on the 15th, and the 
average for the month was 59.5, that for the air being 58.1. 

In 1900, the variation was from 54 to 69.8 at 6 a.m., from 
62 to 73.5 at noon, and from 60 to 71 at 6 p.m. The lowest 
daily average was 59.3 on the 20th, the highest was 71 on the 
6th, and the average for the month was 64.4, that of the air being 
61.5. 

For 1904, there are records only for the last three days of the 
month, when the morning range was from 47.9 to 50.2, the noon 
range from 53 to 58, and the evening range from 52.8 to 53.5 ; 
the lowest daily average was 50.5 on the 29th, the highest 53.6 
on the 31st, and the average for the 3 days 52.5, the average for 
the air being 48. For 1906, there is one record for the 5th (57 
at 6 p.m.), one for the 10th (47 at 6 p.m.), and nearly complete 
records for the llth to 24th both inclusive. The variation was 
from 44.5 to 59 at 6 a.m., from 52 to 65 at noon, and from 
49.5 to 62.5 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 43.3 on 
the 28th, the highest was 62 on the 19th, and the average for the 
14 days was 53, that of the air being 49.8. For 1907, the varia- 
tion was from 43 to 63 at 6 a.m., from 45 to 65 at noon, and 
from 46 to 65 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 49 on 
the 27th and 30th, the highest was 64.3 on the 4th, and the average 
for the month was 54.8, that of the air being 51.1. In 1913, 
the variation was from 43 to 65 at 6 a.m., from 45 to 70 at 
noon, and from 44 to 68 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average 
was 44.7 on the 31st, the highest was 67.3 on the 9th. The aver- 
age for the month was 54.9 at 6 a.m., 58.2 at noon, 57.6 at 6 
p. m., or 56.7 daily average, that of the air being 53.2. 

For November, there are 3 records for 1898 (40 on the 24th, 
35 on the 26th, and 34 on the 27th, all at 6 a.m.), nearly com- 
plete records for 1899, 1900, and 1904, and 3 for 1906 (43.5, 
44.5, and 43.5 on the 16th) . In 1899, the variation was from 42 
to 54 at 6 a.m., from 42 to 56 at noon, and from 43 to 52 
at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average was 43 on the 29th, the high- 
est was 55 on the 1st, and the average for the month was 47.6, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 159 

that for the air being 44.6. In 1900, the variation was from 
32.9 to 59.8 at 6 a.m., from 39.6 to 63.8 at noon, and from 
39.3 to 60.5 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 38.7 on 
the 30th, the highest was 62.6 on the 3d, and the average for 
the month was 47.6, that of the air being 40.7. In 1904, the 
variation was from 37.5 to 51.5 at 6 a.m., from 38.5 to 53.9 
at noon, and from 38 to 53 at 6 p. m. The lowest daily average 
was 38.5 on the 27th, the highest was 53 on the 4th, and the 
average for the month was 45.4, that of the air being 40.4. 

In 1906, the variation was from 35.5 to 53.5 at 6 a.m., from 
37 to 53.2 at noon, and from 37.2 to 50 at 6 p. m. The lowest 
daily average was 36.2 on the 20th, the highest was 48.8 on 
the 1st, and the average for the month was 44.6, that of the air 
being 39.2. 

For December, there are 3 records for 1898 (32 at 6 a.m. on 
the 7th, 9th and 14th) and nearly complete records for 1899, 1900 
and 1904. In 1899, the variation was from 32 to 46 at 6 a.m., 
from 32 to 48 at noon, and from 32 to 47 at 6 p. m. The lowest 
daily average was 32 on the 16th, 29th, 30th, and 31st, the high- 
est was 47 on the llth, and the average for the month was 37.2, 
that of the air being 28.2. In 1900, the variation was from 32 
to 40.9 at 6 a.m., from 32 to 42 at noon, and from 32 to 42.6 
at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 32 on the 14th, the 
highest was 41.5 on the 1st, and the average for the month was 
36.8, that of the air being 31.7. In 1904, the variation was 
from 32 to 37 at 6 a. m., from 32 to 37.8 at noon, and from 32 
to 36.5 at 6 p.m. The lowest daily average was 32 on the 10th, 
12th, 13th, 15th, and 16th, the highest was 36.1 on the 2d, and 
the average for the month was 33.8, that of the air being 25.2. 

In the following tables are given the detailed records of the 
water temperature observations : 



1117618 



160 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURE TABLES 

WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


32 


32 


32 


32 


2 


32 


32 


32 


32 


3 


32 


32 


32 


32 


4 


' 32 


32 


32 


32 


5 


32 


32 


33 


32.3 


6 


33 


33 


33 


33 


7 


34 


34 


34 


34 


8 


34 


35 


35 


34.6 


9 


33 


33 


33 


33 


10 


33 


33 


33 


33 


11 


33 


33 


33 


33 


12 


33 


34 


33 


33.3 


13 


33 


33 


33 


33 


14 


33 


33 


33 


33 


15 


33 


34 


34.5 


33.8 


16 


35 


35 


35 


35 


17 


34 


34 


35 


34 


18 


35 


35 


35.5 


35.1 


19 


35 


35 


35 


35 


20 


35 


35 


35 


35 


21 


35 


35 


35.5 


35 1 


22 


35 


35.5 


36.5 


35.6 


23 


36 


37 


37.5 


36.8 


24 


38 


40 


39 


39 


25 


37 


36 


35 


36 


26 


34.5 


34 


34 


34.1 


27 


33.5 


33 


33 


33.1 


28 


33 


32 


32 


32.3 


29 


32 


32 


32 


32 


30 


32 


32 


32 


32 


31 


32 


32 


32 


32 


Average 


33.7 


33.8 


33.9 


33.8 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 161 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


33.6 


34.1 


33.5 


33.7 


2 


33.2 


34 


34 


33.7 


3 


33.5 


34.5 


33.9 


33.9 


4 


33 


34.7 


34.3 


34 


5 


33.5 


35.1 


34.8 


34.4 


6 


34 


35 


34.8 


34.6 


7 


34 1 


35 


34.8 


34.6 


8 


34.5 


34.9 


34.2 


34.5 


9 


34 


35 


34 


34.3 


10 


34 


34.5 


35 


34.5 


11 


35.2 


35.8 


35.5 


35.5 


12 


35.1 


36 


35.9 


35.5 


13 


36 


36.9 


37 


36.6 


14 


37 


38.9 


38.5 


38.1 


15 


37.9 


40.1 


38.2 


38.7 


16 


36.8 


38.5 


38.5 


37.1 


17 


38.1 




38.1 


38.1 


18 


37.9 


38.7 


38.2 


38.2 


19 


37 


38.5 


37.3 


37.6 


20 


37.3 


39 


39.5 


38.6 


21 


37 


37.1 


37.9 


37.3 


22 


38.1 


41 


39 


39.7 


23 


39.5 


40 


40.6 


40 


24 


39.1 


38.8 


38.1 


38.6 


25 


37.6 


38.2 


38 


37.9 


26 


37.2 


37.3 


36.1 


36.8 


27 


36.8 


37 


36.5 


36.7 


28 


36 


36.9 


37.5 


36.8 


29 


35.5 


35.9 


36.1 


35.8 


30 


34.9 


35.2 


35.7 


35.2 


31 


34.5 


35 


34.5 


34.6 


Average 


35.4 


36.7 


36.8 


36.4 













WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JANUARY, 1905 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6pm. 


Average 


1 


33.5 


34.9 


34.5 


34.3 


2 


34 


34.5 


32 


33.5 


3 


34 


34.8 


34.8 


34.4 


4 


32 


32 


32 


32 


Average . . 


33 4 


34 1 


33 3 


33 6 













162 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 



Date 


6 a. m. 


1 


32 


2 


32 


7 


32 


10 


33 


13 


32 


15 


32 


25 


32 


27 


32 




32.7 







WATER TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


32 


32 


32 


32 


2 


32 


32 


32 


32 


3 


32 


32 


32.5 


32.1 


4 


32.5 


32.5 


32.5 


32.5 


5 


32 


32 


32 


32 


6 


32 


32.5 


33 


32.5 


7 


33 


33 


33.5 


33.1 


8 


33.5 


34 


34 


33.8 


9 


33 


33 


33 


33 


10 


33 


33 


33 


33 


11 


32.5 


33 


33 


32.8 


12 


33 


33 


33 


33 


13 


33 


32.5 


32 


32.5 


14 


32 


32 


32 


32 


15 


32 


32 


32 


32 


16 


32 


32 


32 


32 


17 


32 


32 


32 


32 


18 


. 32 


32 


32 


32 


19 


32 


32 


32 


32 


20 


32 


33 


33 


32.6 


21 


33.5 


34 


34 5 


34 


22 


35 


34 


34.5 


34,5 


23 


34 


34 


35 


34.3 


24 


34 


33 


32 


33 


25 


32 


32 


32 


32 


26 


32 


32 


32 


32 


27 


32 


32 


32 


32 


28 


32 


33 


33 


32.6 


Average 


32.6 


32.6 


32.7 


32.7 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 163 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


34 


34.1 


33.5 


33.8 


2 


33.3 








3 


35.5 


33.5 


34 


34.3 


4 


32.8 


33.8 


33.5 


33 


5 


33.8 


34 


34 


33.9 


6 


33.3 


34.5 


33.4 


33.7 


7 


33.2 


33.8 


33.1 


33.3 


8 


33 


33.5 


33 


33.1 


9 


32.5 


32 


33 


32.5 


10 


32.5 


33 


33.1 


32.8 


11 


33.2 


33.1 


33.1 


33.1 


12 


32.5 


32.9 


33 


32.8 


13 


33 


33 


33.5 


33.1 


14 


32.9 


32.9 


33.1 


3.?. 9 


15 


32.9 


33.5 


33.3 


33.2 


16 


33 


33.5 


33.2 


33.2 


17 


33.1 


33.2 


33 


33.1 


18 


33 


33.2 


33.2 


33.1 


19 


33 


33.7 


33.3 


33.3 


20 


33 


33.4 


32.9 


33.1 


21 


32.8 


33.5 


33.2 


33.1 


22 


33.2 


33 


32.9 


33 


23 


33 


33.2 


33 


33 


24 


32.9 


33.1 


32.9 


32.9 


25 


33 


33 


33 


33 


26 


32.5 


33 


32.9 


32.7 


27 


32.5 


33.1 


32.9 


32.7 


28 


33 


33 


32.9 


32.9 . 


Average 


32.7 


33 3 


33.2 


33.1 



164 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Averrge 


1 


33 


34.5 


34 


33.8 


2 


34 


34.5 


34 


34.1 


3 


34 


34 


34.5 


34.1 


4 


34 


34 


34 


34 


5 


34 


34 


34 


34 


6 


34.5 


35 


35 


34.8 


7 


35 


35 


35 


35 


8 


35 


35.5 


35.5 


35.3 


9 


35.5 


36 


36 


35.8 


10 


36 


36 


36 


36 


11 


36 


36 


36 


36 


12 


35 


35 


35 


35 


13 


36 


36 


36.5 


36.1 


11 


36 


36 


36.5 


36.1 


15 


35 


35 


35 


35 


16 


35 


35 


34 


34.6 


17 


33.5 


33 


33 


33.1 


18 


33.5 


34 


34 


33.8 


19 


35 


35 


36 


35.3 


20 


36 


36 


36 


36 


21 


36 


36 


36.5 


36.1 


22 


36 


36.5 


37 


36.5 


23 


36 


37 


37 


36.6 


24 


37 


37 


37.5 


37.1 


25 


36.5 


36 


36 


36.1 


26 


36 


36 


36 


36 


27 


36 


36.5 


36 


36.1 


28 


36 


36 


36.5 


36.1 


29 


36 


36 


36.5 


36.1 


31 


37 


37.5 


36.5 


37 


31 


37 


37 


38.5 


37.5 


Average 


35.3 


35.5 


35.6 


35.5 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 165 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


33 


33 


33 


33 


2 


32.8 


33.3 


33 


33.1 


3 


32.6 


33 


33.1 


33 


4 


33.5 


33.8 


33.5 


38.6 


5 


33.1 


33.6 


33.6 


33.4 


6 


33 


33.9 


33.9 


33.6 


7 


33 


33.9 


33.1 


33.3 


>' 


32.9 


33.4 


32.9 


33 


9 


33.2 


33.2 


33.8 


33.4 


10 


32.3 


33.8 


33.8 


33.3 


11 


33.9 


33 


34.8 


33.9 


12 


35.1 


34.3 


34.5 


34.6 


13 


34.3 


35.3 


34.5 


34.7 


14 


35 


34.9 


34.9 


34.9 


15 


33.8 


34.9 


34.6 


34.1 


16 


35.4 


36 


34.5 


35.3 


17 


35.2 


37 


38 


36.7 


18 


36.9 


37.1 


37.8 


37.2 


19 


34.8 


38.5 


39.5 


37.6 


20 


37.9 


38 


37.5 


37.8 


21 


37 


40.9 


38.9 


38.9 


22 


37.9 


44.9 


43.4 


42 


23 


38.1 


45.6 


41.5 


41.7 


24 


36.3 


39.5 


39.6 


38.4 


25 


35 


49 


42 


42 


26 


39.6 


41.4 


40.1 


40.7 


27 


38.9 


41.2 


40.3 


40.1 


28 


37.4 


41 


40.5 


37.6 


29 


39.8 


44.7 


42.7 


42.4 


30 


37.5 - 


38.3 


37.7 


37.8 


31 


37.1 


40.1 


41 


39.4 


Average 


35.4 


37.4 


36.9 


30. j 



166 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL, 1900 



Date 


6 a. in. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


39 


44 


45 


42.6 


2 


44 


44.5 


46 


44.8 


3 


45 


45.5 


45 


45.1 


4 


46 


47 


47.5 


46.8 


5 


47 


48 


48 


47.6 


6 


48 


49 


49.5 


48.8 


7 


48 


49 


49.5 


48.8 


8 


49 


49 


50 


49^3 


g 


50 


50.5 


50 


50.1 


10 


48 


48.5 


48 


48.1 


11 


48 


48 


47.5 


47.8 


12 


47 


47.5 * 


46 


46.8 


13 


47 


47 


46 


46.6 


14 


44 


45 


46 


45 


15 


45.5 


46 


46 5 


46 


16 


46 


46.5 


48 


46.8 


17 


48 


48.5 


48 


48.1 


18 


48 


48 


48 


48 


1!) 


48 


48.5 


49 


48.5 


20 


48 


48 


49 


48.3 


21 


50 


50 


51 


50.3 


22 


50 


51 


51 


50.6 


23 


50 


51.5 


51 


50.8 


24 


51 


51.5 


52 


51 5 


25 


50 


51 


51 


50.6 


26 


50 


50 


54 


51.3 


27 


56 


54 


54 


55.3 


28 


54 


58 


64 


58.6 


29 


60 


66 


66 


64 


30 


67 


67 


67.5 


07.! 


Average .... 


49.1 


49.9 


50.5 


49.8 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 167 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


36 


46.2 


45.5 


42.5 


2 


38.5 


38.5 


39 


38.6 


3 


38 


44 


43.9 


41.6 


4 


40 


50 


47.9 


45.9 


5 


42.5 


45.5 


45.5 


44.5 


6 


44 


43.9 


43.5 


44.1 


7 


42.1 


47.6 


45.6 


45.1 


8 


40.5 


48 


45.5 


44.6 


9 


40.8 


48.9 


47.9 


45.9 


10 


41.9 


50.5 


tt.9 


47.4 


11 


42.5 


53.5 


50.9 


49.9 


12 


43.9 


46.7 


48.7 


48.4 


13 


45.3 


46.3 


47.5 


46.7 


14 


43.4 


49.3 


47.2 


46.6 


15 


44.5 


48.6 


48.5 


47.2 


16 


44.5 


51.1 


49.6 


48.4 


17 


52.3 


47.5 


46.5 


48.8 


18 


42.5 


46.5 


46 


45 


19 


41 


48.1 


45 


44.7 


20 


41 5 


48.3 


46.9 


45.6 


21 


42.4 


45.5 


43.7 


43. 9 


22 


43.5 


44.5 


47.3 


45.1 


23 


45.5 


47.1 


49 


47.2 


24 


46 


52.1 


5L.7 


49.9 


25 


46.8 


55.5 


51.5 


51.3 


26 


47.5 


59 


57 


54.5 


27 


51.5 


57.1 


61.8 


56.8 


28 


52 


59 


64.9 


58.6 


29 


56.8 


65.5 


69.8 


64 


30 


60.1 


55.5 


56.7 


57.4 


Average 


44.6 


49.7 


49.5 


47.9 













168 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR MAY, 1900 



Dite 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


60 


62 


61 


61 


2 


56 


58 


60 


58 


3 


58.5 


58 


59 


58.5 


4 


60 


60.5 


60 


60.1 


5 


60 


61 


60 


60.3 


6 


59 


60.5 


60 


59.8 


7 


59 


60 


61 


60 


8 


59.5 


60 


59 


59.5 


9 


58 


58 


57.5 


57.8 


10 


57 


57 


57 


57 


11 


58 


60 


60 


59.3 


12 


62 


64 


65 


63.6 


14 


66 


69 


69 


68 


15 


69 


71 


70 


70 


16 


71 


73 


70 


71.3 


17 


63 


64 


63.5 


63.5 


18 


62 


62 


62 


62 


19 


62 


62.5 


62 


62.1 


20 


61 


60 


60 


60.3 


21 


59 


60 


60 


59.6 


22 


60 


61 


62 


61 


23 


61 


65 


70 


65.3 


24 


68 


70 


71 


69.6 


25 


70 


71 


73 


71.3 


26 


72 


73 


74 


73 


27 


72 


73 


73.5 


72.8 


28 


72 


72.5 


73 


72.5 


29 


72 


72.5 


73 


72.5 


30 


72 


74 


74 


73.3 


31 


72.5 


73 


73 


72.8 


Average 


63.71 


65.41 


65.08 


64.74 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 169 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR MAY, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


57.5 


58.3 


54.5" 


56.8 


2 




50.5 


55 


52.8 


3 


51.9 


68.2 


65.3 


61.8 


4 


56.9 


67 


62.3 


62.1 


5 


58.9 


65.1 


65.3 


63.1 


6 


60.1 


68 


63.6 


63.9 


7 


61 


63.6 


62 


62.2 


8 


60.4 


62.1 


62.6 


61.7 


9 


60.1 


64.5 


64.1 


62.9 


10 


61.9 


63.9 


64 9 


63.6 


11 


60.9 


64.1 


61.8 


62.3 


12 


56 


59 


59.5 


58.2 


13 


55.5 


61.8 


60 


59.1 


14 


55 


61.3 


63.5 


59.9 


15 


57.1 


61.8 


68 


62 


16 


61.5 


68.5 


66.3 


65.4 


17 


63.1 


70 


71 


68 


18 


66 


70.1 


69 


68.4 


19 


63 


65.2 




64.1 


20 


58.5 


65 


63.5 


62.3 


21 


58 


60.5 


61 


59.8 


22 


59 


62.5 


63.8 


61.8 


23 


59.5 


67.1 


65.5 


64 


24 


61.5 


65.4 


63.2 


63.4 


25 


55 




56.9 


56 


26 


55 


57 


51.1 


54.4 


27 


55 


57.9 


56.5 


57.8 


28 


55 


59 


59.5 


61.2 


29 


55 


57.8 


57 


56.6 


30 


53.1 


59.5 


58.9 


57.2 


31 


55.5 


62.9 


63.9 


60.8 


Average 


58.23 


62.92 


61.98 


60.93 



170 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


73 


74 


73.5 


73.5 


2 


72.5 


72 


72 


72.1 


3 


71.5 


72 


71 


71.5 


4 


70 


71 


72 


- 71 


5 


71.5 


72 


74 


72.5 


6 


73.5 


74 


73.5 


73.6 


7 


73.5 


74 


76 


74.1 


8 


76 


76.5 


77 


76.5 


9 


76 


76 


77 


76.3 


10 


76 


76.5 


75 


75.8 


11 


74 


74.5 


73.5 


74 


12 


74 


75 


77 


75 


13 


76 


76.5 


77 


76.5 


14 


76 


77 


77.5 


76.8 


15 


77 


77 


76 


76.6 


16 


75.5 


77 


77 


76.5 


17 


75.5 


76.5 


76 


76 


18 


75 


76.5 


77 


76.1 


19 


73 


76 


76 


75 


20 


70 


72 


72 


71.3 


21 


71 


73.2 


72 


73 


22 


70 


72 


70 


70.6 


23 


71 


74 


73 


72.6 


24 


72 


78 


75 


75 


25 


72 


78 


75 


75 


26 


78 


78 


75 


77 


27 


73 


77.5 


78 


76.1 


28 


75 


78 


78 


77 


29 


75 


78 


76 


76.3 


30 


63 


78 


77 


74.3 


Average 


73.21 


75.32 


74.9 


74.6 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 171 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1901 






Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


58 


64.5 


63 


6K8 


2 


58.1 


65.5 


65.5 


63 


3 


60.5 


69 


68.9 


66.1 


4 


63.3 


71 


68.8 


67.7 


5 


65 


66 


68.9 


66.6 


6 


64.5 


68.3 


68.8 


67.2 


7 


62.6 


64. g 


62.9 


63.4 


8 


58.9 


66.8 


63.9 


63.2 


9 


57 


68.5 


70 


65.2 - 


10 


65 


69.6 


70.2 


68.3 


11 


66 


74.5 


70.5 


70.3 


12 


67 


80 


75 


74 


13 


70.9 


78 


74.2 


74.4 


14 


72.1 


80.9 


80 


77.7 


15 


75 


78.2 . 


78 


77.1 


16 


70.5 


80.5 


80 


77 


17 


74 


78.1 


75.5 


75.9 


18 


70.1 


79 


75.5 


74.9 


19 


72 


80 


78 


76.7 


20 


73 


77.5 


73.5 


74.7 


21 


74.3 


76.4 


78 


76.2 


22 


74.8 


82 


80.9 


79.2 


23 


73.9 


81 


81 


78.6 


24 


76.2 


83.5 


82 


80.6 


25 


77.9 


83.2 


81.3 


80.8 


. 26 


77 


84.5 


83.9 


81.8 


27 


78.5 


75 


84.6 


79.4 


28 


79.2 


85.7 


84.6 


83.2 


29 


78.8 


86.2 


82.3 


82.8 


30 


78 


85.9 


84.3 


82.7 


Average 


73.07 


74 . 13 


75.13 


74.11 













WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JUNE, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


27 


65 


76 


75 


72 


28 


70 


77 


75 


74 


29 


71 


73.2 


72 


72 


30 


72 


75.2 


75 


74 


Average 


69 5 


75 4 


74 3 


73 













172 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


5 


73.5 


75 


77 


75.1 


6 


73.5 


80 


77 


76.8 


7 


72.5 


77 


75.5 


75 


8 


72 


77 


73.5 


74.1 


9 


70 


77 


77 


74.6 


10 


72 


'76.5 


74 


74.1 


11 


72.5 


77.5 


77 


75.6 


12 


74.5 


80.5 


79 


78 


13 


77 


79.5 


75.5 


77.3 


14 


75 


77 


77 


76.3 


15 


74 




76 


75 


16 


75 


77.5 


76 


76.1 


17 


75 


79 


78 


77.3 


18 


74 


79 


77 


76.6 


19 . 


74 


79 


78 


77 


20 


76 


81 


78 


78.3 


21 


75 


82 


83 


80 


22 


79 


86 


85 


83.3 


23 


79 


88.5 


85 


84.2 


24 


78 


86 


85.5 


83.2 


25 


79 


85.5 


82 


82.6 


26 


78 


* 84 


80 


81.6 


27 


78 




83 


80.5 


28 


78.5 


82 


83 


81.2 


29 


78 


81.5 


79.5 


79.6 


30 


77 


82.5 


80 


79.8 


31 


75 


82.5 


80 


79.2 


A verage 


75.3 


80.5 


78.9 


78.25 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 173 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1900 






Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


71 


76 


77 


74.6 


2 


73 


80 


80 


77.6 


3 


75 


79 


78.3 


77.4 


4 


78 


82 


80 


80 


5 


78 


83 


80 


80.3 


6 


78 


81 


80 


79.6 


7 


71 


82 


80 


77.6 


8 


77.5 


77 


75.5 


76.6 


9 


73 


78 


77 


76 


10 


71 


77 


76 


74.6 


11 


73 


77.5 


77 


75.8 


12 


77 


72 


78 


75.6 


13 


71 


78 


77 


75.3 


14 


71 


79 


78 


76 


15 


75 


81 


79 


78.3 


16 


75 


77 


77 


76.3 


17 


74.5 


77 


76 


75.5 


18 


72 


79 


78 


76.3 


19 


75 


79 


78 


77.3 


20 


75 


80 


75 


76.6 


21 


73 


80 


80 


77.6 


22 


75 


80 


82 


79 


23 


78 


81 


80.5 


79.8 


24 


80 


78 


78 


78.6 


25 


75 


80 


79.5 


78.1 


26 


75 


80 


79 


78 


27 


73 


80 


78 


77 


28 


75 


80 


78 


77.6 


29 


75.5 


79 


78 


77.5 


30 


75 


80.5 


79 


78.3 


31 


76 


80 


' 78 


78 


Average . . . 


74.6 


79 


78.3 


78.4 













174 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


71.5 


77 


71 


73.1 


2 


71 


73 


75.5 


73.1 


3 


74 


77 


78 


71.3 


4 


76 


79 


78 


77.6 


5 


78 


80 


80 


79.3 


6 


77 


83.5 


84.5 


81.6 


7 


78.5 


86.5 


81.5 


82.1 


8 


79 


87 


81.5 


82.5 


9 


79 


83.5 


87.5 


83.3 


10 


80.5 


85 


85 


83 


11 


81.5 


84.5 


84.5 


83.3 


12 


81 


84 


81 


82 


13 


78.5 


81.5 


78.5 


79.5 


14 


78 


80 


78.5 


78.8 


15 


74 


77.5 


78 


76.5 


16 


75.5 


79 


79 


77.8 


17 


75 


78 


75 


76 


18 


73 


73.5 


74.5 


73.6 


19 


73.5 


74 


74 


77.8 


20 


72 


75 


75 


74 


21 


72 


75 


73.5 


73.5 


22 


72 


75.5 


75.5 


74.3 


23 


72 


79 


77 


76 


24 


75 


81 


80 


78.6 


25 


78 


78 


77.5 


77.8 


26 


76 


79 


78.5 


76.8 


27 


76 


81.5 


81.5 


79.6 


28 


77 


80 


78 


78.3 


29 


72 


80 


78.5 


76.8 


30 


76 


78 


77.5 


77.1 


31 


71 


77 


75 


74.3 


Average 


75.6 


79.4 


78.5 


77.8 













WATER TEMPERATURES FOR JULY, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


25 


62 5 


72 5 




67 5 


26 


75 


75.5 


73 


74.5 


27 


68.5 


76.8 


77.9 


74.4 


28 


70 


77.9 


74 


74 


29 


68.1 


74 


80 


74 


30 


63.5 


82 


82.5 


76 


31 






83 5 














Average 


67.9 


76.4 


78.5 


74.3 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 175 






WATER TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


74 


78 


78 


76.6 


2 


76.5 


82 


80 


79.5 


3 


76 


80 


79 


78.3 


4 


75.5 


84.5 


81 


80.3 


5 


77.5 


78.5 


78 


78 


6 


71.5 


82.5 


80 


78 


7 


72.5 


80 


80 


77.5 


8 


73 


77 


77 


75.6' 


9 


71 


77.5 


75 


.74.5 


10 


73 


79 


76.5 


76.2 


11 


73.5 


81.5 


80 


78.3 


12 


74.5 


80 


78.5 


77.6 


13 


70 


80 


75 


75 


14 


67 


80 


77 


74.6 


15 


67 


80 


76.5 


74.5 


16 


70 


80 


80 


76.6 


17 


73 


81 


80 


78 


18 


73.5 


79 


78 


76.8 


19 


76 


84 


78 


79.3 


20 


76 


78.5 




77.2 


21 


75 


82.5 


77 


78.2 


22 


75 


82 


80.5 


79.2 


23 


75 


82 


82 


79.6 


24 


75 


80 


78.5 


77.8 


25 


74 


83.5 


80.5 


79.3 


26 


75 


81.5 


82.5 


79.3 


27 


77 


86 


83 


82 


28 


70.5 


84 


82 


81 


29 


75.5 


84 


84.5 


81.3 


30 


75 


84 


82 


80.5 


31 


77 


81.5 


81.5 


80 


Average 


73.7 


81.1 


79.4 


78.4 



12-17618 



176 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


74 


81 


81.5 


78.8 


2 


76.5 




78 


77.2 


3 


75 


79 


80.3 


78.1 


4 


76 


80.8 


78.5 


78.4 


5 


77.4 


81 


81 


79.8 


6 


79 


83.5 


79.8 


80.8 


7 


79.2 


81.8 


81.8 


81 


8 


78.8 


83 


81 


80.9 


9 


79.4 


83 


82 


81.4 


10 


78.9 


83.5 


30 


80.8 


11 


79 


83.6 


80.5 


81 


12 


78.3 


81 


81.5 


80.2 


13 


78 


82 


80.5 


80.1 


14 


79 


79 


79 


79 


15 


76.2 . 


72.1 


78 


75.4 


16 


75.7 


77 


80 


77.5 


17 


75.5 


80 


79.2 


78.2 


18 


76 


80.5 


79 


78.5 


19 


78.5 


83.5 


78.5 


80.4 


20 


77 


81 


79 


79 


21 


76.2 


83.5 


. 83.6 


81.1 


22 


78.2 


84 


83 


81.7 


23 


78.9 


80 


82 


80.3 


24 


77.5 


82.5 


81.5 


80.5 


25 


77.2 




79 


78.1 


26 


76 


79.5 


81.5 


79 


27 


76.5 


80 


79.5 


78.6 


28 


76.5 


82 


81.8 


80.1 


29 


78 


83.5 


81.5 


81 


30 


76 


83 


83 


80.6 


31 


78 


83.5 


83 


81.5 


Average 


77.2 


81.3 


80.6 


79.7 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 177 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1903 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


70 


71 


71 


70.6 


2 


'72 


77 


75 


74.6 


3 


77.1 


74 


78 


75.3 


4 


73.5 


75 


77 


75.1 


5 


74.5 


78.5 


75 


76 


6 


73.5 


76 


74 


74.5 


7 


70 


72 


71 


71 


8 


72.5 


76.5 


74 


74.3 


9 


74 


75 


75 


74.6 


10 


71 


75 


75 


73.6 


11 


72 


74 


74 


73.3 


12 


68 


72 


74 


71.3 


13 


71 


74 


74 


73 


14 


69 


76 


76 


73.6 


15 


68.5 


71 


70.5 


70 


16 


68 


75 


74.5 


72.5 


17 


70 


76 


75 


73.6 


18 


73 


78 


76 


75.6 


19 


73 


74 


72.5 


73.1 


20 


70 


76 


75 


73.6 


21 


71 


74 


77 


74 


22 


71 


74 


74 


73 


23 


72 


75.5 


73.5 


77 


24 


73 


78 


74.5 


75.1 


25 


73.5 


78 


76 


75.8 


26 


72 


77 


77.5 


75.5 


27 


73 


76 


75 


74.6 


28 


73 


76 


75 


74.6 


Average 


71.7 


75.2 


74 6 


73.8 













178 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Surrey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


71.5 


77.5 


84.5 


77.8 


2 


76.4 


81 


78.9 


78.8 


3 


71.9 


77 


78.9 


75.9 


4 


73.9 


78 


79 


77 


5 


73.5 


78 .'l 


77.5 


76.4 


6 


73 


81.9 


77.8 


77.6 


7 


73.1 


75.4 . 


77 


75.2 


8 


73 


82.2 


84 


79.7 


9 


73.9 




83.5 


78.7 


10 


73.9 


75.5 


81.5 


77 


11 


72 


83 


79 


78 


12 


68.8 


75.1 


76.5 ' 


73.5 


13 


69 


73.8 


75.9 


72.9 


14 


75 








15 


71 


76 


72.5 


73.2 


16 


72.5 


77 


81 


76.8 


17 


74 


79 


77.5 


76.8 


18 


72.5 


77 


78 


75.8 


20 




79.5 


78 


78.8 


21 


74.5 








22 






80 




23 




80 


80 .-8 


80.4 


24 


75.5 


80 




77.8 


25 


74.8 




81 


77.9 


26 




85 


77.5 


81.3 


27 


70 


73.5 


73.5 


72.3 


28 


68.5 


74.1 


76 


72.9 


29 


70 


73.5 


79 


74.2 


30 


74.5 


71 


72 


72.5 


31 


67 






67 












Average 


72.5 


77.7 


78.5 


76.2 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR AUGUST, 1908 



Date' 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


27 


65 


73 




69.0 


28 


65 


74 


74.0 


74.1 


29 


69 


70.5 


73.5 


71 


30 


70 


81 


80 


77 


31 


72.9 


78.5 


. 79 


76.8 


Average 


68.4 


75.4 


76.6 


73.2 













Records only for the last five days of the month. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 179 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


77 


82.5 


81.2 


80.2 


2 


76.2 


82.8 


80 


79.6 


3 


80 


84.2 


79.8 


81.3 


4 


73.8 








6 


72.5 


82 


79.5 


78 


7 


73.5 


79.2 


78.5 


77 


8 


75 


79 


75 


76.3 


9 


67 


68 




67.5 


10 


67 


69 


69.5 . 


68.5 


11 


69.5 


77 


74 


73.5 


12 


69 


77 


71 


72.3 


13 


66 


75 


70 


71 


14 


57 


72.5 


68.5 


66 


15 


64 


73 


69.5 


68.8 


16 


64 


74.5 


72 


70.1 


17 


66 


76 


70.8 


70.9 


18 


62 


70.5 




66.2 


19 


63.1 


64 


63.5 


63.5 


20 


61.5 


68.5 


65 


65 


21 


61.5 


71 


67 


66.5 


22 


62 


69 


66 


65.6 


23 


63 


65.5 


67 


65.1 


24 


64 


66 


65 


65 


25 


61 


66 


63.5 


63.5 


26 


57.5 


65.5 


61 


61.3 


27 


57 


63 


62 


60.6 


28 


55 


61.5 


60 


58.8 


29 


56 


62 


57 


58.3 


30 


54.8 


60 


56 


56.9 


Average 


65.6 


71.6 


68.9 


68.1 













180 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

WATER TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


77.5 


83 


81 


80.5 


2 


76 


81.2 


77.2 


78.1 


3 


76 


80.5 


79 


78.5 


4 


75 


81 


81 


79 


5 


75 


80.5 


77.5 


77.3 


6 


76 


79.5 


77.5 


77.6 


7 


75 


78 


78 


77 


8 


75.5 




80.3 


77.6 


9 


76.5 


81.2 


78.6 


78.7 


10 


75.1 


80 


77 


77.3 


11 


75.8 


79 


76.3 


77 


12 


72.9 


72.5 


76.1 


73.8 


13 


72 


79 


78 


76.3 


14 


72.1 


79 


72.7 


74.6 


15 


68.8 


77 


74.9 


73.5 


16 


70.1 


71.1 


71.8 


71 


17 


68 




67 


67.5 


18 


59.3 


73 


71.9 


67.7 


19 


65 


65.5 


69.9 


66.8 


20 


65 


71 


67 


67.6 


21 


63.5 


70 


67.5 


67 


22 


63.5 


71 


69.5 


68 


23 


64 


70.2 


67.8 


67.3 


24 


62.8 


68.5 


69 


66.7 


25 


67 


75.2 


71.8 


71.3 


26 


62 


69.9 


69 


66.9 


27 


66 


67.3 


66.5 


66.6 


28 


61.9 


68 


67 


65.6 


29 


66 


67.5 


67.5 


67 


30 


63.5 


71 


69.5 


68 


Average . . 


69.6 


74.6 


73.2 


72.4 













WATER TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1906 



Date 


6am. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


64 


73 


70.9 


69.3 


2 


66 


68 


69 


67.7 


3 


67 


72.5 


70.1 


69.9 


4 


69 




69.5 


69.3 


5 


63 


69 


71 


67.7 


6 


66.1 


71 


73 


70 


7 


71 


73 


75 


73 


8 




73 


75 


74 


9 


71.3 


75 


76 


74.1 


10 


76 


x 


74 


75 


11 


71 


80 


75.2 


75.4 


12 


72 


76.8 


76 


74.9 


13 




78.2 


70 


74.1 


14 


60 


67.2 


68 


65.1 


15 




67 


67 


67 


16 


65 


70.9 


72 


69.3 


17 






73 




18 


68.5 


74.9 


80 


74.5 


Average 


67.8 


72.6 


72.4 


71.2 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 181 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1907 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


13 




70 


69 




14 


67 








19 


70 


74 


72.5 


72.2 


20 


70 


73 


73 


72 


21 


67 


72.5 


70 


69.8 


22 


62 


70 


70 


67.3 


23 


65 


- 


66 


65.5 


24 


61 


66 


63 


63.3 


25 


58 


62 


62 


60.7 


26 


60 


62 


63 


61.7 


27 


61 


61 


61 


61 


28 


61 


62 


62 


61.7 


29 


60 


60 


59 


59.7 


30 


57 




62 


59.5 


Average 


63 


66.6 


65.6 


64.5 













WATER TEMPERATURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1908 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


75 


75 




75" 


2 
3 
4 
5 


71.3 
61.5 
65 
67 


73.5 
72 
72 


70.5 
70 
70 
75 


71.8 
67.8 
69 
71 


6 

7 


71 
64 


78 


70 
71 5 


73 
67 8 


8 


66 








9 
10 
11 


66.5 
69 


73.5 
76.5 

77 


75 
75.4 


71.7 
73.6 


12 


71 


81 




76 


13 
14 
15 
16 
17 


73 
71 
68.5 
66.5 


76 
74 
72 
73.8 
74 


78 
73 
73 
76 


75.7 
72.7 
71.2 
72.1 
74 5 












Average 


68 


74 1 


73 3 


72 2 













182 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


48.5 


59.5 


56 


54.6 


2 


52.5 


61 


59 


57.5 


3 


52 


63.5 


60.5 


58.6 


4 


55 


61.5 


61 


59.1 


5 


55 


61.2 


60 


58.7 


6 


54 


62 


62 


59 


7 


54 


63.5 


61 


59.5 


8 


52.5 


64 


61 


59.1 


9 


58 


64.5 


60 


60.8 


10 


54.5 


62 


60 


58.8 


11 


58.5 


60 


60 


59.5 


12 


58.5 


65 


62 


61.5 


13 


60 


64 


64 


62.6 


14 


60 


68 


65 


64.3 


15 


60.5 


70.5 


65 


65.3 


16 


59.8 


67 


61 


62.5 


17 


58.5 


58.5 


57 


58 


18 


58 








22 


50 


58 




54 


23 


60 


66 


60 


62 


24 


60 


66 


60 


62 


25 


60 


62 




61 


26 


55 


64 


60 


59.6 


27 


56 




57 


56.5 


28 


57 




57 


57 


29 


56 


59 


59 


58 


30 


53 


59 


56 


56 


31 


52 


60 


55 


55.6 


Average 


56 


62.8 


59.9 


59.3 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 183 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1900 



Date 


6 a. in. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


! 


63.5 


70 


68 


67.2 


2 


62.5 


71 


68 


67.2 


3 


64.5 


72.5 


68.9 


68.6 


4 


65 


73.2 


69 


69.1 


5 


64.9 


72 


70.1 


69 


6 


67 


73.5 


71 


70.5 


7 . 


67.5 


68.5 


66.8 


67.6 


8 


65 


69.5 


67 


67.7 


9 


62.5 


69.5 


66.5 


66.2 


10 


69.8 


68.5 


67 


68.4 


1.1 


62 


68.5 


66.9 


65.8 


12 


65.5 


66.5 


65 


66 


13 


60 


65.5 


64 


63.2 


14 


62 


68 


. 66.9 


65.6 


15 


62.3 


69.3 


65.5 


65.7 


16 


61.5 


65 


60 


62.2 


17 


57.6 


64.8 


61 


61.1 


18 


57.2 


65.5 


63 


61.9 


19 


54.5 


63.6 


61.2 


59.8 


20 


54 


63 


61 


59.3 


21 


61.8 


62 


61.9 


61.9 


22 


60.1 


62.5 


63 


61.9 


23 


58.9 


63.9 


61.2 


61.3 


24 


58.1 


63.5 


65 


62.2 


25 


58 . 


64.7 


63 


61.9 


26 


58.8 


64 


61.5 


61.4 


27 


58.5 


66.1 


64 


62.9 


28 


57.5 


64 


62.8 


61.4 


29 


60.1 


65 


61.7 


62.3 


30 


61.5 


65.2 


62.5 


63.1 


31 


59.9 


64.9 


63.9 62.9 


Average 


61.4 


66.9 


64.8 


64.4 



184 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1901 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


28 






52 8" 




29 


47.9 


53 




50 5 


30 
31 


50.2 
50 


54 

58 


53.5 
52.9 


52.6 
53.6 




49 4 


55 


53 1 


52 5 













WATER TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


5 






57 




10 






47 




11 


44.5- 


53.5 


49.5 


49.2 


12 


47.2 


52 


52 


50.4 


13 


55 


55 




55 


14 


51 


55.8 


55.5 


54.1 


15 


51.6 


55.5 


56.7 


54.6 


16 


51.8 




57 


54.8 


17 


51.5 


58 


58 


55.8 


18 


56 


58 


61 


58.3 


19 


58.5 


65 


62.5 


62 


20 


51.9 


63.3 


53 


56.1 


21 


56 


59 


60 


58.3 


22 


56.3 


57.6 


56 


56.6 


23 


59 - 


60.5 


58 


59.2 


24 


57.5 




50 


53.8 


27 


49.5 


47 


45.5 


47.3 


28 


44 


43 


42.8 


43.3 


29 


41.1 


50 


44.5 


45.2 


30 


46 


47.5 


45 


46.1 


31 


42 


52 


48.5 


47.5 


Average 


51.1 


54.9 


53.1 


S3 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 185 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1907 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6pm. 


Average 


1 


57 


61 


63 


60.3 


2 


60 


65 


64 


63 


1 


62 


64 


63 


63 


4 


63 


65 


65 


64.3 


5 


59 


63 


63 


61.7 


6 


59 


62 


63 


61.3 


7 


59 


62 


60 


60.3 


8 


54 


59 


61 


58 


9 


57 


58 


'58 


57.7 


10 


54 


57 


58 


56.3 


11 


54 


57 


55 


55.3 


12 


52 


53 


53 


52.7 


13 


60 


52 


53 


51.7 


14 


51 


54 


54 


53 


15 


55 


55 


55 


55 


16 


55 


55 


56 


55.3 


17 


54 


57 


58 


56.3 


13 


54 


56 


56 


55.3 


19 


50 


54 


55 


53 


20 


53 


54 


53 


53.3 


21 


61 


55 


54 


53.3 


22 


51 


55 


56 


54 


23 


52 


55 


53 


53.3 


21 


51 


53 


54 


52.7 


25 


50 


53 


50 


51 


28 


50 


49 


50 


49.7 


27 


49 


50 


48 


49 


28 


46 


46 


47 


46.3 


29 


43 


45 


46 


44.7 


30 


49 


49 


49 


49 


31 


4S 


51 


51 


49.3 


Average 


53.3 


55.6 


55.6 


54.8 













186 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR OCTOBER, 1913 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


61 


66 


66 


64.3 


2 


60 




62 


61 


3 


56 


65 


64 


61.7 


4 


60- 


65 


65 


63.3 


5 


60 


64 


64 


62.7 


6 


62 


65 


65 


64 


7 


62 


67 


67 


65.3 


8 


62 


67 


67 


65.3 


9 


64 


70 


68 


67.3 


10 


65 


69 


67 


67 


11 


61 


63 


61 


61.7 


12 


57 


58 


50 


55 


13 


56 


61 


62 


59.7 


14 


57 


62 


61 


60 


15 


56 


63 


62 


60.3 


16 


59 


62 


62 


61 


17 


60 


62 


52 


58 


18 


56 


56 


56 


56 


19 


51 


59 


55 


55 


20 


51 


52 


48 


50.3 


21 


45 


46 


46 


45.7 


22 


50 


46 


50 


48.7 


23 


48 


52 


50 


50 


24 


51 


54 


54 


53 


25 


48 


55 


54 


52.3 


26 


50 


54 


55 


53 


27 


50 


51 


50 


50.3 


28 


47 


49 


50 


48.7 


29 


49 


50 


46 


48.3 


30 


45 


45 


45 


45 


31 


43 


47 


44 


44.7 


Average 


54.9 


58.2 


57 


56.7 













Lake Maxinkucfcee, Physical and Biological Survey 187 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average P 


1 


54 


56 




55 


2 


45 


48 


46 


46.3 


3 


45 


44 


43 


44 


4 


42 


42 


47 


43.6 


5 


44 


52.5 


50 


48.3 


6 


47 


51 


48 


48.6 


7 


48 


50 


49 


49 


8 


50 




50 


50 


9 


48 


52 


50 


50 


10 


48 


50.5 


50.5 


49.6 


11 


50 


53 


50 


51 


12 


46 


48 


46 


46.6 


13 


42 


50 


49 


47 


14 


46 


49 


48 


47.6 


15 


48 


50 


49 


49 


16 


48 


51 


50 


49.6 


17 


47 


50 


52 


49.6 


18 


50 


51 


50 


50.3 


19 


48 


51 


50 


49.6 


20 


47 


51 


47 


48.3 


21 


46 


49 


50 


48.3 


22 


50 


51 


50 


50.3 


23 


47.5 


45 


45 


45.8 


24 


45 


46 


45 


45.3 


25 


43 


47 


45 


45 


26 


42 


47 


44 


44.3 


27 


43 


46 


44 


44.3 


28 


43 


47 


44 


44.6 


29 


42 


44 


43 


43 


30 


42 


46 


47.5 


45.1 


Average 


46.2 


48.9 


47.6 


47 6 













188 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1900 



Dite 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


59.8 


59 


58.3 


59 


2 


57 


63.8 


60.5 


60.4 


3 


56.3 


63.5 


58.1 


62.6 


4 


51.1 


62 


59.5 


57.5 


5 


55.3 


61 


57.5 


57.9 


G 


52 


55 




53.5 


7 


49.5 


56 


54 


53.2 


8 


50 


55 


51.2 


55.1 


9 


50 


51.3 


52.5 


51.3 


10 


45.5 


45.8 


- 47.8 


46.4 


11 


48.9 


51.5 


49.9 


50.1 


12 


46.5 


49.7 


50.5 


48.9 


13 


41.5 


49.8 


45.9 


46.7 


14 


42 


45.8 


45.5 


57.8 


15 


42.8 


47 


45 


44.9 


16 


3S.9 


42.9 


41 


40.9 


17 


33. 5 


41 


42.1 


40.2 


18 


44.9 


47 


47.5 


46.5 


10 


48.2 


49.5 


46.2 


48 


2J 


48.9 


50 


42 


47 


21 


45.8 


47.2 


45.6 


46.2 


22 


43.1 


47.5 


46.5 


45.7 


23 


43.5 


45.1 


44.5 


44.4 


21 


43 


43 


43 


43 


25 


39 


39.6 


39.3 


49.3 


20 


35.9 


40.5 


40 


38.8 


27 


38 


41.8 


42.8 


40.9 


28 


40.3 


41.5 


41.5 


41.1 


29 


41.1 


41.8 


41.7 


41.5 


33 


3?.9 


41.? 


42 


38.7 


Average 


45.8 


49.2 


47.7 


47.6 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 189 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1904 



Date 


6 a. in. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


50 


52.5 


53 


51.8 


2 


50 


53 


53 


52 


3 


50.5 


53.9 


52.9 


52.4 


4 


51.5 


53.5 


54 


53 


5 


49.9 


50.2 


49.2 


49.8 


6 


42.2 


48.5 


47.9 


46.2 


7 


47.8 


48.2 


50.5 


48.8 


8 


47.9 


48.3 


45.1 


47.1 


9 


43.9 


43.9 


47.5 


45.1 


10 


47.5 


44.7 


44 


46.3 


11 


42 


41 8 


43 


42.3 


12 


40.3 


43 


43.3 


42.2 


13 


42 


44 


42.9 


43.3 


14 


41.8 


43 


43.5 


42.8 


15 


41.3 


42 


44.8 


42.7 


16 


42.5 


44.5 


47.5 


41.5 


17 


43.9 


45.3 


45 


44.7 


18 


44 


45.5 


46.7 


42.9 


19 


44.9 


46 


47 


49.9 


20 


46 


47 


45.5 


46.2 


21 


43.6 


45.5 


45.5 


44.9 


22 


43 


46 


45.2 


44.7 


23 


43.5 


44 


44.8 


44.1 


24 


43.5 


44.2 


44.5 


44.1 


25 


42 


43 


42.5 


42.5 


26 


39.8 


39.9 


40 


39.9 


27 


37.5 


38.5 


39.5 


38.5 


28 


43 


39 


38 


40 


29 


39 


















verage 


44.3 


45.6 


45.9 


45.4 



190 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER, 1906 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


45.5 


50.5 


50 


48.8 


2 


45 


45 


50 


46.6 


3 


48 


51 


45 


48 


4 


45 2 




46 


45 6 


5 


47 


52.5 


46.5 


48.6 


6 


43 








7 


53.5 








8 


45 


49 


48.6 


47.5 


9 


47.5 


48 


46 


47.1 


10 


41.5 


53.2 


44.5 


46.4 


11 


45 2 


48 9 






12 


42.5 


45.1 


45 


44.2 


13 


41.8 


43 


42 


42.2 


14 


41 


46.6 


44.5 


44 


15 


43 








16 


43.5 


44.5 


43.5 


43.8 


17 


43 5 




40 


41 1 


18 


45 


45 5 




45.2 


19 


42.5 


37.5 


37.2 


39 


20 


35 5 


37 




36.2 


21 


39 5 




39 


39 2 


23 


43 5 


















Average 


42.9 


46.5 


44.5 


44.6- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 191 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1899 



Date 


6 a m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


44 


46 


43 


44.3 


2 


42 


46 


43 


43.6 


3 


42 


43 


42 


42.3 


4 


41 


42 


37 


40 


5 


35 


39 


38 


37.3 


6 


38 


41 


39 


39.3 


7 


37 


40 


38.5 


38.5 


8 


38 


42 


40 


40 


9 


40 


40 


40 


40 


10 


44 


42 


42.6 


42.6 


11 


46 


48 


'47 


47 


12 


40 


40 


40 


40 


13 


40 


38 


35 


37.6 


14 


35 


36* 


36 


35.6 


15 


36 


36 


36 


36 


16 


32 


32 


32 


32 


17 


32 


35 


37 


34.6 


18 


34 


39 


88 


37 


19 


38 


38 


38 


38 


20 


36 


36 


36 


35 


21 


34.5 


37 


38 


36.5 


22 


37 


38 


38 


37.6 


23 


34 


36 


34 


34.6 


24 


34 


34 


33 


33.6 


25 


32 


34 


33 


33 


26 


33 


34 


34 


33.6 


27 


32 


34 


32 


32.6 


28 


32 


34 


32 


34.6 


29 


32 


32 


32 


32 


30 


32 


32 


32 


32 


31 


32 


32 


32 


32 


Average 


36.6 


37.9 


37 


37.2 













1317618 



192 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1900 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


39.9 


42 


42.6 


41.5 


2 


38.9 


40.9 


41.5 


40.4 


3 


40 


41.2 


42 


41.1 


4 


40.9 


41.3 


41 


41.1 


5 


40.9 


41 


40.5 


40.8 


6 


38.5 


41.1 


41 


40.2 


7 


40.1 


40.9 


39.9 


40.3 


8 


37.8 


38.9 


38.9 


38.5 


9 


37.5 


38.5 


37.7 


37.9 


10 


38.4 


39.2 


39 


38.9 


11 


37.1 


39.5 


39 


37.5 


12 


35.1 


37 


36.5 


36.2 


13 


36.6 


37.3 


37.8 


37.2 


14 


32 


32 


32 


32 


15 


32 


32.9 


32 


32.3 


16 


32.1 


32.5 


33.2 


32.6 


17 


33.5 


33.8 


33.5 


33.6 


18 


33.5 


34.7 


34.8 


34.3 


19 


33.9 


36.5 


35 


35.1 


20 


33.8 


36 


36.7 


35.5 


21 


35 


37.8 


36.4 


36.4 


22 


34.7 


36 


35.9 


35.5 


23 


37.2 


36.7 


34.7 


36.2 


24 


33.9 


36.3 




35.1 


28 


33.5 


35 


36.7 


35.1 


29 


34 


35.9 


35.4 


35.1 


30 


33.9 


35 


34 


34.3 


31 


33.8 


34.8 


33.6 


34.1 


Average 


36 


37.3 


37.1 


36.8 













Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 193 



WATER TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER, 1904 



Date 


6 a. m. 


Noon 


6 p. m. 


Average 


1 


35 




35 


85 


2 


37 


37.8 


33.5 


36.1 


3 


32 


33 


32.5 


32.5 


4 


32 


32.9 


34 


31.9 


5 


33 


34.5 


34.5 


33.5 


6 


34.9 


33 


35.2 


35 


7 


34.5 


36 


35.2 


35.2 


8 


34.5 


34.9 






9 


34.8 


35 


34 


34.6 


10 


32 


32 


32 


32 


11 


34 


33.8 


33.8 


33.8 


12 


32 


32 


32 


32 


13 


32 


32 ' 


32 


32 


14 


32 


32.8 


32 


32.2 


15 


32 


32 


32 


32 


16 


32 


32 


32 


32 


17 


33 


32 


32 


32.3 


18 


33 


33 


33 


33 


19 


32 


33 


33.1 


32.7 


20 


33 


34.5 


35 


33.1 


21 


34.9 


34.9 


35.2 


35 


22 


35 


37 


36.5 


36.1 


23 


36.4 


35.5 


35 


35.6 


24 


35 


34.9 


35 


34.9 


25 


35 


36.2 


35 


35.4 


26 


35 


35 


36 


35.3 


27 


35 


34.5 


34 


34.5 


29 


34.5 




32 




30 


34 


35 


35.1 




31 


34 


34.8 


34 


34.2 


Average 


33.8 


34.1 


33.8 


33.8 













194 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 195 



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196 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 







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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 197 

Serial ivater temperatures: In addition to the observations on 
the temperature of the surface of the lake, many serial tempera- 
tures were taken. On July 18, 1899, a regular observation station 
was established at the deepest place in the lake, known as the 
Deep Hole, where the water is 89 feet deep at the ordinary stage 
of water. A buoy was placed to mark the station. Readings 
were taken daily from July 18 to September 30, 1899, and from 
July 17, 1900, to June 28, 1901, not daily but usually two to three 
times a week. Readings were taken at the surface and usually at 
5-foot intervals from the surface to the bottom. Usually the 
temperature of the air also was recorded, and the condition of the 
sky and direction of the wind noted. 

From July 18 to August 14, 1899, a self -register ing Negretti- 
Zambra deep-sea thermometer was used. From August 15 to Sep- 
tember 21, a Ritchie thermophone was used, with not wholly satis- 
factory results, after which the deep-sea thermometer was again 
used. 

A similar serial-temperature observation station was estab- 
lished July 30, 1899, at the Kettlehole, in the southwest corner of 
the lake, in which the maximum depth is 40 feet. Seven sets of 
records, at 5-foot intervals, were made there in July, August and 
September, 1899, and 12 sets in July, August and September, 1900. 
More than 150 water-temperatures were recorded at the Kettle- 
hole, and over 4,200 at the Deep Hole. The total number of water- 
temperatures taken and recorded is therefore about 10,000. Most 
of the surface temperatures are given in the tables on the preceding 
pages and the serial temperatures will be found in the following 
tables. 

Temperatures at the Deep Hole: Many serial temperature 
records were made at the Deep Hole. These are set forth in the 
tables on the following pages. An examination of these vari- 
ous tables reveals some very interesting facts, particularly with 
reference to the position of the thermocline, that is, the line or 
depth of most rapid change in temperature. 

During the winter months, when the lake is covered with ice, 
the temperature of the water from top to bottom is quite uniform, 
the variation sometimes being nil, and usually not more than 2 or 
3 degrees. When the ice goes off in the spring, the sun's rays 
begin to affect the upper strata of the water to gradually increasing 
depths. From a mean surface temperature of 33.1 in February, 
it rose in March to 34.8, in April to 45.8, in May to 62, and so 
on, until in August it reached 80.1. By May the water had 



198 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

warmed up perceptibly to a depth of 25 to 30 feet, and a well-de- 
fined thermocline was established. This is shown by the marked 
difference between the mean temperatures at 25 feet and 30 feet, 
5.4, which is 3.4 greater than for any other 5-foot interval in 
May. By the end of July, in 1899, it had moved down to 35 to 
40 feet, the difference in temperature in that 5-foot interval being 
6. In 1900, it moved down only to the 30 to 35-foot interval by 
the end of July and showed a difference of 8.4. In August, 1899, 
and again in 1900, it stood in the 30 to 35-foot interval. In Sep- 
tember, it moved down to the 40 to 50-foot stratum in both 1899 
and 1900. In October, it went down to the 50 to 60-foot level, and 
in November to the 60 to 70-foot interval. The difference, how- 
ever, was only 1.9. In this month it disappeared altogether in 
1900 (the only year in which late fall observations were made), 
and did not reappear until in May following. 




Pictures cannot do full justice to the beautiful views of Lake Maxinkuckee from the 
Academy buildings. One of the most attractive vistas shows a glimpse of the main lawn and 
flag in the foreground. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 199 



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200 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, AUGUST, 1899 



DEPTH 


1 


DATE 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 


11 


12 


13 


14 


15 


16 

64 
74 
74.2 
74.3 

74.3 

74.3 
73.8 

69.3 
66 
62 
57.2 

52.7 

51.3 
51 
50.7 
50.7 


Air 






74.5 
78.5 
78.8 
79.3 

78.3 

78.5 
74 

69.5 


77.3 
79.5 
79.5 
79.5 

78 

77.2 
74 

70 


74 
79 
79.2 
79.2 

79.2 

78 
74 

70.2 


74.5 
78.5 
78.2 
78.2 

78.2 

77.7 
75.5 

69.8 


77.5 
77.5 

77.5 

75.5 

77.5 
75.3 

70.2 


66.6 

77 
77 
77 

77 

77 
74.8 

70.5 


71 
76.2 
76.2 
76.2 

76.2 

76.2 
76.2 

70.5 


72 
75.7 
75.7 
76.2 

75.6 

75.6 
76 

70.7 


78.5 
76.5 
76.5 
76.5 

76.5 

76 
75.2 

70.2 


71.5 

77 
77 
77 

76.5 
75.5 

72 


76.7 
76.7 
76.7 

77 

76.5 
74.4 

71 


64.5 
75 
75.2 
75.2 

75.2 

74.9 
72.3 

68.5 


66.7 
77.4 
74.5 

74.5 
/75.1' 
\74.5 
74.3 
73.6 
f72.1' 
\70.5 


Surface 


78 
78.2 
78 

77.5 

74 
73 

70 


78.3 
78.3 
78.3 

78.3 

78 
75 

69.7 


5ft 


10ft 


15 ft 


20ft 


25ft 


30 ft 


32 5 ft 


35 ft 


64.5 
59.2 

54.6 

52 
52 
51.5 
51.5 


64.7 
59.1 

55 

52 
51.8 
51.3 
51 


63.7 
59.2 

54.8 

52.5 
51.7 
51.7 
51.3 


64 
60.5 

55 

52 
51 
51 
51 


64.5 

59.5 

54 

52.5 
52 
51.5 
51.5 


65.5 
59.5 

54.5 

52.5 
52 
51.7 
51.7 


63.7 
59.7 

54-. 7 

52.7 
51.8 
51.8 
51.5 


64.2 

58.7 

54.5 

52.4 
51.7 
51.7 


64.2 
59.8 

54.5 

51.6 
50.7 
50.7 


65.6 
60.1 

54.7 

52.5 
51.7 
51.7 
51.7 


64.7 
59.7 

54.8 

52.3 

52 
51.7 
52 


64.7 

59.2 

54.6 

51.5 
52 
51.9 
51.9 


66 
60 

55 

53 
52.2 
52.1 
52.2 


61 
57.5 

52.5 

51.5 
51 
50.7 
50.5 


62.5 
57.2 
/55' 
\52.5 
51.3 
50.8 
50.7 
50.2 


40 ft 
50 ft ...'.... 


60 ft 


70 ft . . 


80ft 


85ft 









SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, AUGUST 1899 



DATE 





17 


18 


19 


20 


21 


22 


23 


24 


25 


26 


27 


28 


29 


30 


31 


Air 


71 5 


71 5 


76 5 


76 


72 


83 


71 


83 


72 5 


72 3 


71 7 


74 


72 


74 2 


73 


Surface 


75.4 


76 7 


77.3 


77.7 


77 


76.5 


76.5 


76.5 


76.5 


76 3 


75.5 


77 


76.5 


77 2 


75 7 


5 ft 


74 5 


76 7 


77 3 


77.7 


77 


76.5 


76.7 


76 5 


76 5 


76.3 


76.5 


77 


76.5 


77 2 


75 


10 ft . ... 


74 5 


75 1 


74 7 


77 6 


77 


76 3 


76 7 


76 3 


76 5 


76 3 


76 3 


77 


76 7 


77 


75 


15 ft 


74 5 


74 4 


74 


74 


76.5 


76.5 


76 5 


76 5 


76 5 


76 3 


76 3 


76 5 


76 5 


77 


74 7 


20ft 


74 7 


74 


73 4 


73 


75 


74 7 


75 


74 7 


75 


75 5 


75 1 


75 


76 


76 5 


73 5 


25ft 


73 5 


73.5 


72.2 


71.7 


73 


73 


73.3 


73 


73 2 


73 


73.7 


73.3 


73.5 


73.5 


71 


30 ft 


71 5 


70.5 


69.5 


69.4 


70.5 


70.2 


70 


70.2 


70 


69.2 


69.5 


69.5 


70. 


70.7 


67.3 


32 5 ft 


65 5 




64 5 


64.5 


66 


64.8 


65 7 


64 8 


66 5 


65 


66.7 


66.3 


66.5 


65 5 


63.2 


35ft 


61 5 


61 5 


61 


61 5 


59 5 


60.8 


62 


60 8 


62 7 


62 


61 2 


63 2 


63 2 


62 2 


60 3 


40ft 


57 2 


57 2 


56 8 


57 2 


56 


56 5 


57 


56 5 


58 


57 6 


57 6 


57 


56 7 


57 


55 8 


50ft 


53 1 


53 


51 3 


52 


52 4 


52 


52 7 


52 


52 4 


52 2 


52 5 


52 5 


61 7 


52 5 


50 7 


60 ft 


51 5 


51.5 


50.3 


50.5 


50.5 


50.4 


50.7 


50.4 


51 


50.8 


51 


50.7 


51 


51.5 


49.5 


70ft 


51 3 


51 


50 


49.5 


50 


50 


50.4 


50 


50.5 


50.4 


50.5 


50.5 


50.7 


51 


49 


80 ft 


51 


50 5 


50 


49.5 


50 


49.9 


50.2 


49.9 


50 


50 2 


50.2 


50.5 


50.5 


51 


49 


85ft 


50 7 


50 5 


49.7 


49.3 


50 


49.5 


50 2 


49 5 


50 


50 


50 


50 


50.2 


50. 5 2 


48.7 s 



































1 Thermometer. 

2 Deep sea thermometer gave surface 76 and bottom 52. 

* Deep sea thermometer gave surface 78.5 and bottom 52 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 201 



SAap<4*^l*^i*tf***ff9M0* > 4 
tQ MS 1C *O *Q 1C >C iQ 1C iQ 1C 1C 

^ tO 1C tO tO W3 10 tO 

S *''*''''- 

C CO CO 

C 1C 1C CO QO ("* to 

tC CD CO CO CO CO 35 J8 3S 3> tC> 1C iQ iC iQ 1C 

lOt t^-t^-t t^-t t^-O<OCOiS*OiCi^O*O 

cot^t^t^t^t^r^cocDcoicicic^t*^^ 

Or}*Tt<Tt<-^^COOpCOOSiCOOSOOOOOO 

t^.t^.t^I-*l*t^-t-*<DtDCDiCiCiCiCiCiC 

1C CO C 1C 1C 1C 

1C 1C CM CO CM CO 00 Op CO CD -^ 

CO CO 
tCOOOOOO 0000 1C 00 1C 



202 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, JULY, 1900 



DEPTH 
















DATE 


















17 


18 


19 


20 


21 


22 


23 


24 


25 


26 


27 


28 


29 


30 


31 


Air 




69 5 


72 


76 3 


65 


77 


79 5 


81 2 


78 


68 


69 5 


69 


76 


74 


79 


Surface .... 


77 1 


76 3 


77 


78 


76 6 


77 5 


79 


80 3 


78 1 


77 2 


77 


77 


78 


78 


78 7 


5 ft 




76 3 


77 


78 


77 


77 5 


79 5 


80 5 


78 1 


77 5 


77 


77 


78 


78 


78 8 


10ft 


77 1 


76 3 


77 


78 5 


77 


78 


78 1 


80 1 


78 1 


78 


77 


77 


78 


78 


78 5 


15 ft 




76 3 


77 1 


77 9 


77 


77 2 


77 


77 1 


78 


77 8 


77 


77 


77 6 


78 


78 3 


20 ft 


77 1 


76 3 


77 


77 1 


77 


76 9 


76 8 


76 6 


76 3 


77 5 


77 


76 8 


76 1 


76 4 


77 


25 ft 




75 8 


76 


76 


75 


75 5 


76 


75 9 


76 


76 


76 2 


75 2 


75 5 


76 


75 6 


30ft . . 


72 


74 


74 


73 2 


72 


73 1 


72 


73 6 


72 8 


71 5 


71 


72 1 


73 


71 


72 2 


32.5ft 




67 


69 


70 


70 


69 


68 6 


71 3 


67 


68 


68 5 


68 


67 5 


67 3 


68 8 


35ft 


62 


63 


64 5 


63 5 


66 5 


65 6 


66 


68 9 


62 2 


61 5 


63 


64 


62 8 


65 


63 2 


40ft 


57 3 


58 5 


57 7 


57 4 


58 


58 8 


58 3 


58 


56 6 


57 


57 


56 8 


57 


57 


57 1 


45 ft 




55 5 


55 


55 5 


55 8 


55 


55 


55 


54 


54 6 


54 5 


53 9 


53 8 


54 3 


54 6 


50 ft 


52 3 


52 8 


53 8 


54 


53 


53 3 


53 


53 


52 1 


52 3 


52 5 


52 


52 


52 6 


52 8 


55 ft 




51 8 


51 5 


52 


51 6 


52 3 


52 


52 


51 


51 


51 


51 


51 


51 


51 


60 ft 


50 5 


51 


50 9 


51 


50 7 


51 1 


50 9 


51 1 


50 5 


50 5 


50 6 


50 5 


50 5 


50 5 


50 5 


65 ft 




50 9 


50 8 


50 


50 9 


51 


50 1 


50 5 


50 7 


50 5 


50 6 


50 5 


50 3 


50 


50 3 


70ft 


50 


50 


50 3 


50 


50 


50 


50 2 


50 


50 


50 5 


50 4 


50 4 


50 


50 


50 


75ft 




49 9 


49 9 


49 9 


50 


50 


50 2 


50 


50 


50 


50 2 


50 1 


50 


50 


50 


80ft 


50 


49 9 


49 7 


49 9 


49 9 


50 


49 8 


50 2 


50 


50 


50 


50 


49 8 


50 


49 8 


85 ft 


49.5 


49 


49 2 


49 7 


49 5 


49.2 


49 1 


49 3 


49 8 


50 


49 4 


49 3 


49 5 


49 2 


49 5 



































SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, AUGUST, 1900 



DATE 





1 


3 


4 


6 


8 


o 


11 


13 


15 


17 


18 


20 


22 


24 


25 


30 


Air 


73 
78 
78.1 
78 
78 
76.5 
75.6 
73.2 
67.6 
64.1 
58 
54.6 
52.6 
51 
51 
50.1 
50.2 
50 
49.9 
49.5 


73 
78 
78 
78 
78 
77 
76.4 
73 
68.6 
63.2 
57.2 
55.5 
52 
51.2 
51 
50.8 
50.5 
50.2 
50 
49.5 


73 

78.1 
78.1 
78.1 
78 
77 6 


83.5 

81.8 
81.8 
79.8 
78.2 
77 5 


84 
82.4 
82.4 
82.2 
79.2 
77 5 


82 
82.8 
82.8 
82.8 
79.5 
77 5 


85 
83 
83 
82' 5 
82 
77.6 


77 
81 
81 
81 
80.8 
80.3 


73.2 
79.8 
79.8 
79.8 
79.8 
79.8 


78.5 
78.9 
78.5 
78.5 
78.5 
78 8 


76.2 
78.2 
78.2 
78.2 
78.2 
78 2 


80 
80 
79.7 
79.5 
79.8 
79 1 


80 
80.8 
80.8 
80.5 
80.3 
79 2 


76.5 
80.2 
80 
80 
80 
80 
77.5 
73 
68 
64 
60.3 
57 
54.2 
52.8 
52 
51.5 
51.2 
51.3 
51 
51 


85 
80.1 
80.1 
80.1 
80 
80 
79.5 
71.5 
68.5 
66.9 
61 
57 
54.1 
52.5 
52.5 
52 
51.8 
52 
51.6 
51 


79.8 
80 
80 
80 
79.5 
78.8 
78 
73 
70 
66 
59.8 
56 
54.3 
53 
52.2 
51 
51.8 
51.6 
51 
51 




5 ft 


10 ft 


15ft 


20 ft 


25ft 


76 
72.5 
68.5 
64 
57.9 
55 
53 
51 
51 
50.1 
50.1 
50 
50 
49.8 


76 
72 
68 
63.9 
57 
54.5 
52.5 
51.3 
50.8 
50.3 
50.1 
50 
50 
49.8 


76 
70.5 
68.5 
62.5 
58 
54.5 
52.1 
51.1 
50.6 
50.5 
50 
50 
50 
49.8 


76.2 
70.1 
69.2 
64.2 
58 
54.5 
52.2 
51.2 
50.7 
50.4 
50 
50 
50 
49.9 


75.7 
70.5 
69.5 
63.5 
58 
55 
52.8 
51.2 
50.6 
50.5 
50.5 
50 
50 
49.9 


75.7 
72.3 
68 
64 
59 
55 
52.6 
51.5 
51 
50.8 
50.3 
50.3 
50 
49.8 


76.8 




77 
72.1 
67.1 
64.6 
58.3 
55.5 
53 
52 
51.5 
51 
51 
50.5 
50.3 
49.8 


76.6 
72.1 
68 
63.3 
60 
56 
54.2 
51.5 
51 
50.7 
50.6 
50.3 
50 
49.9 


77.2 
71 
68.3 
65.7 
59.8 
56 
53.5 
52.5 
52 
51.5 
51.2 
51 
51 
50.1 


76.9 
71.5 

64 
59.9 
56 
54 
52.8 
52.3 
51.8 
51.7 
51.3 
50.8 
50.2 


30ft 


32 5 ft 


35ft 


40 ft . . 


45ft 


50ft 


55 ft 


60 ft 


65ft 


70ft 


75ft 


80ft 


85ft 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 203 



SERIAL TEMPERVTURE3 TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, SEPTEMBER, 1900 



DEPTH 


DATE 


1 


3 


5 


12 


14 


22 


24 


26 


28 


Air 


82.5 
80.1 
80 
79.9 
79.7 
79.4 
78 
73 
69 
65.2 
60.3 
57 
54.8 


77.5 
79.8 
79.8 
79.2 
78.5 
78.2 
78.2 
75.4 
71 
65.2 
60 
57 
54.3 


86.5 
79 
79.1 
79 
79 
79 
79 
75.6 
70.5 
65 
60.1 
57 
54.5 


68 
76 
76 
76 
75.8 
75.8 
75.6 
74.5 
73.9 
73.5 
64.5 


79 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
74.9 
74.5 
74 
73 
64.2 


68 
67.4 
67.4 
67.4 
67.2 
67.2 
67 
67 
67 
66.9 
66.5 


63 * 
67.2 
67.2 
67.2 
67.2 
67.2 
67 
66.8 
66.8 
66.8 
66.6 


76 
70.2 
70 
69 
69 
68.7 
69 
68 


70.5 
68.5 
68.5 
68.2 
68.1 
68 
67.8 
67.8 


Surface 
5 ft 


10ft 


15 ft 


20 ft 


25 ft 


30ft 


32 5 ft 


35 ft 


67.9 
67.6 
64.5 
58.5 
55 
53.3 
53.3 


67 
67 
66 
57.9 
54.1 
53.5 
52.5 
52.4 
52 
51.6 
51.4 
51.4 


40 ft 


45 ft 


50ft 


54.6 


54.5 


55.1 


56 .5 


52 5ft 


55ft 


53 
52 
51.5 
51.5 
51.8 
51.6 
51.5 
50.8 


53.2 
52.5 
52 
52 
51.7 
51.7 
51.5 
50.9 


53.5 
52.5 
52 
51.5 
51.3 
51.1 
51 
50.8 






53.6 
52.9 
52 
52 
52 
51.5 
51.5 
Bottom ter 


53.2 

52.7 


60ft 


52.9 


52.4 

52 
51.6 


65ft 


70ft 


51.9 


51.9 
51.7 
51.7 
51.3 
nperatures 




75ft 




80ft 


51.4 
51.1 


51.5 
J51.9 

: 




85 ft 




89ft 







SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, OCTOBER, 1900 



DATE 





1 


3 


5 


8 


10 


12 


15 


17 


19 


22 


24 


26 


29 


31 


Air 


72 5 


72 


75 9 


54 1 


54 5 


59 5 


63 


47 6 


52 


62 9 


56 6 


64 5 


64 


62 


Surface 


73 


67 5 


68 8 


67 6 


66 


65 2 


64 9 


63 


61 


61 5 


61.2 


61 5 


61 8 


62 5 


5 ft 


67 9 


67 5 


69 5 


68 


66 


65 3 


64 9 


63 5 


62 5 


61 4 


61 2 


61 5 


61 8 


62 5 


10ft 


67 8 


67 5 


69 1 


67 9 


66 


65 3 


64 8 


63 4 


62 3 


61 3 


61 2 


61 5 


61 8 


62 5 


15 ft 


67 5 


67.5 


67 8 


67.9 


66 


65 3 


64.8 


63.3 


62.3 


61 3 


61 2 


61 4 


61 8 


62 5 


20ft 


67 5 


67 3 


67 2 


67 9 


66 


65 3 


64 8 


63 3 


62 3 


61 2 


61 2 


61 4 


61 7 


62 5 


25 ft 


67 4 


67 1 


66 9 


67 8 


66 


65 3 


64 6 


63.3 


62 3 


61 2 


61.2 


61 3 


61 7 


62 3 


30ft 


67 


66 9 


66 9 


67 6 


66 


65 2 


64 5 


63 3 


62 3 


61 2 


61 2 


61 


61 3 


62 


35 ft 


67 


66 7 


66 8 


67 


66 


65 2 


64 5 


63 3 


62 3 


61 2 


61 2 


61 


61 3 


61 9 


40 ft 


66 5 


66 5 


66 4 


66.7 


66 


65 


64 3 


63 3 


62 3 


61.2 


61.1 


61 


61 1 


61 2 


45 ft 


66 


66 1 


65 5 


66 6 


66 


65 


64 


63 1 


62 


61 2 


61 1 


61 


61 


61 


50ft 


59 


57 6 


58 


60 6 


61 7 


62 


62 7 


62 


61 5 


61 2 


61 


61 


60 7 


60 7 


52 5 ft 


55 


55 


55 3 


57 1 


57 5 


56 9 


58 


61 


61 2 












55ft. . 


54 5 


53 5 


54 


54 9 


54 3 


54 4 


54 1 


56 9 


59 


61 2 


60 7 


60 8 


60 4 


60 3 


59 5 ft 




















58 3 


54 2 


59 4 


60 1 


59 9 


60ft 


52 5 


53 


52 3 


52 9 


52 9 


52 9 


53 


52.8 


53 


53.2 


52.3 


57.4 


58 


56.8 


65 ft ... 


52 5 


52 


52 


52 2 


52 1 


52 1 


52 2 


52 3 


52.1 


53 1 


52 


52 3 


52 3 


52 5 


70ft 


52 


52 


51 9 


52 


52 


52 


51 9 


52 


52 


52 


52 


52 


52 


52 


75 ft 


51.5 


51.6 


52.2 


52 


51.9 


51.9 


51.9 


52 


52 


52 


51.8 


52 


52 


51.9 


80 ft 


51 5 


51 6 


51 3 


51 6 


51 9 


51 9 


51 8 


51.9 


51.8 


51.9 


51.7 


51.8 


51.7 


51.7 


85 ft 


51 5 


51 5 


51 9 


51 6 


51 8 


51 5 


51 1 


51 6 


51 5 


51 5 


51.2 


51.6 


51.5 


51 5 

































204 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, NOVEMBER, 1900 











DATE 










2 


5 


9 


19 


23 


26 


29 


Air 


75 


52 9 


45 


51 


36 8 


36 2 


31 5 


Surface 


> 


49.9 


54 


45.9 


46.7 


44 


42.9 


5 ft 


61 3 


59 3 


54 


45 9 


46 7 


44 


42 9 


10ft 


61.3 


59.3 


54 


45.9 


46.7 


44 


43 


15 ft 


61 


59.3 


54 


45 9 


46 6 


44 


42.9 


20 ft 


61 3 


59 3 


54 


45.9 


46.5 


44 


42.9 


25 ft 


61 


59 3 


54 


45.9 


46 5 


44 


42.9 


30 ft 


61 


59.2 


54 


45 8 


46 5 


44 


42.9 


35 ft 


60 9 


59 1 


54 


45 5 


46 7 


44 


42.9 


40 ft 


60.5 


59.1 


54 


45.8 


46.4 


44 


42.9 


45ft 


60 5 


59 1 


53.9 


46 


46 3 


44 


42.9 


50 ft 


60 


59.1 


53.8 


46 


46.2 


44 


42.9 


55 ft 


60 


59 


53.7 


45.8 


46.2 


44 


42.9 


60 ft 


59.8 


58.8 


53.7 


45.7 


46.2 


44 


42.9 


62 5 ft 


58 


58 5 












65 ft 


56.5 


58.4 


53.7 


45.8 


46.2 


44 


42.9 


70 ft 


52.4 


54 


53.3 


45.8 


46.2 


44 


42.5 


75 ft 


52 


52 


53.3 


45 8 


46 2 


44 


42.5 


80 ft 


52 


51.9 


53.1 


45 8 


46 2 


44 


42.5 


85 ft 


51 5 


51 9 


53 


46 3 


46 2 


44 


42.5 



















SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, DECEMBER, 1900 



DATE 



DATE 





1 


3 


5 


8 


11 


13 


15 


17 


Air 


39 9 


47 


36 5 


36 2 


29 5 


30 


25 


38 9 


Surface 


41.7 


41.7 


41 


40.3 


38 


36.2 


34.9 


34 


5 ft 


41.8 


41.8 


41 


40.3 


38 


36.1 


35 


34 


10 ft 


41 7 


41 6 


41 


40.5 


38 


36.1 


35 


34 


15 ft 


41 7 


41 6 


41 


40 1 


38 


36.5 


35 


34 


20ft 


41 7 


41 6 


41 


40 3 


38 


36 1 


35 


34.1 


25ft 


41 9 


41.7 


41 


40.3 


37 


36.1 


35 


34.4 


30ft 


41 7 


41 3 


41 


40.3 


37.2 


36.1 


35.5 


34.4 


35 ft 


41 7 


41 3 


41 


40.3 


37 


36.5 


35.7 


34.4 


40ft 


41 7 


41 2 


41 


40.8 


37.5 


36.1 


35.3 


35 


45ft 


41 7 


41 3 


41 1 


40.3 


37.4 


36.3 


36 


34.8 


50ft 


41.8 


41.3 


41 


41 


37.6 


37 


35.5 


34.8 


55ft 


41 8 


41.42 


41 


40.2 


37.7 


37 


36 


35 


60ft 


41 8 


41.3 


41 


41 


38 


36.4 


35.6 


35.1 


65 ft 


41 8 


41 3 


41 


41. 3 1 


38.1 


36.5 


35.7 


34.9 


70ft. . 


41 8 


41 3 


41 




37.8 


37.5 


35.7 


35 


75 ft 


41 8 


41 2 


41 




38 




38 8 


35 


80 ft 


41 8 


41 3 


42 




37 9 




36 


35 


85ft 


41 8 


42 






39 




37 


36 





















' Bottom at 62 feet. 

2 Certain slight anomalies in the temperature readings occur in our records, but we believe the records 
as here given cannot be far from correct. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 205 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, JANUARY, 1901 



DEPTH 








DATE 










1 


4 


7 


9 


18 


26 


30 


Air 


23.1 


41 


32.1 


32 


16.5 


23.9 


24.9 


Surface 


34 


34.5 


33.7 


34 


33.1 


34.2 


33.4 


5 ft 


34.1 


34.5 


34.6 


34.8 


35.1 


36.2 


36.7 


10ft 


34 


34.5 


34.6 


35.1 


35.7 


36.3 


36.2 


15 ft 


34.2 


34.5 


35 


35.3 


36 


36.2 


36.5 


20ft 


34.2 


35 


35 


35.4 


35.5 


36.3 


36.5 


25 ft 


34.6 


34.5 


35.2 


37. 


35.4 


36.3 


37 


30 ft 


34.5 


34.5 


35.1 


35.5 


35.5 


36.5 


37 


35 ft 


34.6 


34.7 ' 


35.2 


35 


35.8 


36.7 


37.4 


40 ft 


34.8 


34.9 


35.7 


37.5 


35.9 


36.9 


37.7 


45 ft 


34 9 


34.6 


37 


37.2 


36 


37 


37.8 


50ft 


34.9 


35.2 


36 


37.3 


36 


37 


38 


55 ft 


34 9 


35.5 


36 


35.5 


36 


37.1 


38 


60 ft 


35 


35.4 


36 


36 1 


36.2 


37.2 


37.8 


65ft 


35 


35.5 


36 


36.2 


36.4 


37.2 


37.9 


70ft 


35 3 


35.8 


35.3 


36.2 


36.5 


37.3 


37.3 


75 ft 


35.4 


35.3 


36.3 


37.2 


36.9 


37 


37.5 


80ft 


35 


35 4 


37 6 


36 


36 8 


37 


37 5 


85*f t 


37 


37 


37.2 


37.5 


38.1 


38.8 


38.3 



















SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, FEBRUARY, 1901 



DATE 





5 


8 


16 


25 


27 


Air 


24 9 


26 8 


22 5 


36 8 


27 5 


Surface 


33 7 


34 


32 3 


33 


32 3 


5ft . 


36 9 


37 


36 


36 3 


36 


10ft 


37 9 


36.5 


36.9 


36.4 


37 


15 ft 


37 


36 5 


36.9 


36 5 


37.5 


20ft 


36 7 


38 2 


37 1 


37 3 


37 9 


25 ft 


37 


37 


37 1 


38 


37.4 


30ft 


37 


37 1 


37 2 


38 


38 


35ft 


37 2 


37 3 


37 2 


37 7 


37 7 


40 ft 


38 


37.5 


37 3 


38.3 


38 


45 ft 


38 


38 


37 8 


37 9 


38 


50ft 


37 5 


38 1 


37 8 


38 5 


38 


55 ft 


37 7 


37.8 


38 2 


38.3 


38 


60 ft 


37 5 


38 


37 9 


38 6 


38 


65 ft 


37 4 


38 1 


37 9 


37 9 


37 9 


70 ft 


38 


37.5 


37 9 


38.1 


38 


75 ft . 


37 7 


37 7 


38 4 


38 1 


38.1 


80ft 


38 2 


38 5 


38 8 


38 8 


38 9 


85 ft 


38 2 


39 


39 


38.9 


41.3 















206 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, MARCH, 1901 











DATE 










1 


4 


7 


9 


14 


26 


28 


Air 


31.9 


36 


36.5 


34.5 


30 


42.3 


31 5 


Surface 


32.9 


32.9 


32.3 


33.1 


32.8 


40.1 


39 8 


5ft 


36.9 


37 


37.3 


37.9 


38 5 


40.1 


40 


10ft 


36 8 


37.5 


37.5 


37.8 


38 9 


40 5 


40 2 


15 ft 


37 3 


37.6 


37 5 


37 9 


38 


40 5 


39 9 


20 ft 


37 9 


37.3 


37 7 


37 9 


38 


40 5 


40 


25 ft 


38 


37.3 


37.6 


38.1 


38.1 


40.5 


39.9 


30ft 


37 6 


38 


37 7 


38 3 


38 


40 


40 


35ft 


37.7 


37.7 


38 


38.3 


38 


40.3 


40 


40ft 


37.9 


38.1 


38 


38 7 


38 


40 4 


41 8 


45 ft 


38 


38 


38 


38 7 


38 9 


40 


40 


50 ft 


38 


38.5 


38 


39 


39 


40 3 


40.1 


55 ft 


38 


38.2 


38 


38 


38 1 


40 1 


42.3 


60 ft 


38 


38 1 


38 


38 


38 


39 9 


40 


65ft 


38 


38.5 


38.1 


38.3 


39 


40.4 


39 


70ft 


38 


39 


38.4 


38 


38.8 


39.9 


40 


75ft 


38.2 


38.1 


38.1 


39.3 


40 


40 


40 


80 ft 


38 4 


39 


39 


39 




40 4 


40 


85 ft 


40.1 


40.4 


40.1 


40.2 






40 



















SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, APRIL, 1901 



DATE 





1 


3 


8 


10 


15 


22 


24 


26 


29 


Air 


37 


39.2 


42 


49.5 


49 


50 


57.7 


63.8 


77.5 


Surface 
5 ft 


39.3 
39.3 


39.5 
39.5 


42 

42 


42.9 
42.8 


45 
45 


45 
45 


46 
46 


49.8 
49 


59 
55.1 


10 ft 


39.3 


39.6 


42.2 


42.8 


45.9 


45 


45.1 


47.6 


52.8 


15 ft 


39.9 


40 


42.2 


43 


46.5 


44.9 


45.8 


46.9 


50.1 


20 ft 


39.9 


39.5 


42 


42.5 


45 


44.8 


46 


46.8 


47. 5J 


25 ft 


39.5 


40 


42.2 


42.6 


44.3 


44.8 


45.6 


46.8 


47 


30 ft 


39 5 


39.5 


42.6 


42.6 


46.2 


45 


45 


46.1 


46.5 


35ft 


41.2 


39.5 


42 


42.9 


45.9 


45.1 


45.6 


46 


46 


40 ft 


41.7 


39.4 


42.2 


43 


44.2 


44.8 


45.7 


46 


46 


45ft 


41.7 


39.6 


42 


42.9 


44.3 


45.1 


45.6 


45.8 


45.9 


50 ft 


39 4 


39.5 


42 


42.5 


44 


44.8 


45.9 


45.5 


46 


55 ft 


39 3 


39 5 




43 


44 


44.7 


45.1 


45.5 


45.3 


60ft 


39 4 


40 




42.9 


44 


44.7 


45.1 


45.4 


45.2 


65ft 


39 4 


40 




42.4 


43.3 


44.6 


45.5 


45.3 


45.2 


70ft 


39 4 


39 5 




42.4 


43.5 


45 


45 


45.8 


45.6 


75ft 


39 2 


40 




42.3 


43 1 


44.7 


45.1 


45.1 


45.7 


80 ft 


41 5 


40 




42 7 


43 4 




45.5 


45.1 


45.2 


85 ft 


39 6 


40 




39 


43 




45 


45 


44.8 























Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 207 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, MAY, 1901 













DATES 












4 


7 


13 


15 


17 


22 


24 


28 


30 


Air 


76 9 


67 


61 


78 


77 6 


58 


58" 


56 5 


57* 


Surface 
5ft 


61 
61 


63 
63 1 


60 
60 1 


66 
61 


68.5 
63 9 


61 
61 


62.5 
62 5 


58.2 
58 g 


58 
58 3 


10 ft 


60 9 


63 4 


60 


60 


62 


61 4 


63 


58 2 


58 


15 ft 


60 4 


62 


59 5 


59 4 


60 


61 4 


63 


58 8 


57 8 


20 ft 


56 1 


56 5 


60 6 


59 4 


59 


61 3 


63 


58 8 


57 9 


25 ft 


50 5 


56 4 


56 8 


58 1 


57 2 


61 2 


63 


58 


57 4 


30 ft 


47 5 


48 6 


49 9 


50 1 


51 3 


52 3 


54 


58 


57 


35ft 


47 1 


47 3 


49 


50 2 


49 


49 2 


50 6 


54 5 


56 5 


40ft 


47 


47 4 


48 


49 7 


48 2 


48 9 


49 9 


50 3 


50 9 


45 ft 


46 6 


46 5 


49 


47 9 


47 3 


47 9 


49 


49 


48 9 


50 ft 


46 


46 1 


46 8 


47 5 


47 5 


47 9 


47 5 


48 5 


48 


55ft 


46 


46 2 


46 4 


46 8 


47 


47 i 


47 5 


47 5 


47 9 


60ft 


45 5 


45 5 


47 


46 3 


46 5 


47 


47 


47 1 


47 


65ft 


46 


45 5 


46 5 


47 


47 


46 9 


46 8 


46 9 


47 


70ft........ 


45 3 


45 9 


46 5 


46 1 


46 


47 


46 9 


46 5 


47 


75 ft 


45.9 


45 4 


46 


46 5 


46 


46 6 


46 8 


46 5 


47 


80 ft 


45 3 


46 


46 


46 3 


46 5 


47 6 


46 7 


46 5 


46 9 


85ft .. 


45 1 


45 6 




45 9 


46 


46 3 


46 2 


46 5 


46 6 























SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN IN THE DEEP HOLE, JUNE, 1901 



DATES 





1 


3 


6 


8 


10 


12 


17 


19 


21 


24 


26 


28 


Air 


66 


65 3 


67 


54 5 


66 2 


89 5 


74 


83 


77 9 


83 5 


83 


88 2 


Surface 


59 5 


60 9 


65 5 


63 5 


65 


79 6 


76 


80 


76 9 


78 8 


82 


83 


5 ft 


59 5 


61 


65 5 


63 5 


64 8 


72 5 


76 1 


75 5 


77 


78 3 


82 5 


83 


10ft 


60 


61 1 


65 7 


64 


65 1 


69 


76 


74 9 


77 


78 2 


80 8 


83 


15 ft 


59 7 


61 


64 2 


63 4 


64 9 


66 5 


68 6 


71 5 


75 9 


78 


77 4 


82 9 


20ft 


59 


60 2 


64 


63 2 


64 


64 5 


66 1 


66 


66 5 


67 1 


68 


67 2 


25 ft 


58 3 


58 8 


60 


61 9 


62 8 


62 


62 8 


62 


62 3 


61 6 


63 


62 


30ft 


57 9 


57 3 


58 


57 6 


59 4 


58 7 


59 


58 1 


58 1 


58 


58 


58 9 


35 ft . . 


57 


55 9 


56 2 


54 8 


54 i 


54 8 


54 9 


54 5 


55 g 


55 g 


55 5 


55 6 


40 ft 


49 9 


52 3 


53 


52 


52 


52 3 


53 5 


52 


53 2 


53 


54 


53 5 


45 ft 


49 


50 


52 1 


50 9 


50 2 


51 


50 9 


51 


50 9 


52 


51 9 


52 


50 ft 


48 4 


48 1 


51 6 


49 3 


49 8 


50 


50 


51 


50 


50 2 


50 1 


51 


55ft 


48 


47 9 


51 


52 8 


48 6 


49 


50 


49 5 


49 3 


49 9 


50 5 


50 4 


60ft 


49 


47 8 


48 2 


48 2 


48 3 


48 3 


49 


49 


49 9 


49 2 


49 5 


49 7 


65ft 


47 


47 1 


47 8 


48 


48 2 


48 5 


48 8 


48 6 


* 49 


49 


49 i 


49 2 


70ft 


47 


47 5 


47 5 


48 2 


48 


48 


49 


48 4 


48 8 


48 9 


49 


49 


75ft 


47 5 


47 


47 5 


48 


47 9 


48 3 


48 2 


48 2 


49 


48 8 


49 i 


49 


80ft .. 


47 


47 


47 5 


47 8 


47 9 


48 


48 1 


48 1 


49 


48 5 


49 


49 


85ft 




46 9 


47 


47 3 


47 3 


48 1 


48 5 


48 


48 


48 4 


48 8 


49 





























1417618 



208 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES AT THE DEEP HOLE, LAKE MAXINKUCKEE, 
JULY SEPTEMBER, 1899 







JULY 






AUGUST 






SEPTEMBER 






Max. 


Min. 


Mean. 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean. 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean. 


Surface 
5 ft 


80.5 
80 8 


77.0 
77 


79.2 
79.3 


79.5 
79.5 


74.0 
74.2 


76.7 
76.8 


77.0 
77.0 


66.0 
66.0 


72.1 
72.0 


10 ft 
IS ft 


81.0 
80 2 


77.0 
76 5 


79.2 
78 3 


79.5 
79.2 


74.3 
74.0 


76.7 
76.3 


76.5 
75.5 


66.0 
66.0 


71.9 
71.3 


20ft 


78 


74 7 


75 7 


78.2 


73.0 


75.6 


74.5 


66.0 


71.0 


25ft 


74 


72 


72 8 


76.2 


71.0 


73.8 


73.5 


66.0 


70.5 


30 ft 


71 


69.0 


69.7 


72.0 


67.3 


70.0 


71.0 


64.8 


68.2 


32 5 ft 








66.7 


63.2 


65.4 


69.0 


63.0 


65.7 


35 ft 


69 5 


63.0 


64.7 


66.0 


60.3 


62.9 


67.0 


58.7 


63.1 


40 ft 


63 


57.3 


58.7 


60.5 


55.8 


58.1 


63.5 


54.8 


57.9 


50ft 


57 5 


52 5 


53.2 


55.5 


50.7 


53.3 


54.5 


50.0 


52.1 


60 ft 
70 ft 


52.5 
51.8 


50.5 
50.5 


51.7 
51.2 


53.0 
52.2 


49.5 
49.0 


51.5 
51.0 


53.0 
52.0 


48.8 
48.5 


50.8 
50.3 


80 ft 


51.7 


50.3 


50.9 


52.1 


49.0 


50.8 


52.0 


49.5 


50.2 


85 ft 


51.3 


50.5 


50.8 


52.2 


48.7 


50.6 


52.0 


48.4 


50.1 




Moonlight on Lake Maxinkuckee. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 209 





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210 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 211 



The Kettlehole: Similar observations were made at the Kettle- 
hole in July, August, and September, 1899, and again in the same 
months in 1900. The records are shown in the tables on the fol- 
lowing pages. The highest surface temperatures recorded at the 
Kettlehole was 83.2 on August 7 and 22, 1900, the lowest tempera- 
tur 48.5 at 40 feet on September 8, 1899. The maximum differ- 
ence between surface and bottom was 31.9. 



SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN AT THE KETTLEHOLE, LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 













DA 


TE 










DEPTH 


July 28, 
1899 


July 30, 
1899 


Aug. 3, 
1899 


Aug. 7, 
1899 


Sept. 4, 
1899 


Sept. 8, 
1899 


Sept.l9 : 
1899 


July 16, 
7:15- 
9:30 a.m. 
1900 


July 17, 
10:40- 
11:30 a.m. 
1900 


July 21, 
3 p. m. 
1SOO 


Air 










80 


70 5 


57 5 








Surface 
5ft 


80.7" 
80 5 


79 
78 5 


79.2 
79 5 


78 
77 5 


76.5 
76 5 


74 
74 


68 
68 


77 


76 


78.9 


10ft 


80 5 


78 5 


78 4 


77 5 


74 5 


. 74 


68 


76 5 


76 


76 8 


15 ft 


78 3 


77 3 


77 2 


76 8 


73 5 


74 


68 








20ft .... 


71 5 


72 5 


73 6 


74 


70 5 


72 5 


67 5 


72 


74 


74 


25ft 


66 


64 3 


64 2 


66 


60 5 


61 


66 








30 ft 


57 3 


56 5 


56 7 


57 1 


53 5 


53 5 


56 3 


56 5 


59 


59 


35 ft 


53 


52 5 


51 2 


[52 5i 


/51 5' 


/54' 










40 ft 


50 6 


50 5 


50 7 


( 
\50 

50 5 


\50.5 
49 


\51.7 
48 5 


50 5 


53 


50 


51 


44ft 


49 6 


50 


49 7 


















Light 


Light 








Wind 












rain and 


North 








from 












S. E. 


breeze 








North; 












wind, 










lake 












strong 










very 












at times. 










rough. 











1 At 32.5 feet. 



212 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

SERIAL TEMPERATURES TAKEN AT THE KETTLEHOLE, LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 













DATE 










Depth 


July 23, 
4:10- 


July 27, 
1900 


July 30, 
1900 


July 31, 
1900 


Aug. 7, 
1900 


Aug. 16, 
1900 


Aug. 22, 
1900 


Sept. 14, 
1900 


Sept. 22, 
1900 




5 p. m. 
1900 


4:00- 
4:45 p. 


10:00- 
10:50 a. 


10:10- 
10:50 a. 


3:05- 
3:40 p. 


7:30- 
8:40 a. 


3:55- 
4.30 p. 


1:30 p. 


4-5:30 p. 


Air 






76 


83 




70 




86 




Surface 


83.0 


79 


79.5 


79 


83.2 


78 


83.2 


76.5 


69.3 


5 ft 
















76 


67.5 


10 ft 


77 9 


77 


77 


78.5 


79.2 


77.9 


80.8 


75.4 


67 


15ft 
















75 


66.6 


20 ft ..... 


74 2 


73 3 


75 


74.5 


75 


76.5 


77.6 


74.3 


66.6 


25 ft 




66 7 


67 4 


68 4 




67 1 




73 


65.2 


30 ft 


59 


58 


58 


58.8 


58.2 


59 


59.2 


63.3 


65 


35 ft 












50.5 






56 


















\54 


t 


40ft 


51 1 


50 9 


50 7 


50 4 


50 8 




51 3 


52 8 


54 






Sky 






Scattered 


Cloudy 


Scattered 


Hazy; 


Very 






hazy; 






Clouds; 


N. E. 


clouds; 


threat- 


light 






wind 






S. W. 


wind; 


S. E. 


ening rain; 


S. W. 






S. E. 






wind; 


slight 


wind; 


S. E. 


breeze. 






slight 






slight 


waves. 


moderate 


breeze. 








waves. 






waves. 




waves. 







1 At 32.5 feet. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEMPERATURES TAKEN AT THE KETTLEHOLE, JULY 25, 1899 



Depth 



Temperatures 





79.5 


1 ft ,. 


79.5 


2 ft 


79.6 


3 ft 


79 7 


4 ft . . 


80 


5ft . 


79.9 


6 ft 




7 ft 




23 ft 


62' 


35 ft 


50.5 s 




52.0' 


42 ft 


50.5* 







1 20 oar strokes northwest of Kettlehole. : 
1 10 oar strokes northwest of the Kettlehole. 
10 oar strokes north of the Kettlehole. 
' 10 oar strokes west of the Kettlehole. 

Temperatures taken at the Sugarloaf: A few temperatures 
were taken at the Sugarloaf. On Algust 26, 1899, the surface 
was 76.5, and the bottom 76.3 at 10 feet. On August 9, 1900 
(9:55 to 10:15 a. m.), the water on the Sugarloaf was 9.75 feet 
deep. The temperature at the surface was 82.8, and at the hot- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 213 

torn 82.2. On August 13, at 10:45 a. m., when the air was 79.8, 
the surface was 81.2, and the bottom 80.8 at 10 feet. On August 
20, at 10 :30 a. m., the surface was 80.7 and the bottom 80 at 10 
feet. 

Miscellaneous temperature records: On July 18, 1899, the fol- 
lowing records were made at a plankton station by Messrs. Scovell 
and Juday, at certain places having the depths indicated : 





TEMPERATURES 






Surface 


Bottom 




30 


77 


70 




50 


77 


67 




70 


77 


52.5 




70 


77 


51.5 





On July 18, 1899, a series of surface and bottom temperatures 
was taken on a line from near the end of Long Point toward the 
Maxinkuckee road, the last being in the Deep Hole where a regular 
observation station was then established: 





TEMPERATURES 




Dspth in Fe a t 








Surface 


Bottom 




14 


75.2 


75.7 




19 




75.2 




29 


75.2 


73 




35.5 


75.5 


69.5 




37 


75 


62 




45 


75.2 


55 




58 


75.2 


52.7 




69 


75 


52 




74 


75.1 


51 




75 


75.2 


51.1 




69 


76 


51.5 




89.5 


76 


51 





On August 26, 1899, the following temperatures were obtained 
with the thermophone on a line between Long Point and the ice 
houses: surface, 76.8; at 10 feet, 76.3; at 20 feet, 75.2; at 
30 feet, 69.5; at 38 feet (bottom), 59.8. 

On August 19, 1899 (from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), the fol- 
lowing thermophone readings were obtained on a line starting op- 
posite the Gravelpit and running east, making a station every 
15 oar strokes: 



214 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Depth in Feet 


TEMPEBATUBE 


Notes 


Surface 


Bottom 


0.5 


77.5 


77.5 


Began at 8:30 a. m.; air in sun 82. 


4.5 


77 


76.5 




7.5 


76 


76 




21.0 


77 


72.5 




9.0 


77 


75 




4.5 


77 


76.5 




6.0 


77 


76.5 




6.0 


77 


76.5 




6.0 


77.5 


76.5 




6.0 


77.5 


76.5 




6.0 


77.5 


76.5 




6.0 


77.5 


77 




7.5 


77.5 


77 




6.0 


77.5 


76.75 




6.75 


77.5 


75.5 




7.5 


77.5 


76 




45 


77.5 


56 




45 


78 


58 




55 


78.5 


52.5 


10:40 a. m. 


55 


78.5 


54.5 




55 


78 


55 




57 


78 


56.5 




51 


78 


53.5 




54 


77.5 


53.2 


11:30 a. m. 


57 


78 


52.75 


3:15 p. m. 


52.5 


78 


53 




48 


78 


54.5 




10.5 


78 


74.5 




10.5 


78.5 


74 




10.5 


78.3 


74 




9.0 


78.5 


74.5 




9.0 


79 


76 




6.0 


79 


78 




5.0 


79.5 


79 




2.75 


80 


79 




.50 


83.5 


83.5 


4:00 p. m. East shore, 570 strokes. 



TEMPERATURES TAKEN AT PLANKTON STATION No. 3 



Depth in Feet 


Temperature 
July 30, 1900, 
11-11:45 a. m. 


Temperature 
August 16, 1900, 
8:20-9:30 a. m. 


Air 


82 8 


74 


Surface 


79 8 


78 5 


10ft 


78 


78 9 


20ft 


76 5 


78 1 


30ft 


74 


72 


32.5ft ' 


69 5 




35ft 


61 1 


63.8 


40ft 


58 6 


59 1 


42.5ft 


56 











Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 215 

THE FOLLOWING TEMPERATURES WERE RECORDED SEPTEMBER 28. 1899 



Station 


Depth in Feet 


Temperature 


Notes 


1 


6 


59 


Air at 8:15 a. m. 63. 


2 


36 


59 


Surface temperature at noon, 








62. 


3 


30 


59 




4 


34 


59.5 




5 


28 - 


60 




6 


6 


59.5 




7 


12 


60 




8 


56 


60.5 




9 


50 


60.5 




10 


50 


61 




11 


50 


60 





On August 14, 1900, the following temperatures were taken in 
Aubeenaubee Creek, between 2 :30 and 4 p. m. : Near head of 
creek, 63 ; 10 rods lower down, 66.2 ; 50 rods lower down, 68. 

On August 21, 1900, between 8:10 and 11 a.m., the following 
temperatures were taken in Culver Creek: At bend of creek just 
east of the Academy grounds, 69 ; at bridge at east edge of Acad- 
emy grounds, 70.2 ; just below the bridge, 70.5, at bridge in Acad- 
emy grounds, 71.5 ; at mouth of creek, 76.5. 

Turning over of the lake:- -Perhaps the most interesting phe- 
nomenon connected with such bodies of water as Lake Maxin- 
kuckee is the "turning over" which may occur each fall. This can 
be understood from a consideration of a selected few of the daily 
serial temperatures. The greatest density of fresh water is 
reached when the water has attained a temperature of 39.2. 
When the temperature goes below 39.2 it begins to expand, and 
freezes at 32. When the temperature rises above 39.2 it also 
begins to expand and continues to do so, however warm the water 
may become. As water expands its weight decreases. In other 
words, above the point of greatest density, the weight of water 
varies inversely with its temperature, the higher the temperature 
the lighter the water. A cubic foot of water at a temperature of 
80 weighs less than a cubic foot of water at 50.* On July 24, 
1900, the surface temperature was 80.3. From the surface down- 
ward the temperature was successively lower until, at the bottom, 
it was 49.3, or 31 colder than the surface. A column of water in 
that part of the lake on that date, one inch square and equal in 
length to the depth of the lake, 89 feet, may be likened to a column 
of metal which increases slightly and uniformly in size and weight 

* A cubic foot of fresh water at 50 Fahr. weighs 62.331893 pounds : at 80 it weighs 
62.186012 pounds, a difference of 2.334096 ounces. 



216 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

from surface to bottom. So long as the upper end is lighter than 
the lower, the column will remain upright. But if the metal column 
should be reversed, bringing the heavy end up and the light end 
down, any slight disturbance would cause it to reverse itself and 
again assume the more stable position with the heavier end down. 
The same is true of the column of water. So long as the colder, 
heavier water is at the bottom, it will so remain ; but let the upper 
end of the column become the colder and, consequently, the heavier, 
it will go down, and the lighter bottom water will come up. That 
is precisely what does happen. If the series of temperatures from 
July 24 onward be examined it will be observed that the difference 
between the surface and bottom temperatures becomes successively 
less. By the 23d of November, 1900, the difference was only .5 
of a degree, the surface being 46.7 and the bottom 46.2. Some- 
time between the 23d and the 26th, probably on the night of the 
24th, the temperature throughout the upper half of the column 
fell below 46, or lower than that of the lower end of the column. 
The upper half of the column then being the heavier, it of necessity 
went to the bottom, the bottom half came up, and the temperature 
of the lake became uniform throughout. This is shown by the 
serial temperature readings of November 26, which show that the 
temperature at all depths from top to bottom was 44, a condition 
which practically continued until the ice went off. It can there- 
fore be safely assumed that, in 1900, Lake Maxinkuckee "turned 
over" some time between the evening of November 23 and the 
morning of the 26th; and what occurred then, in all probability, 
occurs every November or December. 

The highest surface temperature recorded at the Deep Hole was 
83 on August 11, 1900, the bottom temperature at the same time 
being 49.9, the difference between surface and bottom being 33.1. 
The lowest summer bottom temperature obtained in the Deep Hole 
was 48.7 on August 31, 1899 ; the lowest recorded at the Kettle- 
hole was 48.5 on September 8, 1899. 

CONDITION OF THE WATER 

Clearness: The water of Lake Maxinkuckee is generally com- 
mented upon by visitors, and boasted about by the natives, on ac- 
count of its clearness and purity. 

After a long sojourn at Winona Lake, Indiana, paying particu- 
lar attention to the lake, a visit to Lake Maxinkuckee excited a 
marked sensation of surprise at the clearness of the water; in 
Winona Lake it was somewhat tea-color; at Lake Maxinkuckee, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 217 

at considerable depths, it exhibited an indescribable play of trans- 
parent green, something like that of an opal in some lights. 

Unfortunately, we have not a long series of records taken under 
different conditions the year round which would give an absolute 
test, and if there were such records, it would be difficult to find a 
large number of other lakes with records with which it might be 
compared. On September 20, 1907, when the sky was well clouded 
over, a secchi disk was visible at 9 feet. The same disk at Holem 
Lake, of the Twin Lakes, Indiana, on September 23, 1907, when 
the sky was bright and clear, was visible at 13 feet, and at Cook 
Lake, another of the Twin Lakes, under the same conditions, at the 
same depth. At Lake Mendota, Minn., September 18, 1907, with 
a cloudy sky, the same disk was visible at a depth of 6 feet. 

One might, indeed, take as a measure of the clearness of the 
water, the depth at which green plants grow in the lake, the chief 
limiting factor in this case being the depth to which light pene- 
trates. The lower limit of plant life in the lake is about 25 feet. 

A remarkable feature of the water is its freedom from mud. 
Even after heavy rains the inlets bring in but little water, and be- 
cause of the general absence of clay, they bring in but little mud 
even when they have the swiftest current. Strong winds may 
make the water turbid near shore, and on one occasion, in the 
autumn of 1900, the whole lake was rendered slightly turbid by a 
long continued wind and rough lake, but in all cases the lake soon 
settles clear. During the winter of 1900-1901, the Chara and 
Potamogeton robbinsii showed up so clearly through several feet 
of water and clear ice that they impressed a very excellent image 
on a photographic plate, and the experience of traveling over this 
clear ice and seeing the fine meadows in the bottom, with the 
turtles and gars and dogfish resting quietly or moving slowly 
about, impresses one with the great opportunity offered along the 
lines of a new field of photography, that of subaqueous landscapes. 

Any one looking down in the water on a calm, bright day and 
studying it attentively will note small flecks or motes, the number 
of these differing in different seasons of the year and in different 
lakes. These motes usually represent low algal forms which make 
up the phyto-plankton of the lake. In Winona Lake this suspended 
matter was so abundant that the sun's rays lighted up the particles 
in long lines, as in the familiar phenomenon of the light entering 
a slit in a dark, dusty room, or the "sun drawing water." In some 
cases the algaB forming these motes have colonies of sufficiently 
characteristic shape to be recognizable, but generally not. Lyngbya 
has the appearance of short hair clippings; Clathrocystis has the 



218 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

appearance of minute smoke rings ; Aphanizomenon, which is rare 
in our Indiana lakes but is common in some northern Minnesota 
lakes and in the Mississippi River, is easily recognizable, as rather 
large, green colonies, acute at each end, much like the little duck- 
weed, Wolffiella. Anabaena, the most common alga of Lake Max- 
inkuckee, has no definite form. In Lake Maxinkuckee it is rare 
that great areas are covered with algal scum, though there are 
sometimes rather long stretches in sheltered bays. The plankton 
scum usually makes its first appearance about the end of July and 
continues on calm days until freezing. 

The entire lake surface is not frequently calm for longer in- 
tervals than a day ; June, July and August are generally the calmer 
months. The surface is generally rippled, usually pretty rough, 
during the spring and later autumn. Periods of calm during the 
morning and evening are frequent the year round during fine 
weather. 

Chemical condition: An important feature of the water is its 
chemical condition. A chemical examination of the water was 
made by Prof. Chancey Juday of the University of Wisconsin. The 
test for hardness used was Siler's method, in which a coal tar prod- 
uct, methyl orange, is used to color the water. The amount of 
hydrochloric acid necessary to turn it faintly pink indicates the 
hardness. 

The test used for oxygen was Winkler's method given in 
Sutton's Volumetric Analysis, and is as follows : 

1. Add manganous chloride. 

2. Add KOH + KI = a precipitate with brown, if oxygen is present. 

3. Add Cone. HC1. dissolves precipitate. If oxygen is not present the 

liquid is clear. If oxygen is present it is yellowish or brownish. 
It may now be left several days. 

4. To determine amount of oxygen, titrate with hypo, 1/80 normal, 

using (cooked) starch as an indicator. The amount of hypo re- 
quired to clear up the blue caused by addition of starch is an index 
to the amount of oxygen. In the following tables, prepared by 
Prof. Juday, is shown the character of the water. 

Both the C0 2 and the oxygen are expressed in cubic centi- 
meters per liter of water. The full face figures indicate the 
amount of the alkalinity, i. e., it would require that number of cubic 
centimeters of free C0 2 to make the water neutral. The light face 
figures in the column marked free C0 2 indicate the acidity. Cal- 
cium and magnesium are found in water almost entirely as bicar- 
bonates, and chemists regard the CO 2 as half-bound or bicarbonate 
C0 2 , and bound or carbonate C0 2 , so we have indicated them in this 
way on the tables. In neutral or acid water they are regarded as 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 219 

equal in amount, but in alkaline water the bound or carbonate C0 2 
is in excess of the half-bound. The results of the investigation 
showed that the water of the lake was softer than that of the well 
(Chad wick's) with which it was compared; also that the difference 
between the Kettlehole and the main lake is a curious and inter- 
esting thing. They differ as widely as if they were separate lakes 
and not connected in any way. A further study of them would 
prove very interesting. In the main lake the excess of alkalinity 
extends to a depth of 8 meters (26^ feet). At 9 meters (29| feet) 
the water is neutral, below which point it is increasingly acid. The 
Kettlehole shows less alkalinity at the surface and a much more 
rapidly increasing acidity at the bottom. In the lake the oxygen 
decreases rapidly from the surface down to the 13 (43 feet) 
meter depth below which there is no free oxygen. In the Kettle- 
hole the free oxygen disappears at 10 meters (32* feet). The 
free oxygen is more abundant in the surface water of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee than in any of the Indiana lakes with which it was com- 
pared, and extends to a considerably greater depth, being found 
down to 12 (39J feet) meters in Lake Maxinkuckee, 9 meters (29| 
feet) at the Kettlehole, 8 meters (261 feet) at Cook Lake, 6 
meters (19^ feet) at Holem Lake, and disappearing at the 13 
meters (43| feet) in Lake Mendota, Minn. 

CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF THE WATER OF LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 

Station I, in the Deep Hole, Sept. 20, 1907, 2:30 to 4:40 p. m. 

Sky chiefly cloudy. 

Wind, rather strong southwest, falling toward evening; a few whitecaps. 

Secchi disk visible at depth of 9 feet. 



Meters 


Depth in Feet 


Temperature 


CARBON DIOXIDE 


Oxygen 


Free 


Bicarb. 


Carb. 



3 
5 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
17X 
20 
22X 
25 
25^ 



10 
17 
23 
26.25 
30 
33 
36 
39 
42.5 
46 
49 
57.4 
67.6 
74 
82 
84 


72 


3.8 


20.7 


24.5 
24.5 
24.5 
24.5 
24.8 
25.8 
25.8 
25.9 
26.8 
28.0 
30.9 
31.3 
31.3 
31.4 


6.3 
6.3 
6.1 
5.5 
4.0 
2.7 
2.2 
1.3 
0.4 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 


72 
71 
67.5 


36 
3.0 
1.1 
Neutral 
0.4 
1.4 
2.5 
2.9 


20.9 
21.5 
23.7 
25.8 
25.8 
25.9 
26.8 
28.0 
30.9 
31.3 
31.3 
31.4 


66 


64 
59.5 


59 


3.2 
3.7 
3.9 
4.7 
5.3 


58 




31.6 


31.6 


57 









220 Luke Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF THE WATER OF LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 

Station, Kettlehole, September 24, 1907, a. m. 

Sky, cloudy in west. 

Wind, fresh, south; moderate waves. 










CARBON DIOXIDE 




Meters 


Depth, feet 


Temperature 




Oxygen 










Free 


Bicarb. 


Carb. 










65 


2.3 


24.5 


26.8 


4.9 


5 


17.4 


64 6 


2.1 


24.7 


26.8 


4.9 


7 


23.0 


64 










9 


29.5 


61.7 


3.7 


32.2 


32 2 


o:oe 


10 


32.8 


58.6 


7.8 


38.2 


38.2 


0.0 


11 


36.0 


57.5 


8.6 


40.0 


40 


0.0 


UH 


37.7 


56.6 




















I 



For purposes of comparison we give the results of similar oxygen tests made by Professor Juday, at certain 
other lakes. 

CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF THE WATER IN COOK LAKE, INDIANA 

September 23, 1907, 10:3011:30 a. m. 

Sky, clear. 

Wind, brisk, wout breeze. 

Secchi disk visible at depth of 13 feet. 



Meters 


Depth in feet 


Temp3rature 


CARBON DIOXIDE 


Oxygen 


Free 


Bicarb. 


Carb. 



4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
12 
14 

UH 



13 
16.4 
19.7 
23 
26.25 
29.5 
33 
39.4 
46 
47 


68.5 
68.7 
67.3 
64.7 
62 
57 
55.6 
49.5 


0.5 
0.7 
1.5 
2.0 
2.5 
3.8 
5.3 


34.6 


34.6 


5.07 
5.1 
4.4 
3.8 
1.8 
0.13 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 


34.9 


34.9 


35.2 
35.9 
35.9 
37.6 
40.7 
41.0 


35.2 
35.9 
35.9 
37.6 
40.7 
41.0 


7.5 
7.5 




47.5 









CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF THE WATER IN HOLEM LAKE, INDIANA 

September 23, 1907, 1:452:30 p. m. 

Sky, clear. 

Wind, strong, west breeze. 

Secchi disk visible at depth of 13 feet. 









CARBON DIOXIDE 






D^nth in iWt 


TVmrwvraturp 




A 








Free 


Bicarb. 


Carb. 










69 


1.2 


35.5 


35.5 


4.7 


3 


10 










4.7 


5 


16.40 


69 


2.0 


35.6 


35.6 


4.75 


6 


19.68 


65.5 


6.0 


40.6 


40.6 


0.04 


7 


23 


59 


10.0 


41.0 


41.0 


0.0 


8 


26 




18 7 


58 8 


58 8 





8H 


27 


53 








0.0 









Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 221 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF THE WATER IN LAKE MENDOTA, WISCONSIN 

Station II, September 18, 1907, 9-11 a. m. 
Sky, cloudy; rain. 
Winil, light breeze from the south. 
Secchi disk visible at depth of 6.5 feet. 









CARBON DIOXIDE 








TVm nprat nr< 




I~W 








Free 


Bicarb. 


Carb. 










68 


5.0 


28.1 


33.1 


6.0 


5 


16.40 


67.6 


4.3 






5 8 


8 


26.25 


67 


3.7 


29.6 


33.3 


5.5 


10 


32.80 


66 










11 


36 00 




2 


31 6 


33 6 


4 


12 


39.36 


65.3 


15 


32.1 


33.6 


3.5 


13 


45.64 


63.5 


0.75 


33.6 


33.6 


1.8 


14 


49.0 


59 


3.00 


34.9 


34.9 


0.0 


15 


52.00 


57 


3.50 


35.7 


35.7 


0.0 


17 


56.00 


56 


4.30 


35.7 


35.7 


0.0 


20 


65.60 




5 80 


36 4 


36 4 





21Ji 


70.5 




7 00 


37 9 


37 9 





22 


72.2 


54 



















DEFICIENT IN OXYGEN ONLY FOR A BRIEF PERIOD EACH YEAR 

Investigations have shown that Lake Maxinkuckee is deficient 
in oxygen only during a period of perhaps two months in the fall. 
The reason for this deficiency is a very interesting one and not dif- 
ficult to understand. It may be briefly stated as follows: Lake 
Maxinkuckee furnishes an environment exceptionally favorable to 
the rapid growth and development of a multitude of species of 
minute animal and plant life which together constitute the plank- 
ton of the lake. These animals and plants, entomostracans and 
other minute animals (zoo-plankton), and algaB of many species 
(phyto-plankton), literally swarm in the lake, reproducing with 
such marvelous rapidity that they would soon fill the lake, convert- 
ing it into a thick soup, were it not for the fact that millions upon 
millions of individuals die every day, their dead bodies slowly sink- 
ing to the bottom of the lake where they slowly oxidize and dis- 
integrate. This accumulation of dead plankton goes on during the 
spring and summer ; oxidation is doubtless most rapid in later sum- 
mer and early fall ; the oxygen required in the process must neces- 
sarily come from the supply contained in the water nearest at hand. 
This drain upon the absorbed oxygen of the waters in the deeper 
parts of the lake must inevitably, sooner or later, exhaust the sup- 
ply, and this condition of exhausted or reduced oxygen content 
will remain until the winds and storms of late fall and early winter 
and temperature changes result in thoroughly mixing the waters 



222 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

^f the lake and carrying of oxygen to the deepest parts. In 
this manner the entire lake will become fully supplied with oxygen 
early in the winter and so remain until the next fall when the 
accumulation on the lake bottom of dead animals and plants which 
have been showering from the upper layers all spring and summer 
again exhausts the supply and the lower strata again become de- 
void of oxygen. 

This matter has been quite thoroughly worked out on several 
lakes by Messrs. Birge and Juday of the University of Wisconsin, 
and the importance of the knowledge thus obtained can scarcely be 
overestimated. 

The important fact disclosed is that the waters of some lakes 
at certain periods in the year are practically without oxygen below 
certain depths. 

As fishes are dependent for the oxygen they require upon the 
absorbed oxygen contained in the water it is evident that water 
containing no absorbed oxygen cannot support fish life. In order 
that a lake may be suitable for the deeper freshwater fishes it is 
necessary that the water in the depths shall contain an adequate 
supply of absorbed oxygen at all times. A lake may have an 
abundant supply of oxygen at all depths for ten or eleven months 
of the year, but if the supply is inadequate for one month or even 
a briefer period, the deepwater fishes will perish unless, perchance, 
they are of species that can adapt themselves to shallower depths. 
But few, if any, of our important freshwater fishes possess that 
ability. Keeping that fact in mind it is now easily understood why 
certain lakes, otherwise suitable, do not contain any deepwater 
species such as lake trout, whitefish or lake herring. 

During the past 30 years the Federal Government and various 
States have spent thousands of dollars in making plants of white- 
fish, lake herring and lake trout in lakes many of which we now 
know to be deficient in oxygen during at least a portion of the 
year. Lake Maxinkuckee is included in this list, four large con- 
signments of lake trout having been placed in it in 1890 to 1894. 
We now understand why nothing was ever seen of the fish after 
they were liberated in the lake. 

In the past millions upon millions of fish have been planted in 
the lakes and streams of the United States and usually without any 
scientific investigation whatever for the purpose of determining 
whether the waters were suitable for the fish which it was proposed 
to plant in them. The result is that hundreds of thousands of dol- 
lars have been spent and millions of fish wasted without any results 
of value being obtained. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 223 

No stream or lake should be stocked with fish until it has been 
carefully studied by a competent biologist and found to possess 
the conditions or factors of a favorable environment for the fish 
which it is proposed to introduce. Fish culturists should adopt 
this principle and adhere to it as an invariable policy. The rule- 
of-thumb, cut-and-try method so uniformly followed has brought 
no credit to fish culture in America. 

ICE 

INTRODUCTION 

It is not until one has watched the coming of the ice over the 
lake several times and during several winters, that he realizes how 
much variety there can be in that apparently simple process, and 
how far from correct it would be to judge the behavior of the ice 
one winter from having seen it during another. 

The freezing over of Lost Lake is always about the same. That 
body of water, being of comparatively small size and shallow depth, 
readily freezes over the first severe night after the whole mass of 
water has become chilled down to near the freezing point, and 
we usually have a smooth clear sheet of ice spread over its surface 
rather early in the winter. This sheet being transparent, does 
not greatly alter the appearance of the lake ; indeed, on one occasion 
we saw a duck in the middle of this lake on the slippery ice one 
evening after it had frozen over, it probably having mistaken the 
clear ice for open water. 

Lake Maxinkuckee, with its greater area and volume of water, 
cools down much more slowly, and usually has ice simply skirting 
its edges by the time Lost Lake is completely frozen over. If the 
weather continues steadily calm and cold, the lake freezes over 
rather quickly, although it usually takes several days even of the 
most favorable weather for the lake to freeze entirely over, as its 
surface is always more or less disturbed by winds, some pools in 
various places toward the center usually persisting open for a few 
days. If, on the other hand, the weather in early winter is rough 
and windy, the freezing of the lake is much delayed and is a slow 
and long continued process full of interesting details, resembling 
in many respects the freezing of large lakes, such as Lake Michi- 
gan. The winter of 1900-1901 was just such a blustery winter and 
gave opportunity to study the ice formation in great detail. 

The ice first forms in sheltered calm places and any object that 
breaks the wind or tends to calm the water tends to the formation 
of a sheet of ice. Thus ice appears early not only along the shore 



1517618 



224 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

in sheltered bays, but also around any projecting body in the water 
a stake, or a patch of bulrushes or pondweeds. Usually the for- 
mation of ice proceeds from day to day in a more or less orderly 
manner from these nuclei to the middle of th'e lake until the whole 
is frozen, but in the above-mentioned winter, the ice sheets formed 
in sheltered places during moments of calm. 

Our first regular observation of the ice phenomena at Lake 
Maxinkuckee began in the fall of 1899. Previous to that time, 
however, occasional observations, made and recorded by Mr. S. S. 
Chadwick and by Mr. Samuel B. Medbourn of the Medbourn Ice 
Company, have been kindly communicated to us by those gentle- 
men. 

The remarkable clearness and purity of the water of Lake Max- 
inkuckee and the thickness to which the ice freezes, give a very 
high quality to the ice made from it, and Lake Maxinkuckee ice 
has always had an enviable reputation for purity and enduring 
qualities. 

The operations required in taking out the vast quantities of ice 
each winter keep a changing portion of the lake on the west side 
more or less open for brief intervals in different places, and this 
has its effect on the plant and animal life of the lake. 

Our original plans contemplated a careful study of the ice in all 
its* more important relations to the various species of animals and 
plants inhabiting the lake, but lack of time prevented such study 
of many of the phenomena as the importance of the subject justi- 
fied. 




The grounds of the Culver Military Academy skirt the northern shore of Lake Maxinkuckee, covering 
a tract of 500 acres. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 225 

The ice phenomena of the lake, including the formation, thaw- 
ing, expansion and contraction, forming of ice-beaches and so on, 
present more or less variety from year to year. In the two years 
the phenomena were studied there was a wide difference in them, 
so that different details confidently looked for from previous ex- 
perience were surprisingly discounted. 

Every year, the small body, Lost Lake, freezes over much sooner 
than the larger lake, and usually freezes over as a smooth sheet of 
ice, in a single night. 

During the winter of 1900-1901, cold weather came on rather 
suddenly and the weather was rough and windy, so that, though 
the surface water became quite cold, the wind kept it from freez- 
ing except in the form of ice-needles which drifted up at first on 
the shore in high, conical snow-white masses, which at a distance 
looked like frozen foam, but which revealed on closer examination 
an entirely different structure from foam. The surface of the 
water near shore on the windward side of the lake, was covered 
with slush ice, composed of long needle-shaped crystals, which, as 
they were jostled together by the choppy waves, made a cheerful 
musical sound, like the rustling of dried hay. At other times during 
momentary bits of calm, or in protected bays, a thin sheet of clear 
solid ice would be put out from shore, soon to be broken into bits 
by the wind. These, constantly moved among each other by the 
waves, produced a musical continuous clinking, like glasses struck 
together, or at other times larger masses in more violent motion 
produced a far-heard rumbling like a heavy farm wagon rattling 
along a road. The bits of ice blown up against the shore gouged 
the shore considerably and shoved considerable sand before them 
in places, although finally the result of such gouging was neither 
conspicuous nor permanent. 

As to the final freezing over of the lake, in 1900-1901, the first 
stage from shore was formed by the needle-shaped crystals already 
mentioned, these forming concretions around centers, making cir- 
cular patches from about the size of a dinner plate to several feet 
across, and these finally drifted together and the becalmed water 
of the interstices froze, thus cementing the whole together into a 
solid mass. 

From this time on, during moments of comparative calm, 
stretches of rather smooth clear ice would form out toward the 
center of the lake, the inner margin of which would soon be more 
or less chopped up and broken by waves during more windy pe- 
riods, and then would occur another advantage of calm and cold, 
another concentric ring of ice would be formed, another attack of 



226 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

storm and wind on the weak-edged with a line of chopped ice, so 
that finally the limit of each freezing period was marked by a ring 
of choppy ice, and the stages of freezing could be counted, like 
the growth-rings of a tree as seen on a stump. Apparently a sud- 
den coming on of cold reduces the surface temperature greatly 
without allowing much chance for convection and the water under 
the ice continues tolerably warm all winter. The large lake was 
very slow in freezing over, and a few holes remained open quite 
late, being kept open by winds and by the flocks of ducks which 
congregated there in great numbers. 

Ice on Lake Maxinkuckee: The earliest appearance of ice as 
noted in our records was on October 12, 1907, when ice was ob- 
served on boards in low places. This was evidently merely frozen 
dew. On the 22d, ice was seen on Green's marsh and on the boat 
slip at Outlet Bay. This was observed again on the 23d, 27th, 28th 
and 29th. In 1906, on October 31, ice was seen in a leaky boat and 
along the south shore in shallow quiet water. These are our only 
October records. 

For November, in 1899, the first ice was noted on the 12th, 
when it remained all day in favorable places. In November, 1900, 
there was a thin fringe along the shore on the 14th, and on the 
16th it was frozen out from shore about 4 feet. On the 30th there 
was a fringe along the south shore, i to ^ inch thick and extending 
out usually 10 to 30 feet. Just west of Norris Inlet two broad 
points ran out about 200 feet. From this and subsequent obser- 
vations it is believed that it is on that part of the lake that perma- 
nent ice first forms. In 1902, the first freeze was on November 
25. In 1904, ice was first noted on November 6, and on the llth 
and 21st there was some along the south shore of Outlet Bay, re- 
maining in the boat slip all day. On the 13th, 14th and 16th it 
was on the boat slip all day; on the 17th there was a thin skirt 
along the shore, and a little appeared each morning thereafter until 
the 27th when there was a good deal off the ice houses and in simi- 
lar situations. On the 28th ice skirted the shore pretty generally, 
but not far out. In 1898, in December, the ice was one inch thick 
all over the lake except at the Deep Hole ; on the 8th and 9th it was 
all over the lake and 3 inches thick, and on the 14th it was frozen 
solid and 7.5 inches thick. 

In 1899, in December, it was 1.25 inches thick on the 26th along 
shore. In December, 1900, on the 10th ice extended out about 50 
feet from the end of the Chadwick pier, and about 200 feet out 
on east side of Long Point. At many places there was only a 
narrow irregular fringe, with occasional air holes. In places the 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 227 

ice was choppy. On the llth snow covered the ice which was 
grinding and tolerably loud at the south end. On the 12th there 
was considerable ice, particularly in Outlet Bay and off the ice- 
houses where it extended out in long sharp points, an unusually 
long sharp blade extended off Long Point to the northeast. There 
was a broad fringe along the east side of Long Point and large ice 
islands around stakes in Outlet Bay and southeast of Shady Point 
cottage. A brisk wind ground up all the ice except that near the 
shore north of Long Point, the breaking up being accompanied by 
considerable rattling and clinking. Ice-chips, small and clear, were 
thrown up on the north shore near the railroad station with a great 
roar. By noon all the ice in front of Shady Point cottage had dis- 
appeared. Before breaking up the ice was I inch thick at the shore 
and inch thick at end of pier at Shady Point. 

The next day a peculiar slush ice formed in front of Shady 
Point, consisting of circular or oval discs of needle-shaped crystals 
drifting together and freezing. On the 15th this ice, very rough 
but weak, extended out more than 100 feet. By the 19th the lake 
was frozen entirely over except a considerable area in the center 
and extending well toward the south end. 

On the 20th the lake was frozen nearly all over only a con- 
siderable pond in the middle. The ice all around the lake, espe- 
cially on the west side, was very rough, and would hold one up 
only 60 to 70 feet out. There was a great deal of clear drift ice, 
the thickness of window glass, piled up along the east shore. It 
plowed and heaped up the sand a good deal, making a small ice- 
ridge. This was not caused by expansion but by the ice being 
blown up against the sand. 

On the 21st the ice was pretty solid out for some distance. The 
only open water was in parallel north and south strips near the 
center. In Outlet Bay one could walk out about 400 to 500 feet, 
but the ice was weak on the east side of Long Point. 

On the 22d there was a good deal of water on the ice, and the 
open spaces enlarged appreciably. On the 23d a strong wind 
began breaking the ice and piling it up on shore at Culver Bay on 
the 24th. 

On the 28th the lake was again frozen irregularly, with open 
spaces toward the center. One could walk out in front of the 
Gravelpit about 600 feet. At one place one could walk within a 
foot of the open water, so strong was the ice. On the 29th the ice 
was moving and jamming up some against the shore. At night it 
was somewhat noisy. In 1901, the first record in December re- 
garding the condition of the ice was made on the 15th, to the effect 



228 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

that the lake was frozen nearly over. On the 16th the ice was 3 
inches thick ; on the 18th, 4.5 inches ; the 19th, 5.5 to 6 inches, and 
entirely frozen over; the 20th, 6 inches; the 21st, 7 inches; the 
22d, 8.5 inches ; and the 23d, 9 inches. On the 24th it began melt- 
ing and by the 31st was only 8 inches thick. In 1902, the only 
December records are for the 10th, the lake freezing, and the 14th, 
when the air at 6 p.m. was 20, Lost Lake frozen over, but Lake 
Maxinkuckee still open. In 1904 there are several December rec- 
ords. On the 1st to 3d, the lake was rough and ice cakes were 
forming. On the 4th and 5th considerable stretches along the 
shore were frozen, but none along the north shore. On the 6th it 
was drifting up on the east side and on the 8th it softened and 
melted some, though it was strong enough to bear up in Outlet Bay. 
On the 9th it was torn up by waves at the south end. On the 10th 
Outlet Bay was firm enough to walk over, and by the 13th the lake 
was all frozen over except several scattered pools filled with ducks 
and coots. On the 14th, only three or four long open pools left, 
and these were filled mostly with coots, only a few ducks being left. 
The ice was clear, only one-half inch thick some distance from 
shore. On the 15th all the lake except two small pools was frozen 
over. These pools were full of coots which no doubt helped to keep 
them open. There were many cracks in Outlet Bay. On the 16th 
only one pool was left open. The next day the ice company had 
teams on the lake, scraping the snow off the ice, which was 5 inches 
thick. On the 18th the last open pool closed. The heavy snow on 
the ice weighed it down and forced a good deal of water to come 
up through a large crack that ran from Long Point southeast. On 
the 21st the ice was cracking and pushing up the shore at Long 
Point. On the 23d the ice was rotten and melted a good deal; 
there were many small air holes, and on the 25th there were many 
open places north and east of Long Point. 

We have one record for January, 1893. On the 5th the lake 
was frozen over 9 inches thick except in a few air holes and cracks 
caused by expanding ice. In January, 1899, the ice was 8 inches 
thick on the 1st, 9 on the 8th, 10 on the 29th, 10.5 on the 30th 
and 11 on the 31st. In January, 1900, it was 7 inches thick on 
the 1st, 8 on the 2d, 9 on the 3d, 9.25 on the 4th, 7 on the 12th, 6 
on the 16th and 17th, 7J near the ice-houses, 8 at the Norris pier 
and 4.5 in front of Shady Point on the 21st and very rotten, 6 on 
the 30th, and 8 on the 31st. On the first there were several cracks, 
one running off from Murray's, one off mouth of Aubeenaubee 
Creek, one from ice-houses to Lakeview hotel, one from the ice- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 229 

houses to Long Point, and one from Long Point northeast, this last 
being cooped up like the roof on a house. 

There was a large crack from the south end of the lake near 
the Farrar cottage northward to the shore near the Academy along 
which the ice buckled up and then fell back by overlapping, a phe- 
nomenon which old residents had never observed before. On the 
22d the lake was open in deep water and on the 24th the ice was 
breaking up. 

In 1901, on January 1, it was cold and the ice grew very fast; 
on the 2d the lake was frozen over except one pool near the Deep 
Hole. Teams were cleaning snow off the ice near the ice-houses. On 
the 3d the pool was still open; this was between Long Point and 
the McOuat cottage and was only 18 or 20 feet in diameter. The 
ice was "cracking" a good deal all day and shoving up on shore and 
booming and rumbling at night. On the 6th there were 3 or 4 
inches of water on the ice and again on the 8th when the ice was 
full of holes; on the 9th it was dry and clear; on the 10th it was 
getting rotten and breaking into cakes and by the 12th it was 
unsafe, but was firmer on the 13th ; rotted again on the 14th, but on 
the 15th again became firm and showed beautiful mosaics. It sang 
much and loudly nearly all morning, but rotted in the afternoon. 
On the 18th it was 4| inches thick, solid and singing much. On 
the 19th it was 7.5 inches thick at the ice-houses. There was 
much noise, a sort of groaning, at night, and many new cracks were 
noted the next morning. On the 21st the ice was very rotten, and 
at night a good deal of noise, ringing sharp cracks as if the ice 
were giving and falling. On the 23d it melted a good deal on top, 
and was about 5 inches thick. On the 27th the big hole was still 
open ; on the 28th it was 5.5 to 7 inches thick on the east side, but 
weak. On the 29th, 7.75 to 8 inches thick and covered with water 
in some places. 

The January record for 1902 is brief. The ice was 8.5 inches 
thick on the 1st, 9 on the 3d, 10 on the 6th, 11.5 on the 16th, 12 on 
the 17th and 18th, 12.5 on the 20th, 13 on the 21st, 14 on the 27th 
and 28th, and 15 on the 31st. The lake was very low. On the 
27th the ice was shoving up some on the north and east shores but 
not much on the west side. 

In January, 1903, the ice was 5 inches thick on the 7th, 10 on 
the 12th, 12 on the 19th, and 13 on the 23d. The ice company 
began to put up ice on the 13th. 

In January, 1905, the records are few. On the first, the ice 
was rotten and rapidly disappearing, and there was a large hole 



230 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

near the center of the lake. On the 2d, it was nearly all gone east 
of Long Point and south to Murray's, but Outlet Bay was still cov- 
ered. On the 4th the lake was again pretty well frozen over, it 
having grown cold on the 2d and 3d. 

In January, 1906, the lake was not frozen over on the first. 
Later it froze over but ice was all gone by the 22d, following a 
week of rain. 

Our first February records are for 1899, when the ice was 11.5 
inches thick on the 1st, 12 on the 2d to 7th, 13 on the 8th, 16 on 
the 10th, 18 on the 13th, and 15 on the 27th. The next are for 
1901. On the 1st the ice was groaning some; on the 4th and 5th 
it was much sunken by 8.5 inches of snow on it ; on the 8th it was 
groaning again; on the 9th it was still sagging and covered with 
water in many places ; on the 20th it was somewhat noisy and much 
flooded in the middle ; covered with slush on the 23d and still sink- 
ing on the 24th; on the 25th much slush and ice groaning a good 
deal, continuing for the next two days. There was much noise 
again on the 28th, continuing all day. 

In 1902, on February 4th the ice was about 18 inches thick; 
17 inches on the 6th and 18 on the 21st. On the 25th the ice began 
to get dark where the snow had blown off, and in some places slush 
snow covered it. 

In 1903, the ice was 8 to 10 inches thick on February 15, but it 
had been about 14 inches thick. 

In 1906, on February 14, the lake was frozen over, the ice 4 to 
6 inches thick, and the ice cutting beginning. 

Our March records begin with 1899, when the ice was 10 inches 
thick on the llth. On the 12th there was a high west wind driving 
the ice out from the west shore and piling it up 10 feet high on 
the east side. On the 22d the ice was rotten; by the 25th it had 
become so honeycombed that it practically all went off the lake, 
piling up high on shore in various places; on Long Point it was 
about 10 feet high, but did no damage. 

In 1900, on March 1, the ice was 12 inches thick and 16 inches 
on the 19th. On the 22d it was open near the center of the lake. 
On the 25th the ice began to break up, drifting to west and north- 
west shores, and by 6 p. m. it was all gone. 

In 1901, on March 3, the ice was free from snow and there was 
some water on the surface. On the 4th the air holes that were 
present on the 3d froze up. On the 6th there was a long crack 
along the west shore and on the 7th the ice was heaving and push- 
ing on the shore on the east side. On the 8th and 9th it was 
quite soft and flooded; on the llth very rotten around the edges, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 231 

tightening up again at night, and alternating weak and firm until 
the 25th when it all disappeared, simply breaking up and melting 
without piling on shore. 

In 1902, the only records for March are: On the night of the 
12th the ice moved southeast and piled up 10 feet high on the north- 
west side of Long Point, and about as high on the east shore at th'e 
Edwards cottage. All the west side was open on the 13th. On the 
13th the ice left the lake with a southeast wind which piled it on 
shore at the depot grounds and east to the Palmer House. On 
the 18th some ice had frozen and piled up some on shore. 

In 1903, in March, the 13th was the first warm, calm day of 
spring, and the ice went off very fast ; all gone from Outlet Bay by 
6 p.m., and all gone from shore from there to depot. The next 
day the wind shifted to the south and piled the ice 6 feet high at the 
tip of Long Point. On the 15th the wind shifted to the northeast 
and drove the ice into Outlet Bay and along the west shore, but 
doing no harm. That portion of the lake north of a line from the 
tip of Long Point to the Edwards cottage and east of a line from 
the tip of Long Point to the Assembly grounds was free of ice. 
Then the wind shifted again to the south and drove all the ice to the 
north end of the lake. By 6 p. m. the ice was all gone. As the ice 
was very thin no harm was done. Air at 3 p.m. 70. On March 
29 there was some ice again. 

In 1905, in March, on the 25th, ice covered about three-fourths 
of the lake. The surface was very much decayed and broken. It 
went off rapidly all day and by the evening of the 26th there was 
only a little left in Culver Bay. 

In 1907, the ice left the lake on March 17. Several days of 
warm rain had rotted it thoroughly and a strong southwest wind 
on the 16th set it in motion, broke it up, and drove it toward the 
northeast part of the lake, where it melted. 

In 1908, the ice left the lake March 13, the day being very warm 
and the frogs singing. 

In 1910, on March 1, it turned warm, and there was no snow 
or rain thereafter. On March 22 the ice left the lake. It was 
20 inches thick and just rotted out. It did not drift much and no 
harm was done. It opened as usual on the west side from the 
Outlet to the depot. Air about 60. 

There are only a few ice records for April. The senior author 
spent April 6 and 7, 1885, at the lake, and recorded the fact that 
the ice was still on the lake, with a narrow strip open around the 
edges, especially along the south shore and at the inlet mouths. 

In 1900, on April 1, the ice moved north; on the 3d it moved 



232 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

southeast and piled high on shore ; on the 5th it moved south ; and 
it was all gone by the 6th. The 7th was the first pleasant day 
of the season, although it snowed some; it had been cold, with an 
east wind for a week. 

In 1901, on April 1, there was some old ice and new ice had 
formed on the pools the previous night. On the 4th overflow water 
was frozen, and there was ice on the pools on the 9th. Even on 
the 19th and 20th there was ice on the pools. 

In 1913, the ground was frozen on April 23, and on May 2 the 
ground and pools were frozen. 

Ice on Lost Lake: Considerable attention was paid to ice con- 
ditions on the small lake and the results are here given, in the 
thought that comparisons between the two lakes may prove in- 
structive. 

Ice was observed on Lost Lake in each month from October to 
April, both inclusive. In October, 1904, a little ice was noted on 
the 23d and 28th. 

In November, 1899, a narrow fringe was seen about the edge 
of the lake. In 1900, ice froze about 4 to 7 feet out from shore 
just above the Bardsley cottage on the 14th, and on the 16th the 
lake was frozen over but not strong enough to bear one up. In 
front of the Bardsley cottage it was to 2^ inches thick, but was 
thinner elsewhere. On the night of the 17th the ice went off, but 
the lake was nearly frozen over again by the 27th. In November, 
1904, there was a narrow fringe of ice around the lake, most of 
which had disappeared by the 13th. On the 28th the lake was more 
than half frozen over with ice strong enough to permit one to walk 
out a short distance. On November 14, 1906, the lake was frozen 
nearly over. 

In December, 1899, Lost Lake was frozen over on December 6, 
but the ice left the lake on the llth after 24 hours of rain. It 
froze again on the 15th. In 1900, it was frozen entirely over on 
the 10th when the ice was 1 inch thick and would bear up some dis- 
tance out. Near shore the ice was choppy in places. On the llth 
it was strong enough for skating. On the 12th it was 2 13/16 
inches thick 30 feet from shore, and did not crack when walked 
across. The next day it was 3 inches thick, and loud noises were 
caused by the expansion in the forenoon. On the 17th the ice was 
about 5 inches thick and beautifully stratified. On the 19th thin 
ice had frozen on top of the other, from flooded water. On the 
23d the wind tore up the ice at the south end. There were many 
large bubbles under the ice nearly everywhere, evidently blown 
under by the wind. The ice was dry on top and apparently solid. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 233 

On the 28th the ice was frozen irregularly, with numerous air 
holes. 

In December, 1901, the lake was frozen over on the llth, and 
solid on the 19th, the ice being 6 inches thick. In December, 1902, 
Lost Lake was frozen entirely over on the 14th. 

In December, 1904, Lost Lake was frozen over on the first, the 
ice being quite opaque. On the 2d it was 1 inches thick and would 
bear up, but cracked some on the west side where it was not so 
thick. On the 3d the Outlet was partly frozen below the railroad 
bridge. On the 9th the stream below the lake was pretty well 
open. 

In January, 1901, Lost Lake was solid on the first and 2d; on 
the 3d the ice was 10 inches thick and contained 9 planes of bub- 
bles, one of which, 5.5 from the bottom, seemed to divide the whit- 
ish upper ice from the lower clearer layer. On the 10th the ice 
was 8 inches thick and men were cutting it; on the 18th it was 
9 inches and showed a hexagonal structure. On the 19th Lost Lake 
was open at the north end and remained so for several days. On 
the 20th all the stream below the lake was open. 

We have no February records. 

In March, 1901, Lost Lake was all open on the 25th, but it was 
almost frozen over again by the 29th. 

In March, 1902, the lake was nearly open on the 13th but frozen 
over again on the 18th. 



THICKNESS OF ICE ON LAKE MAXINKUCKEE AT VARIOUS DATES 



Date 


Thickness in 
inches 


Remarks 


1893 






Jan. 5 

1QQQ 


9 


Entirely covering lake except a few air holes and cracks. 


lovo 

Dec. 8 


1 


Over entire lake except the Deep Hole. 


9 


3 


Over entire lake. 


14 


7.5 




1899 






Jan. 1 


8 




29 


10 




30 


10.5 




31 


11 




Feb. 1 


11.5 




2 


12 




7 


12 




8 


13 




10 


16 




13 


18 




27 


15 




Mar 11 


10 




121 




High west wind drove ice out from west shore and piled it up 10 feet high or 


22/ 




east side. Ice dangerous. 



234 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



THICKNESS OF ICE ON LAKE MAXINKUCKEE AT VARIOUS DATES Continued 



Date 



1,99 
Mar. 25 



Dec. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



6 
11 
15 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
1900 

1 

2 

3 

4 
10 
12 
16 
17 
21 
22 
24 
30 
31 

1 

2 

3 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 

1 



Mar. 

19 
22 

April 1 

3 

5 

6 

Nov. 14 

16 
18 
27 
30 

Dec. 10 
10 
12 

13 

14 
17 
17 
19 

20 
21 

22 



Thickness in 
inches 



1.25 

2 

3 

4.5 

5.5 

6 

7 
8 
9 
9.25 



7 

6 

6 

5.8 

4.5 



Remarks 



Ice left lake, it having become honeycombed, piling up in various places 10 

feet high on Long Point, but doing no damage. 
Little Maxinkuckee frozen over. 
Ice went off of Litt'? Maxinkuckee. 
Little Maxinkuckee frozen over again. 
On Little Maxinkuckee near shore. 

Deep water still open. 



4 inches on Lake Maxinkuckee and 8 inches on Little Maxinkuckee. 

Very rotten. 

Ice rotten. 

Ice open in deep water. 

Ice open in deep water. 

Ice breaking up. 



6 
8 
9 
11 
11 
6 
6 
7 
8 

8.5 
12 
16 

Ice open near the Split Rock. 
Ice moving north. 

Ice moves southeast and piles up high on shore. 
Ice all gone except where piled up on south shore. 
Ice all gone. 

Coldest day of season, so far, 16. Ice 1.5 in shallow water; Little Maxin- 
kuckee frozen 4 to 7 feet from shore. 

Little Maxinkuckee frozen over; frozen out on Maxinkuckee 4 feet from shore. 
Ice went off Little Maxinkuckee. 
Little Maxinkuckee again frozen over. 
Thin ice started around shore. 

Little Maxinkuckee frozen entirely over, 1 inch thick. 
Ice extending out 200 feet from shore on Maxinkuckee. 
2 13-16 Most of the ice broken up. Ice on Little Maxinkuckee strong enough to bear 

one. 

3 On Little Maxinkuckee. 

Outlet nearly frozen over. 
A broad fringe of ice around shore. 

About '/g inch of water on top of ice on Little Maxinkuckee. 
Lake frozen over except a large area in center and extending toward south 

end. Outlet Bay all frozen over. 
Open area still present. 
Lake frozen nearly all over. 
Water covering ice, and open area increasing. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 235 

THICKNESS OF ICE ON LAKE MAXINKUCKEE AT VARIOUS DATES Continued 



Date 


Thickness in 
inches 


Remarks 


1900 








Dec. 23 




Much of the ice disappeared. 




28 




Ice cracking. 




1901 








Jan. 1 




Ice extending over lake very fast. 




1902 








Jan. 27 


14 


Ice company has filled all its houses. 




Feb. 4 


18 






Dec. 26 




Lake frozen over. 




31 




Patrolman made first trip over ice 




1903 








Jan. 7 


5 






12 


10 






13 




Ice-men began to put up ice. 




19 


12 






23 


13 






1901 








Dec. 28 




Ice heaved up some. 




1905 








Feb. 20 


24 


Best ice ever harvested; has been good in all places, 


and 10 to 18 to 24 inches 






thick. 




1909 








Feb. 17 


2 1 A 


Snow 12 inches deep; ice all over trees and bushes, many trees broken down. 






Thickest ice this winter about 9 inches and the ice-men got about half a 






crop; lake frozen over four different times. 




1911 








Nov. 18 




Lake open from Long Point to Palmer House, wind in the north. i> vrv 






thin and rotten. Air 38. Rained all night and 


wind shifted from south- 






east to north at 6 p. m. 




1914 








Feb. 15 


10 


Air at zero in morning. 





CONDITIONS OF ICE ON LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 



Year 


When first 
noted 


When lake 
practically 
froze over. 


Thickness 


MAXIMUM THICKNESS 


When went 
off. 


Date 


Thickness 


1883 
1893 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 
1901 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 
1913 
1914 










22 
9 
7.5 
18 
16 






January 5 
December 9 


9 
3 


January 5 
December 14 
February 13 
March 19 








November 12 
November 14 


March 25 
March 25 
March 25 
March 15 
March 15 


December 20 
December 16 




3 


November 25 


February 4 


18 






November 6 


December 15 










February 20 


24 


March 26 


October 31 
October 12 














March 17 
March 13 
March 3 
March 22 
March 12 
April 6 
March 14 
March 27 




























20 




























13 
14 








February 23 




* 





236 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

BIOLOGY 
INTRODUCTION 

More attention was naturally given to the biology of the lake 
than to the physical features. The scope of the investigations as 
originally planned contemplated as careful study of the vertebrate 
animals of the lake as time and facilities at command would per- 
mit. It soon became evident however, that no very satisfactory 
progress could be made with those groups without consideration 
of the plants and the various groups of invertebrate animals of 
the lake. It also became increasingly evident as the work pro- 
gressed that no hard and fast line could be drawn between the 
species directly related to the lake and those only indirectly so 
related. This fact was strongly impressed upon us when we came 
to study the habits of the mammals, reptiles, batrachians, and birds 
of the lake and vicinity, and the distribution of the trees and 
shrubs and other shore vegetation in their relation to the various 
species of insects upon which fishes and other aquatic animals 
feed. Many illustrations could be given of the ways in which 
various species of purely land animals and plants are related eco- 
logically to purely aquatic species inhabiting the lake. A few 
examples may be mentioned. One might think that the common 
house mouse and field mouse bear no relation to the life of the lake ; 
but we have found both in the stomachs of large-mouth black bass. 
We have found the raccoon feeding on the mussels of the lake. The 
larvaB of certain species of dipterous insects of the genus 
Ghironomus, are exceedingly abundant in the lake and constitute 
a very important part of the food of the fishes, also of several 
species of birds such as the various snipes, plovers, phalaropes, and 
even of rusty blackbirds, red-winged blackbirds, and crow black- 
birds. And in September and October, when these larvae com- 
plete their metamorphoses and the air and the trees along the 
shore about the lake become filled in the evening and on quiet days 
with vast swarms of the large mosquito-like insects, making the 
evening vocal with the constant humming of the millions on the 
wing, they then are fed upon by various species of birds, among 
which have been observed nighthawks, swallows, yellow-billed 
cuckoos, yellow-rumped warblers, and even red-headed woodpeck- 
ers and song sparrows. But the story does not end here. After 
the nuptial flight has been made, these insects, myriads upon 
myriads in number, and all about the lake, return to the surface 
of the water upon which they lay their eggs, and there fall a prey 
to various species of fishes from the tiny top minnow to the blue- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 237 

gill, yellow perch, and large-mouth black bass. And the eggs laid 
by those which succeed in escaping all their enemies furnish enor- 
mous quantities of food to the multitude of little fishes hatched 
during the previous summer, while the eggs that escape, hatch 
sooner or later, and in their new form as Chironomus larvae, sup- 
ply even greater quantities of delicious food to the fishes of a some- 
what larger growth, and also to the turtles and young water-dogs 
in the water and to various species of birds which feed along the 
beach. But even this is not all the story. The millions of 
Chironomi, after having accomplished their only purpose in life by 
laying billions upon billions of eggs, die, and their dead bodies, 
falling upon the surface of the lake or upon the land, are eaten by 
the fishes, birds, and small insectivores. 

One more illustration must suffice. When we came to study 
the shore vegetation we were struck by the number of trees, shrubs 
and other plants growing on the immediate lake shore, so close to 
the lake that their branches overhang the water more or less. The 
total number of species was not fewer than 50. Insects and in- 
sect eggs and larvae were observed on a great many of these trees, 
shrubs and herbaceous plants; doubtless every species is fed upon 
or is the home of one or more species of insects. These insects 
fall upon or are blown out upon the water now and then. Many 
of them lay their eggs upon the leaves and these may fall off and 
into the water, carrying the eggs with them. 

The eggs that hatch produce caterpillars and other larvae 
which feed upon the leaves of the plant, and many, while feeding, 
drop into the water where, along with the adults and eggs that had 
fallen in, they become a prey of the fishes. This is one reason 
why many fishes come in near shore in the evening and at night; 
they are attracted there by the abundant and varied fish-food con- 
tributed to the lake by the plants along the shore. 

With interesting and important inter-relations such as these 
constantly forcing themselves upon our attention, the evidently 
proper thing to do was to make our study of the lake sufficiently 
comprehensive to include all such problems as fully as possible; 
and this we have done. We therefore endeavored to make such 
observations as time would permit, not only of the physical features 
of the lake and immediately surrounding country, but also of most 
of the groups of animals and plants in and about the lake of which 
any of us possessed any knowledge. Unfortunately, and very 
naturally, our acquaintance with some groups was very limited 
indeed, and concerning those we are able to contribute little or 
nothing. 



238 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

While considerable time has been devoted to the study of this 
lake, and while the amount of knowledge and information now pos- 
sessed and made available regarding it is probably greater than 
that possessed regarding any other lake in the world, there are 
many gaps in the record, many of them large and important. No 
one can realize this more fully or regret it more keenly than the 
writers. Nor can any one realize more fully than they the in- 
completeness and inadequacy of many of the observations, and how 
desirable it would be to have them repeatedly verified. 

A word of explanation regarding the arrangement of subjects 
in the following pages is perhaps necessary. As the investigations 
upon which this report has been based were made primarily in 
the interest of fish-culture, more attention was necessarily paid 
to the fishes than to any other group; in fact, such studies as 
were made of other animals and of the plants were made only 
because it was believed such investigations would contribute some 
knowledge of value to the main purpose in view. 

In view of this fact we thought it best not to adhere too closely 
to a strictly systematic zoological and botanical arrangement of 
the various subjects. We have treated the fishes first, and the 
other groups have been presented in the order which we believe 
best for the objects in view. 

The various species considered have been presented from the 
natural history point of view rather than from that of the sys- 
tematist. We have even emphasized this thought by giving un- 
usual prominence to the common or vernacular names by making 
the scientific or binomial names subordinate to them, and by 
making the text as non-technical as seemed necessary. It is hoped 
and believed this treatment will contribute materially to the use 
and value of the publication. 

THE FISHES 

INTRODUCTION 

During the investigations at Lake Maxinkuckee, very naturally 
more attention was given to the fishes than to anything else. It 
was desired to Jmow not only what species are represented in the 
local fauna but an effort was made to study each species from 
many points of view. Observations were therefore made regard- 
ing the abundance, distribution, breeding and feeding habits, pe- 
riod and rate of growth, age, and size at different ages, parasites, 
diseases, enemies, relation to other species, food value, commercial 
importance, importance to the angler, seasons and methods of cap- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 239 

ture and places where found, and many other problems the study 
of which was necessary to a full understanding of the life history 
of the species. Field observations and collecting were carried on 
in all available and possible places, in all sorts of weather, at all 
times of day and night, and at all seasons of the year, chiefly, how- 
ever, in the summer and fall months. 

METHODS OF COLLECTING 

Seining: Seine collecting was, of course, the method most fre- 
quently used and the one yielding the largest collections and re- 
sults. The seines used were Baird collecting seines. When the 
physical conditions permitted a 45-foot seine was used; where the 
character of the bottom or any other factor prevented the success- 
ful use of so long a seine, a shorter one was used sometimes one 
15 feet long, at other times one 25 feet in length, and occasionally 
seines 20, 35, and 150 feet were used. Seining operations were 
begun July 5, 1899, the initial point being in front of the Duen- 
weg cottage (now known as "Shady Point"), which is on the 
lake shore just in front of the Arlington station. This cottage was 
rented by the Fish Commission and used as headquarters by the 
field party from July, 1899, to July, 1901. (See p. 34.) 

From the Duenweg cottage as the starting point the seining pro- 
ceeded southward along the west shore, eastward across the south 
part of the lake, then northward along the east side, and on around 
to the place of beginning. Each succeeding haul began where 
the preceding one ended, thus every yard of seinable water near 
shore was covered. Each haul of the seine was called a station and 
the hauls or stations were numbered consecutively beginning with 
No. 1. The following data were recorded for each station : Num- 
ber of station, location, length of seine, date (including hour), con- 
dition of sky, direction and strength of wind, temperature of air, 
temperature of water, maximum depth of water, character of bot- 
tom, vegetation as to character and extent, species of fishes caught 
and number of each, species of other animals caught (as turtles, 
batrachians, crustaceans, mollusks, etc.), and the number of each. 
Only a sufficient number of specimens of each species were pre- 
served for future study ; all others were returned to the water after 
being counted and their sizes and other readily observable char- 
acters determined. After some little experience in measuring the 
fishes we were able to estimate their lengths quite accurately. 
During the first part of July the entire circuit of the lake was 
made; and. this was repeated during the corresponding part of 



! (> ' i (>' G 



240 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

August and again in September. The principal objects in repeat- 
ing the work were to secure data on rate of growth, change in dis- 
tribution, abundance, habits, spawning condition, food, etc. A 
brief summary of the seining operations and results follows: 

July 5, 1:45 to 3:18 p. m. Stations 1 to 11, from Duenweg 
cottage southward to Murray's; seine, 45 feet. Sky cloudy; no 
breeze; air 74; water 76 to 78.5. All these hauls were made 
over a sandy bottom, thinly coated with marl in places, covered 
more or less with mussels (mostly dead), dead Vivipara con- 
tectoides, and two species of live gastropods which fasten to rocks 
and other objects. The bottom nearly everywhere was covered 
with a good growth of Chara, not tall but enough to cause the 
seine to roll a good deal. There was also a considerable growth of 
algee, and except in the first four or five hauls, there was a fringe 
of tall Scirpus (S. americanus near shore and S. validus further 
out), 20 to 40 feet wide and in water up to 18 inches in depth. 
Catch: Log perch, many; yellow perch, 69; bluegill, about 50; 
grayback minnow, 10 ; rock bass, 8 ; straw bass, 9, mostly young ; 
small-mouth black bass, 7, young ; straw-colored minnow, 4 ; pump- 
kinseed, 2; skipjack, 1; and blunt-nosed minnow, 1. 

The majority of the bass were young-of-the-year, each about 
one inch long. The sunfish and perch were also small, and mostly 
one year old. 

July 6, 2 : 48 to 5 p. m. Stations 12 to 29, from Murray's to 15 
yards west of Farrar's pier; seine, 45 feet. Air 76; water 77 
to 79.5. Bottom of sand and fine gravel with thin coating of 
marl in some places, covered with a good growth of Scirpus to the 
westward, but rare near Farrar's. This of course interfered with 
hauling the seine. Catch : Bluegill, 1,227 ; small-mouth black 
bass, 23; yellow perch, 30; log perch, many; skipjack, 27; blunt- 
nosed minnow, 11; grayback minnow, 2; pumpkinseed, 2; Iowa 
darter, 1; straw-colored minnow, 1. The bluegill was by far the 
most abundant species, the Scirpus patches literally swarming with 
them. They were nearly all young-of-the-year or of the preceding 
year. Crawfishes, mussels, gastropods and algse were fairly com- 
mon. 

July 7, 1:40 to 4:03 p.m. Stations 30 to 52, from Farrar's 
pier eastward to the high wooded shore on southeast part of lake on 
Easterday's place; 45- and 15-foot seines used. Air 74 ; water 
76. Bottom sandy with slight admixture of gravel to the west- 
ward with more or less mud or marl overgrown with Potamogeton, 
Scirpus and Chara in the last eight or ten hauls. A considerable 
bed of mussels off the McDonald cottage, and many gastropods. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 241 

Catch: Yellow perch, about 150; straw bass, 95; bluegill, 
about 200; small-mouth black bass, 36; grayback minnow, 113; 
skipjack, 13; straw-colored minnow, 12; log perch, 9; blunt-nosed 
minnow, 29 ; Notropis heterodon, 1 ; rock bass, 8 ; Johnny darter, 
10 ; Iowa darter, 6 ; pumpkinseed, several ; long-nosed gar, 6 ; creek 
chub, 2. 

July 8, 1 :40 to 3 :00 p. m. Stations 53 to 71, beginning at sta- 
tion 11 and working north to Arlington station ; 15-foot seine. Air 
about 73 ; water 76 to 78. Hauls all in shallow water, near 
shore, and most productive where bottom was free from Scirpus. 

Catch: Yellow perch, 185; straw bass, 121; skipjack about 
500 ; grayback minnow, 209 ; Johnny darter, 61 ; small-mouth black 
bass, 36; Notropis heterodon, 21; log perch, 33; Iowa darter, 13; 
rock bass, 2 ; bluegill, 24 ; straw-colored minnow, 1 ; in the last 
five or six hauls the skipjack was quite abundant, most of the indi- 
viduals being young-of-the year. 

July 10, 1 :05 to 4 :05 p. m. Stations 72 to 90, in southeast part 
of lake at station 52 and proceeding east and north to Norris's 
pier, omitting about 200 yards at mouth of Norris Inlet where the 
softness of the bottom made seining impossible. The bottom at 
the first stations was sandy with some slight growth of Potamog- 
eton in places. Nearing the Inlet the bottom becomes more and 
more composed of decaying vegetable matter and very soft, until 
finally for a few rods adjacent to the Norris Inlet on either side 
it is too soft for seining operations. Near the Norris Inlet the 
bottom was full of deeper mud holes 3 to 10 feet in diameter. 
Here also occur small patches of lily-pads mostly Nympha3a, but a 
few Castalia. The 15-foot seine was at first used, then a 45-foot 
seine was utilized. At station 82 near the little green boathouse 
40 gar-pike (Lepisosteus osseus) were secured. Depth 6 feet or 
less; air temperature 80 ; water temperature 78 to 82. 

Catch : Bluegill, about 400 ; yellow perch, 269 ; grayback min- 
now, 101 ; straw bass, 102 ; long-nose gar, 41 ; blunt-nose minnow, 
40 ; log perch, 14 ; skipjack, many young ; pumpkinseed, 14 ; small- 
mouth black bass, 9; straw-colored minnow, 23; rock-bass, 5; yel- 
low cat, 1 ; Johnny darter, 9; brook stickleback, 1 ; mad torn, 1. 

Young skipjacks were taken in great numbers at stations 76, 
77 and 78, but only a few in any other hauls. Yellow perch were 
usually abundant at every station, especially at No. 80. Bluegills 
were common in nearly every haul, especially at No. 79. 

There were added to the list in this series of hauls three species 
which had not been previously taken, namely, the yellow cat (sta- 
tion 77) ; mad torn (station 81), and the stickleback (station 89). 



242 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

July 11, 2:00 to 4:45 p.m. Stations 91 to 110. Air 84; 
water 81 to 84; sky cloudy, showery late in evening; depth 3 
feet and under; 45-foot seine. Began at Norris's pier and pro- 
ceeded up the east side to the McOuat cottage. For most of this 
distance the bottom is of sand and fine gravel, usually covered with 
a matting of Chara. In many places, stones, old tin cans, broken 
bottles and the like made seining difficult. 

Catch: Bluegill, 925; log perch, 190; skipjack, very many; 
small-mouth bass, 40 ; straw bass, 17 ; yellow perch, 101 ; rock bass, 
45; grayback minnow, 17; pumpkinseed, 4; yellow cat, 1; silver- 
side, 1; and blunt-nose minnow, 1. 

The bluegill was by far the most abundant fish taken, 419 being 
in haul 109. Young skipjacks were very common, especially in 
hauls, 93, 104 and 106. The log perch was remarkably abundant, 
58, 51, 40 and 64 being taken in hauls 101, 105, 107 and 110, re- 
spectively. 

In the last few hauls the water appeared roily, caused chiefly 
by the presence of much plankton, crustaceans and algse. 

July 12, 2:15 to 4:10 p.m. Stations 111 to 120. Air 87; 
water 79 to 89. These stations were in Norris Inlet. Begin- 
ning at the bridge where the road crosses, stations 111 to 117 fol- 
lowed up the creek to the heavy woods about its head, while sta- 
tions 118 to 120 were from the bridge down stream until the creek 
became lost in boggy ground. Seine, 15-foot. 

Catch: Straw bass, 79; bluegill, 22; mud minnow, 17; grass 
pike, 35 ; creek chub, 8 ; pumpkinseed, 4 ; and dogfish, 3. The straw 
bass were all young, as were also most of the grass pike. The 
bottom was usually black soil, sand or decaying peaty matter. In 
shallow stagnant places the water was very warm. 

July 13, 1:45 to 2:55 p.m. Stations 121 to 131. Air 86; 
water 76 to 80 ; depth 5 feet and under. Same ground seined 
over July 5, stations 1 to 11, but under different atmospheric con- 
ditions. A storm came from the northwest and swept across the 
north end of the lake while the work was in progress. Some rain 
fell and strong waves came in from the north. 

Catch : Bluegill, 331 ; yellow perch, about 325 ; rock bass, 52 ; 
grayback minnow, 35 ; log perch, 28 ; small-mouth bass, 13 ; straw 
bass, 7 ; pumpkinseed, 6 ; Johnny darter, 3 ; hog sucker, 1 ; yellow 
cat, 1 ; blunt-nose minnow, 3. In haul 129, which was through a 
thick patch of Scirpus americanus, young rock bass were very 
abundant, 28 being caught. Young yellow perch and bluegills also 
were abundant. 

July 17, 1 :30 to 3 :40 p. m. Stations 132 to 147, from the end 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 243 

of Long Point to Arlington, connecting with station No. 1. Air 
73 ; water 80 to 82 ; depth 2 feet and under; seine, 45-foot. Bot- 
tom sand, covered in most places with a more or less thick mat of 
Chara contraria, with a good deal of Vallisneria spiralis, Naias 
flexilis and Potamogeton pectina.tus. Just off the end of Long 
Point is a large bed of mussels. Catch: Bluegill, 1,224; yellow 
perch, 432 ; pumpkinseed, 244 ; skipjack, 101 ; blunt-nose minnow, 
21 ; rock bass, 10 ; yellow cat, 2 ; silverfin minnow, 6 ; log perch, 
13; Notropis heterodon, 1. As may be seen from the above, blue- 
gills, skipjacks, pumpkinseeds, and yellow perch were very abund- 
ant. The vast majority of each of these species were young fish, 
either of-the-year or one year old. 

July 18, 1 :35 to 4 :25 p. m. Stations 148 to 168, beginning at 
the McOuat cottage (where station No. 110 ended) and proceeding 
northward to the Shirk cottage just north of the Maxinkuckee road. 
Air 80 ; water 80 to 84 ; depth 3 feet and under; seine, 45-foot. 
Rocky shore and gravelly bottom, then sand and gravel bottom 
with some mud in places, with areas of Chara here and there. 

Catch: Bluegill, 1,430; log perch, 366; yellow perch, 202; 
skipjack, several hundred; small-mouth black bass, 114; silver-fin 
minnow, 29; silverside, 19; grayback minnow, 16; rock bass, 13; 
hog sucker, 6 ; straw bass, 11 ; blunt-nose minnow, 7. Young blue- 
gills were remarkably abundant, as many as 300 being taken in 
one haul. Log perch also were very abundant, 151 being taken in 
a single haul. Young skipjacks were exceedingly numerous. 

July 19, 2 :30 to 4 :30 p. m. Stations 169 to 184, beginning at 
the Shirk cottage and proceeding northward to near the Indiana 
boathouse. Air 84; water 82 to 84; depth 3 feet and under; 
seine 15-foot. Sky clear, wind from northwest, lake choppy. 

Catch : Yellow perch, 430 ; bluegill, about 250 ; grayback min- 
now, 124; skipjack, many young; small-mouth black bass, 38; 
straw bass, 45; log perch, 54; rock bass, 87; blunt-nose minnow, 
10 ; pumpkinseed, 139 ; Johnny darter, 2 ; rot-gut minnow, 1 ; straw- 
colored minnow, 3. 

July 20, 1:42 to 4:05 p.m. Stations 185 to 202, northward 
from just south of Indiana boathouse to Aubeenaubee Bay. Air 
87; water 81 to 84; depth 4 feet and under; seine, 15-foot at 
stations 185 to 187 and 202, 45-foot at all others. Sky broken 
cloudy, moderate breeze south by east. Catch : Bluegill, 669 ; log 
perch, 275; yellow perch, 160; skipjack, many young; small-mouth 
black bass, 69; straw bass, 19; pumpkinseed, 24; rock bass, 54; 
grayback minnow, 17; blunt-nose minnow, 4; long-nose gar, 1. 

July 21, afternoon. Stations 203 to 228, from northeast corner 



244 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

of lake westward to The Roost. Air 89 ; water 79 to 88 ; depth, 

2 feet and under; seine, 45-foot. Bottom at first mud then sand 
and some gravel. Much Chara, Pontederia, Scirpus and Potamog- 
eton. 

Catch: Skipjack, young, very abundant; bluegill, 267; straw 
bass, 203; yellow perch, 211; blunt-nose minnow, 84; log perch, 
15 ; grayback minnow, 190 ; pumpkinseed, 50 ; rock bass, 43 ; yellow 
cat, 4 ; long-nose gar, 3 ; green sunfish, 1 ; small-mouth black bass, 
26 ; Notropis umbratilis, 12. 

July 22, 2 :00 to 5 :00 p. m. Stations 229 to 247, from The Roost 
westward to Kreutzberger's pier. Air 87 ; water 81 to 87 ; depth, 

3 feet and under ; seine, 45-foot. Bottom unusually varied, ranging 
from mud and sand through gravel to boulders; much Chara and 
some Potamogeton. 

Catch : Bluegill, 1,187 ; log perch, 371 ; skipjack, numerous 
young ; small-mouth black bass, 66 ; yellow perch, 158 ; straw bass, 
17 ; rock bass, 27 ; pumpkinseed, 13 ; grayback minnow, 14 ; blunt- 
nose minnow, 5; silverside, 2. 

July 24, 2:15 to 4:30 p.m. Stations 248 to 263, from end of 
Long Point west and north to ice-houses. Air 87 ; water 83 
to 86; depth 3 feet and under; seine, 45-foot. Bottom mud or 
marl, very little sand and no gravel. Usually a heavy growth of 
vegetation consisting chiefly of Vallisneria spiralis, Philotria 
canadensis, Pctamogeton pectinatus, P. amplifolius, Megalodonta 
beckii, Heteranthera dubia, Naias flexilis, Chara contraria, and 
Potamogeton lucens. Right at the Outlet is a small patch of 
Nymphaea advena and a few plants of Castalia odorata. Just off 
the ice-houses diatoms are more abundant than at any other place 
in the lake. 

Catch: Yellow perch, 280; bluegill, 211; skipjack, numerous; 
pumpkinseed, 81 ; rock bass, 41 ; log perch, 38 ; warmouth, 6 ; straw 
bass, 21 ; small-mouth black bass, 9 ; bullhead, 4 ; Johnny darter, 
2; grayback minnow, 2; short-nose gar, 1; grass pike, 1. In the 
series of hauls were secured the first specimens of short-nose gar 
and warmouth. Most of the fish taken were young, as usual ; how- 
ever, some large fish were caught, among them a straw bass weigh- 
ing 4 pounds and another of 2 pounds. 

July 25, 2 :20 to 5 :00 p. m. Stations 264 to 280, from Kreut- 
berger's pier southward to the Assembly grounds. Air 86 ; 
water 81 to 86 ; depth 4 feet and under; seine, 45-foot. Bottom 
usually of sand, sometimes mud or marl in the deeper places. 
Vegetation, Eleocharis interstincta (the only patch in the lake), 
Scirpus validus and S. americanus, V-'^llianeria spiralis, Potamog- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 245 

eton amplifolius and pectinatus, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Cera- 
tophyllum demersum, Philotria canadensis, Hydrodyction, etc. 

Catch: Bluegill, 673 plus many young; yellow perch 369 plus 
many young; rock bass, 147; pumpkinseed, 118; straw bass, 29; 
blunt-nose minnow, 18; skipjack, many young; grayback minnow, 
13; small-mouth black bass, 6; silverside, 4; Notropis heterodon, 
3; bullhead, 1; dogfish, 1; Johnny darter, 2; rotgut minnow, 2; 
warmouth, 1 ; chub sucker, 1 (first one caught of this species) . 

July 26, 2 :30 to 4 :45 p. m. Stations 281 to 293, from Assembly 
grounds pier south to ice-houses connecting with station 263, and 
completing the circuit of the lake. Air 83 ; water 84 and 86 ; 
depth 5 feet and under; seine, 45-foot. Bottom sandy, with some 
mud, covered with considerable Potamogeton, Chara and Scirpus. 

Catch : Yellow perch, 250 ; bluegill, 120 ; rock bass, 82 ; pump- 
kinseed, 81; skipjack, numerous young; straw bass, 20; grayback 
minnow, 11 ; log perch, 10 ; blunt-nose minnow, 4 ; grass pike, 4 ; 
Notropis heterodon, 13 ; small-mouth black bass, 2 ; warmouth, 2 ; 
Johnny darter, 1 ; yellow cat, 1. 

July 27, 1 :05 to 3 :30 p. m. Stations 294 to 312, all- but the last 
eight in lagoons in the Military Academy grounds the remaining 
eight in Culver Inlet from the upper lagoon into the woods about 
three-fourths of a mile above. Air 80 ; water 65 to 84 ; depth 
5 feet and under ; seine, 15-foot. Bottom of soft mud near shore, 
gravelly nearer center in the lagoon; creek mostly muddy bottom 
and marshy shores. 

Catch: Straw bass, 186; creek chub, 69; bluegill, 52; chub 
sucker, 29 ; rotgut minnow, 14 ; Notropis heterodon, 10 ; grass pike, 
8; yellow perch, 5; mud minnow, 3; warmouth, 3; small-mouth 
black bass, 4; pumpkjnseed, 5; yellow cat, 7; rock bass, 2; mad 
torn, 1. 

July 28, 2 :25 to 3 :55 p. m. Stations 313 to 327, in the Outlet 
from Lake Maxinkuckee to Lost Lake. Air 81 ; water 82.5 to 
83; depth 3 feet and under; seine, 15-foot. Bottom gravelly for 
a few feet in upper portion, then sandy, then of soft muck. 

Catch : Bluegill, 514 ; straw bass, 43 ; warmouth, 16 ; pumpkin- 
seed, 16; skipjack, several; rock bass, 4; grass pike, 4; big-eared 
sunfish, 2 ; yellow cat, 1 ; Fundulus dispar, 1 ; calico bass, 1 ; chub 
sucker, 1. 

July 29, 3 :05 to 3 :50 p. m. Stations 328 to 341, east side of 
Lost Lake from Sunset cottage south to muck bottom at southwest 
end. Air 77 ; water 82 to 83.5 ; depth 2 feet and under; seine, 
45-foot. Bottom sandy or muddy, with much Chara, some Scirpus 
and some lily-pads. 



246 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Catch: Bluegill, many, mostly young; Notropis heterodon, 78; 
pumpkinseed, 7; skipjack, several; straw bass, 11; small-mouth 
black bass, 3 ; grass pike, 3 ; blunt-nose minnow, 2 ; grayback min- 
now, 1 ; red-eared sunfish, 1. 

July 31, 1 :40 to 3 :45 p. m. Stations 342 to 363, north and west 
shores of Lost Lake. Air 76 ; water, 81 to 86 ; depth 4 feet and 
under; seines, 15-foot and 45-foot. Bottom sand or mud with 
much vegetation, such as lily-pads (Nymphsea and Castalia), 
Scirpus, Myriophyilum, Chara, etc. Afternoon pleasant, growing 
hazy toward evening ; very little breeze. 

Catch: Bluegill, abundant, mostly young; Notropis heterodon, 
many; skipjack, many; red-eared sunfish, 22; straw bass, 32; 
pumpkinseed, 24 ; Fundulus dispar, 6 ; small-mouth black bass, 2 ; 
blunt-nose minnow, 4 ; mud minnow, 1 ; grass pike, 1 ; warmouth, 
3; chub sucker, 2. 

August 1, 1:37 to 3:30 p.m. Stations 364 to 379, west side 
of Lost Lake from Hawk's barn south to where the lake narrows, 
then a few hauls in the outlet and two hauls (Nos. 378 and 379) 
on east side of outlet. This entire stretch of shore was not seined, 
as patches of Castalia, etc., made it impossible in some places. The 
water was very clear and the sunfish could be seen swimming about 
in large numbers. Air 82 ; water 78 to 79 ; depth 3.5 feet 
and under; seines, 15- and 45-foot. Bottom mostly of mud and 
muck. Rank vegetation. 

Catch: Bluegill, about 200; red-eared sunfish, about 50; 
Fundulus dispar, 66 ; Notropis heterodon, about 30 ; straw bass,. 16 ; 
warmouth, 19 ; chub sucker, 4 ; grass pike, 2 ; yellow perch, 2 ; small- 
mouth black bass, 6; least darter, 3; skipjack, 1; Johnny darter, 1. 

August 2, afternoon. Stations 380 to 390, in the Outlet be- 
tween the two lakes, over the same grounds as Nos. 313 to 327. 
Air, 82 ; water, 83.5 to 84 ; depth 2 feet or less; seine, 15-foot. 

Catch : Bluegill, 307 and many young ; straw bass, 152 ; small- 
mouth black bass, 17; warmouth, 15; red-eared sunfish, 12; rock 
bass, 8 ; grass pike, 4 ; mud minnow, 2 ; calico bass, 1 ; least darter, 
1 ; Fundulus dispar, 1 ; green sunfish, 2. 

August 3, afternoon. Stations 391 to 395, beginning in front 
of Arlington thence southward. Air 84 ; water 80 ; depth 4 feet 
and under ; seine, 120-foot. 

Catch : Yellow perch, 243 ; bluegill, 85 ; log perch, 125 ; small- 
mouth black bass, 49 ; reck bass, 36 ; grayback minnow, 41 ; straw 
bass, 46 ; blunt-nose minnow, 2. 

August 4, afternoon. Stations 396 to 422. First 6 hauls 
southward from Green's pier, the next in the marsh about Norris 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 247 

Inlet, and the remaining ones (Nos. 411 to 422) in Aubeenaubee 
Creek. Air 83 ; water, 84.5 to 85.5 in the lake, 72 to 73 in 
the creek ; depth, 2 feet and under ; seine, 25-foot in lake, 15-foot in 
creek. 

Catch in the lake : Yellow perch, 52 ; log perch, 30 ; bluegill, 25 ; 
straw bass, 21 ; small-mouth black bass, 12 ; grayback minnow, 46 ; 
blunt-nose minnow, 8; skipjack, 1; pumpkinseed, 1; Johnny darter, 
1 ; yellow cat, 2. In marsh : Mud minnow, 11 ; grass pike, 2. In 
creek: Creek chub, 57; mud minnow, 10; grass pike, 9; chub 
sucker, 1 ; silverside, 1 ; straw bass, 2 ; Maxinkuckee darter, 1 ; 
Aubeenaubee darter, 11; rotgut minnow, 7. Crawfish and frogs 
abundant. 

August 7, 2 : 15 to 3 :00 p. m. Stations 423 to 426, the first two 
hauls between Norris pier and Norris Inlet, the other two near 
Fulton's pier. Air 76 ; water 80 ; depth 6 feet and under; seine, 
125-foot. 

Catch : Bluegill, 401 ; log perch, 576 ; yellow perch, 111 ; small- 
mouth black bass, 147; straw bass, 48; skipjack, 73; grayback min- 
now, 50 ; calico bass, 7 ; rock bass, 10 ; pumpkinseed, 3 ; Johnny 
darter, 1. 

August 10, 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. Stations 427 to 433, on east 
side of Long Point from the Armstrong to the Scovell cottage. Air 
83 ; water 79 ; morning foggy following heavy rain the day be- 
fore ; depth, 2 feet and under ; seine, 15-foot. 

Catch : Grayback minnow, 74 ; skipjack, about 100 ; rock bass, 
23; bluegill, 16; yellow perch, 40; Notropis heterodon, 11; Iowa 
darter, 12; Johnny darter, 12; straw bass, 8; log perch, 8; straw- 
colored minnow, 6 ; blunt-nose minnow, 1 ; small-mouth bass, 1. 

August 11, morning. Stations 434 to 439, on east side of Long 
Point from the Meyer to the Armstrong cottage. Air 87 ; water 
81 ; depth 2 feet and under; seine, 15-foot. Catch: Skipjack, about 
1,000; bluegill, 135; yellow perch, 108; grayback minnow, 58; 
straw bass, 30 ; Iowa darter, 38 ; rock bass, 29 ; Johnny darter, 4 ; 
small-mouth black bass, 4; log perch, 1. 

September 6, afternoon. Stations 440 to 447, in Outlet between 
the two lakes. Air, 70 ; water, 74 ; seine, 15-foot. Catch: Blue- 
gill, about 250; least darter, 26; straw bass, 22; warmouth, 24; 
Fundulus dispar, 25 ; skipjack, 6 ; green sunfish, 3 ; yellow cat, 2 ; 
pumpkinseed, 1 ; Notropis heterodon, 2 ; grass pike, 1. 

July 17, 1900. 1:00 to 2:30 p. m. Stations 448 to 451, also 
460, from Fish Commission pier south to below the first Scirpus 
patch, 452 to 459, from Arlington pier north to the linden tree. 
Air, 77 ; water, 77 ; depth 3 feet and under; seine, 25-foot. 



248 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Catch : Yellow perch, 196 ; bluegill, 141 ; grayback minnow, 
96; skipjack, 81; Notropis heterodon, 64; small-mouth black bass, 
34 ; straw bass, 34 ; pumpkinseed, 25 ; Johnny darter, 7 ; log perch, 
5 ; rock bass, 3 ; mad torn, 1. 

The 'oass ^ small- and large-mouth) were each about 2 inches 
long (some only 13/16 inch) and were doubtless present year 
brood : The yellow perch, bluegills, rock bass, log perch and skip- 
jacks were nearly all of the present year's brood. 

July 18, 2 :30 to 3 :30 p. m. Stations 461 to 467, at south end 
from Overmyer's spring west to small brook coming out of Over- 
myer's woods. Air, 74 ; water, 79. Seine, 30-foot. 

Catch: Bluegill, 58; small-mouth black bass, 39; straw bass, 
25 ; yellow perch, many ; grayback minnow, many ; Notropis heter- 
odon, several ; rock bass, 4 ; Johnny darter, 2 ; Iowa darter, 1 ; skip- 
jack, 1; blunt-nose minnow, 6; common bullhead, 1. 

The small-mouth bass were all approximately of the same size 
and averaged 1 inches long. The one straw bass saved measured 
1 inches long. The two rock bass measured were 1| and 1.06 
inches long, and the yellow perch averaged 1 inches. All of these 
were evidently of the 1900 brood. The graybacks averaged 
2.34 inches and 6 examples of Notropis heterodon, 2.34 inches. The 
examples of these two species were probably 2 or 3 years old. 

July 19, 2 :30 to 4 :30 p. m. Stations 468 to 481, from Murray's 
to Farrar's. Air, 80 ; water, 79 ; seine, 30-foot. 

Catch: Small-mouth black bass, 175; log perch, 25; straw 
bass, 18; grayback minnow, 13; yellow perch, 12; rock bass, 3; 
skipjack, 2 large schools of young (hauls 473 and 474) ; straw-col- 
ored minnow, 46; Iowa darter, 2. 

August 7, 11:30 to 12:00 m. Stations 482 and 483, at Fish 
Commission pier. Air, 89 ; water, 82 ; seine, 45-foot. 

Catch: Bluegill, 50; yellow perch, several; log perch, many; 
straw bass, few; small-mouth black bass, few. Some of the blue- 
gills were large. 

August 9, 9:00 p.m. Stations 484 and 485, at Fish Commis- 
sion pier, with 45-foot seine. Air, 85 ; water, 82. Catch: Blue- 
gill, many ; rock bass, common ; yellow perch, common ; straw bass, 
small-mouth black bass, log perch, straw-colored minnow, blunt- 
nose minnow, skipjack and grayback minnow, few; walleyed pike, 
one 10-inch example. 

August 10, 9:00 p. m. Station 486, at Fish Commission sta- 
tion, with 120-foot seine. Air, 85; water, 80. Catch: Bluegill, 
abundant ; rock bass and yellow perch, few large and many young ; 
straw bass, small-mouth black bass, log perch, straw-colored min- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 249 

now, blunt-nose minnow, skipjack and grayback minnow, few; and 
one 10-inch walleyed pike. 

August 14, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Stations 487 to 506, in 
Aubeenaubee Creek from near source to mouth, with 15-foot seine. 
Air, 70; water, 63 to 66. 

Catch: Creek chub, a few in nearly every haul; mud min- 
now, from 1 to many in each of 6 hauls; yellow perch, from 2 to 
a few in each of 5 hauls ; rotgut minnow, a few in each of 9 hauls ; 
Aubeenaubee darter, a few in each of 2 hauls ; straw bass, 4 young ; 
small-mouth black bass, 2 ; bluegill, 1 young ; silverside, 1 ; blunt- 
nose minnow, 1 ; grass pike, 1 ; black-nose dace, 2. 

August 16, 2 :30 to 4 :30 p. m. Stations 507 to 528, in Norris 
Inlet beginning near its source and proceeding down stream, with 
15-foot seine. Air, 72. 

Catch: No record was kept of the number of specimens 
taken; the record shows only the species taken at each haul. In 
the following summary the figure following each species name in- 
dicates the number of hauls at which one or more specimens of that 
species were taken: Bluegill, 6; silverside, 11; mud minnow, 8; 
straw bass, 7 ; creek chub, 4 ; yellow perch, 4 ; yellow cat, 6 ; pump- 
kinseed, 2; small-mouth black bass, 1; grass pike, 3; crawfish, 6; 
frogs, 5; shells, 2. 

August 17, 3 :30 to 4 :30 p. m. Stations 529 to 539, in Culver 
Inlet from near its source to first lagoon. Air, 91. 

The following species were taken in the number of hauls indi- 
cated: Bluegill, 2; straw bass, 3; silverside, 8; yellow cat, 3; 
yellow perch, 1 ; long-nosed gar, 2 ; black-nosed dace, 1 ; white 
sucker, 1 ; mud minnow, 2 ; hornyhead chub, 1 ; chub sucker, 1 ; 
rotgut minnow, 1. 

At 8 p. m. on August 18, two hauls were made at the Fish Com- 
mission pier with the 15-foot seine, catching many skipjacks, sev- 
eral straw bass, black bass, bluegills, log perch, Iowa darters, 
Johnny darters, grayback minnows, rock bass, and yellow perch. 

August 21, 3:10 to 5:00 p.m. Stations 540 to 563. Air, 65 
to 81 ; water 76 to 84. Nos. 540 to 554 were in Culver Inlet 
from the bend east of the Academy grounds to the mouth at the 
Academy pier. Mud bottom everywhere with much marsh gas. 
Vegetation abundant; Potamogeton natans, Ceratophyllum, Phil- 
otria, and water-cress. 

The species gotten in this part of the creek were, in order of 
abundance, bluegill, straw-colored minnow, roach, yellow perch, 
straw bass, pumpkinseed, chub sucker, warmouth, rock bass, yel- 
low cat, grass pike, white sucker, small-mouth black bass, silver- 



250 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

side, creek chub, blunt-nose minnow, skipjack, stone-roller, com- 
mon bullhead, and Johnny darter. There were also crawfish, 
painted turtles, snapping turtles, map turtles, and water-dogs. 
Nos. 555 to 559 were in the Outlet between the railroad bridge and 
Lost Lake; Nos. 560 and 561 in northwest corner of Lost Lake at 
the boat landing; Nos. 562 and 563 on west side of Lost Lake just 
south of Hawk's barn. 

The following is the list of fishes obtained, in order of abund- 
ance : Bluegill, skipjack, rock bass, pumpkinseed, warmouth, chub 
sucker, straw bass, small-mouth black bass, yellow perch, grass 
pike, common bullhead, least darter, red-eared sunfish, Fundulus 
dispar, and several painted turtles. 

August 23, 7 : 00 to 8 : 45 a. m. Stations 564 to 575, from Fish 
Commission station southward, with 35- and 20-foot seines. Air, 
70 to 78; water, 80. Cloudy, calm and threatening in morn- 
ing, strong puffy wind at 10 a. m. and lake rough. 

The species obtained, in order of abundance, were: Bluegill, 
straw-colored minnow, blunt-nose minnow, satinfin, log perch, Iowa 
darter, Johnny darter, yellow perch, small-mouth black bass, straw 
bass, grayback minnow, rock bass, skipjack, and pumpkinseed. 
The Iowa darters and Johnny darters were near shore, the log 
perch a little farther out, quite abundant and very fine. 

August 25, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Stations 576 to 585, in the outlet 
below Lost Lake at the old millsite. Air, 84 ; water, 77. 

Catch: Bluegill, 80; pumpkinseed, 29; Fundulus disbar, 20; 
Iowa darter, 11; chub sucker, 9; straw bass, 4; skipjack, 4; com- 
mon bullhead, 3 ; roach, 3 ; small-mouth black bass, 2. 

September 20, 8 :30 to 9 :30 p. m. Stations 586 to 595, in front 
of Fish Commission station with 25- and 45-foot seines. Air, 
71; water, 67. 

Fish very abundant, the following species taken: Bluegill, 
numerous small ones; yellow perch, many small and a few large; 
skipjack, many small; rock bass, a few large and many small; 
calico bass, 5 ; straw-colored minnow, few ; grayback minnow, few ; 
mad torn, few; walleyed pike, one very large and 2 smaller ones; 
white sucker, 2 large ones; dogfish, one large male; a few small 
crawfish ; one large bullfrog ; one large map turtle. 

September 22, 6 : 45 to 7 : 35 a. m. Stations 596 to 600, between 
Fish Commission station and first Scirpus patch south. Air, 52 ; 
water, 65. Sky with light clouds; slight northwest breeze; lake 
smooth. Seines, 15- and 25-foot. 

Catch: Log perch, many; small-mouth black bass, several; 
skipjack, straw bass, rock bass, yellow perch, bluegill and Iowa 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 251 

darter, a few young of each ; Johnny darter, 1 ; map turtle, 1 young ; 
crawfish, 5. 

October 23, forenoon. Stations, 601 to 607, in upper half of 
Outlet, in open water with 25-foot seine. Air, 65 ; water, 64. 

Catch: Straw bass, a great many (75 in first haul), each 4 to 
6 inches long, a few larger; bluegill, many small ones; warmouth, 
several; red-eared sunfish, many, medium size; pumpkinseed, 3 
small ones; rock bass, 5 young; grass pike, 2 young; mud min- 
now, 1 ; Fundulus dispar, 3 ; Johnny darter, Iowa darter, and least 
darter, several of each; yellow cat, several young. Also a few 
larval salamanders and cricket frogs. 

November 28, morning. Stations 608 and 609, with 15-foot 
seine, in front of Barnes cottage just north of Arlington pier, for 
skipjacks of which about 2 gallons were caught. With them were 
a few small straw-colored minnows and blunt-nose minnows. 

Besides the more or less regular seining operations detailed in 
the preceding paragraphs, considerable miscellaneous seining was 
done at odd times for diverse specific purposes, among which may 
be mentioned getting material for studies of structure, fish-food, 
parasites, growth, spawning, enemies, coloration, variation, asso- 
ciation and distribution. In these cases the seine hauls were not 
recorded in the regular series and, usually, only those matters 
especially under consideration were noted. 

This miscellaneous seining, however, yielded much valuable 
data on many of these questions. 

Late in the summer and early fall many hauls were made at 
night, chiefly with a short seine and in shallow water along the east 
side of Long Point. These operations demonstrated that there is 
a general inshore movement at night, not only of the carnivorous 
species but of other kinds as well; and many of the fishes caught 
were of large size. Among those that were frequent in these night 
catches were large-mouth bass, small-mouth black bass, dogfish, 
walleyed pike, white sucker and water-dogs. All of these except 
the sucker evidently come in shore at night to feed on the smaller 
fry abundant in shallow water, as was demonstrated by an exam- 
ination of many stomachs. 

Late in the fall and early winter considerable seining was done 
with a small seine in shallow water both in the day time and at 
night for the purpose of securing study material of the small min- 
nows which it was discovered congregate in vast schools at that 
season. Some of these great schools, consisting of thousands of 
fish, were found to be made up chiefly of straw-colored minnows 
with fewer of the variable-toothed minnow, a few of the Cayuga 



252 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

minnow and a few grayback minnows ; other schools would be com- 
posed of grayback minnows almost entirely, and still others of 
skipjacks. 

Gill-nets: Several gill-nets were used in July, 1899, but, as the 
results were chiefly negative, their use was discontinued at the end 
of that month. 

Nets of 2, 2 and 3} inch (bar) mesh were used. The nets 
were tried in various places, in water of different depths, at dif- 
ferent depths (sometimes at the surface, and again at intermediate 
depths), and under diverse conditions. The conclusion reached 
after a month's trial was that the results obtained did not justify 
the time and labor involved. Only 4 different species of fishes were 
taken in the gill-nets ; these, in order of numbers taken, were straw 
bass, yellow perch, walleyed pike and long-nosed gar. The bass 
were of moderate size (from to H Ibs.), the perch were all of 
good size, the single walleyed pike weighed 2 pounds, and the single 
gar was 27 inches long. 

The coarse-mesh net caught nothing ; the 2-inch mesh was most 
effective. 

The majority of the fish caught were in nets set in shallow 
water; none was caught as deep as 25 feet. The nets set at the 
edge of bars or deep holes were the ones in which fish were most 
often taken. Those set near the surface yielded more than when 
set deeper in the same water. More fish were caught at night than 
during the day. 

One of the principal objects in using gill-nets was to determine 
whether the Tippecanoe Cisco (Leucichthys sisco) inhabits this 
lake. The tests seemed to demonstrate that it does not. 

Set-lines: A number of tests were made with set-lines, chiefly 
in the south part of the lake and in Lost Lake. It was desired to 
know what species could be taken in this manner, the most suitable 
places for each, the best kinds of bait, the best season, etc. 

Only negative results were obtained in deep water, and usually 
in all other places except on muddy bottom. The only species 
caught were yellow cat, common bullhead cat, dogfish, rock bass, 
water-dog, snapping turtle, soft-shell turtle, map turtle and musk 
turtle. The catfish could generally be taken in considerable num- 
bers on mud or marl bottom, especially in Lost Lake. Many water- 
dogs and turtles also were taken in the same and similar places. 
Only a few dogfish were caught. 

Various kinds of bait were used, the principal ones being beef, 
liver, mussel, crawfish, and cut fish. Liver seemed best, though all 
were effective. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 253 

The interesting fact is that none of the basses (except rock 
bass) or perches was taken by this means. 

Traps: Various sorts of minnow traps were used to some ex- 
tent. The results were unimportant. Necessarily only small 
fishes could be caught in this way, and, as the traps were set at 
some pier, only those shallow water species frequenting such places 
entered the traps. These, approximately in order of abundance, 
were the straw-colored minnow, blunt-nosed minnow, grayback, 
young yellow perch, skipjack, Johnny darter, young bluegills and 
young rock bass. 

Dredging: One of the most important parts of the investiga- 
tion of the lake was the dredging. It is to the work of the dredge 
that we owe much of our knowledge of the character of the bot- 
tom; indeed, all our knowledge of the deeper parts except what 
could be inferred from such portions of mud as adhered to the 
sounding-lead. It is also to the dredge that we owe all our knowl- 
edge of the character and distribution of the flora of the lake ex- 
cept in the very shallow portions about shore, and all we know 
about many animals mollusks, insect larvae and crustaceans 
which escape other means of capture, such as the seines near 
shore and the plankton nets at the different plankton stations 
and at the surface. The dredge covered a greater amount of 
territory and yielded a larger assemblage of objects and data than 
was furnished by any other implement except the seine. It is not 
only material, but also conditions that are revealed by the opera- 
tions of the dredge; and what was learned of the winter behavior 
of the plants and animals of the lake was obtained chiefly by the 
use of this valuable instrument. 

Indeed, so multifarious are the lines of investigation in which 
the dredge is used, that the instrument is to a considerable extent 
concealed behind its work, and, unlike those instruments used but 
for a single end, such as the thermometer to take temperatures, the 
seine to capture fishes, the plankton nets to collect minute organ- 
isms, etc., it is not always recognized at its full value or associated 
in mind with all the results it accomplished or helps accomplish. 
It is, therefore, well to call attention to the fact that not only this 
brief chapter on dredging, but also the greater part of what has 
been written concerning the lake bottom, nearly all relating to lake 
botany, and much concerning food of fishes, and of the ecology of 
the lake, are due to the operations of this useful instrument. 

Of the immense number of dredge hauls made, many need not 
be specifically considered in this discussion, either because the re- 
sults obtained have been fully treated elsewhere in connection with 



254 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

the consideration of the lake bottom or of aquatic botany or the 
various other subjects mentioned above, or because they are so 
similar to others given as general types that their repetition would 
be monotonous without giving any additional information; they 
serve the important but not spectacular function of confirming 
and witnessing to the facts presented in the typical hauls. 

A good deal of the dredging in shallow water in such places as 
Outlet Bay, the Norris Inlet region, the Weedpatch, etc., was ac- 
complished by means of a common garden rake, which was used 
principally during the winter through holes cut in the ice. The 
rake is not well adapted for use from a boat during the summer, 
as the manipulation of it requires the use of both hands, and the 
boat answers too readily to any pull to enable one to get much pur- 
chase on objects in the bottom. Two men in a boat, one at the oars 
and one with the rake can, however, accomplish a good deal in 
shallow water. When operated either through holes in the ice or 
from a boat, the rake is useful only in rather shallow water. By 
fastening a splice to the handle one can work 10 to 12-foot depths 
fairly well, but beyond this the rake becomes too unwieldy; the 
handle is too buoyant to allow one to force the rake-head down to 
the bottom, and too flexible to work the rake satisfactorily when 
down. 

The rake was used extensively during the winter of 1900-1901 
and again in 1904. By its means the condition and behavior of 
the lake plants during the winter were observed, the kinds of soil 
adhering to their roots noted, and, by washing the plants out in 
water and straining the resulting liquid, numerous important 
forms, amphipods, isopods, crawfishes, small mollusks, caddis cases 
with the enclosed larvae, damsel- and dragon-fly larvae, leeches, 
worms, and protozoa were obtained. Various species of darters 
(Etheostoma iowse; Boleosoma nigrum) mad toms (Schilbeodes 
gyrinus) , Sticklebacks (Eucalia inconstans), and the young of 
many of the game and food-fishes (bluegill, rock bass, etc.) which 
were among the weeds feeding upon the insect larvae and amphipods 
were also captured in the entangled masses of weeds. 

For deep water and for summer work various forms of dredges 
were used, one of the most effective consisting of a sort of double- 
toothed comb made by fastening together a series of parallel pieces 
of moderately heavy strap-iron (like that used for tires of light 
wagons). The pieces of strap-iron, about 18 inches long, with a 
hole drilled through the center of each, and 2 crosspieces of simi- 
lar strap-iron, one on each side, were riveted to these parallel 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 255 

pieces, which became the teeth. The teeth were sharpened and 
bent in the form of a half circle. A ring was fastened to each 
end of the crosspieces and to these the dredge-rope was fastened. 
The resulting dredge, let down to the bottom, was certain to land 
on one side or the other, and, like the cant hook of the logger's 
camp, was sure to take hold of whatever it touched, and almost al- 
ways brought up something. 

Below is given, in tabulated form, a record of various dredge 
hauls and their results. In the first table, an attempt is made, by 
selecting from a large series of records and arranging in sequence 
of depth, to give the results obtained by hauls at different depths, 
proceeding from 1 to 3 feet deep to water 85 feet, close to the 
greatest depth to be found in the lake. 

These tables serve to show in detail what, of course, was well 
known in a general way, that the greater number of forms, both 
plant and animal, are most abundant in the shallow water, the first 
few feet near the surface containing the great majority of organ- 
isms in the lake, the deeper waters being comparatively tenantless. 
Only 2 living forms descend to the greatest depths; one a "red- 
worm" or Chironomus larva, which comes up to near the surface 
during the night to obtain air. This is one of the most attractive 
and highly prized tidbits of the various fishes of the lake, and can 
retire into the depths beyond the pursuit of the most adventurous. 
The other organism is a species of Sphserium. How it can live 
in these depths where the water is devoid of oxygen is a mystery. 
In this connection attention may be called to the habits of a species 
of Sphserium found in the woodland ponds near the lake. These 
ponds are dry during the greater portion of the year, and at this 
time the Sphserium remains among the moist leaves of the bottom, 
apparently in the condition of suspended animation. The two hab- 
its, one manifested above the lake surface and the other far below, 
are apparently quite similar. 

The following is a brief resume of the life at different depths, 
as shown by the dredging and tables: 

From 1 to 14 feet, the great mass of life, both plant and animal, 
of the lake; 24-25 feet, lower limit of plant growth, Nitella being 
the only plant found in any abundance at 25 feet ; 30-35 feet, lower 
limit of nearly all animal life except the 2 organisms mentioned 
above ; lower limit of Vivipara contectoides, one of the most abund- 
ant and widely distributed organisms of the lake. 



17-17618 



256 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



TABLE OF DREDGING AND RESULTS 



Depth 
in feet 


No. of 
haul 


Date 


Locality 


Apparatus 


Results 


1-3 




Oct. 22, 1904 


Off from ice- 












houses 


Rake 


Bottom; dark, soft, marl. 
Plants; winter buds of ditch moss (Philotria), 
hornwort (Ceratophyllum), and stolons of 
wild celery. (Vallisneria), much green 
algae, and Chara, the Chara mostly brown 
but with bright green bits here and there. 
Animals; isopods abundant; leeches common; 
amphipods numerous; large dragon-fly larvae 
common; various mollusks, such as Ancylus, 
Vivipara contectoides, old and young,(^ Plan- 
orbis exacuttis; there were a few crawfishes, 
(Cambarus propinquus). 


1-3 




Oct. 31, 1904 


Off from ice- 






1-3 




Jan. 12, 1901 


houses 
Outlet Bay . 


Rake 
Rake 


Bottom; dark, soft, marly. 
Vegetation; much as above; chiefly C/.ora k and 
leaves of wild celery. 
Animals; Pisidium, Sphcerium, Planorbis, and 
Isopods in abundance; some Hydrachnids; 
Ancylus found attached to the leaves of wild 
celery. 
Bottom; dark, soft, marly. 












Plants; Stout Naias (Naias flexilin robusta), 
hornwort, milfoil, shining pondweed (Pot- 
amogeton lucens), large-leaved pondweed (P. 
amplifolius), all green; Chara, mostly brown 
and dead-looking but with bright ; green 
shoots. 
Animals; Iowa darters, various gastropods, 
several crawfishes and numerous leathery 
caddis-cases, the latter elongate and attached 
to weeds. 


3-4 


Many 
hauls 


Various 


Near Norris 
Inlet 


Rake 


Bottom; black, peaty. 






(November 
and 
December.) 
Winter of 1904. 






Plants; principally Chara. 
Animals; gastropods of vaiious sorts Gonio- 
basis, Planorbis, etc.; fishes Iowa darteis, 
mad toms (Schilbeodfs gyrinus), young cat- 
fishes (Ameiurus nebulcsus), a few stickle- 
backs (Eucalia inconstans) , and numerous 
young bluegills (Lepcmis pallidus), about \Yi 
to 2 inches long, and crawfishes, the animals 
being all tangled up in the weeds. 


5 


14 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Near 
Murray's . . 


Dredge 


Plants; Chara. 
Animals; 2 crawfishes, 1 banded snail (Vivi- 
para contectoides), Bryozoan (Plumatella 
polymorpha), 2 gastropods. 


10 




Nov 18 1904 


Off Depot 












Pier 


Rake 


Plants; water marigold (Mcialodonta beckii), 












green; Philotria with dense winter buds, Cer- 
atophyllum loose (not compacted into winter 
buds), Small Potamogeton amplifolius. 
Animals; Plumatella polymorpha attached to 
the Potamogeton. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 257 



TABLE OF DREDGING AND RESULTS Continued 



Depth 
in feet 


No. ol 

haul 


Date 


Locality 


Apparatus 


Results 


10 


12 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Buliushes 












from off 












Murray's. . 


Dredge .... 


Animals; 14 living, 6 dead, Vnipara contectoides, 












4 living Sphcerium, 4 Physa, 2 P!anorbis, 5 












long gastropods (Goniobasis?), 2 crawfishes, 












2 unios. 


10 


13 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Near 












Murray's . . 


Dredge 


Animals; 4 crawfishes; 11 V. contectoides; 6 liv- 








' 




ing gastropods, 2 living Spharium; 1 young 












living Physa; 1 Iowa darter. 


10 


33 


Aug. 24, 1899 


Top of Sugar- 












loaf Bar . . . 


Dredge 


Plants; much vegetation, weeds, etc. 












Animals; many living Vivipara and other gas- 












tropods. 


12-18 


24 


Aug. 16, 1899 


End of Bar 












Buoy 


Dredge 


Plants; Chara; much weed. 


JO-20 


28 


Aug. 23, 1899 


South side 












of Sugar- 












loaf 


Dredge 


Bottom; some fine marl. 












Animals; 11 large mussels, 5 of them alive. 












Haul chiefly of broken shells, representing 












all the common species, V. contectoides, long 












black gastropods, and Planorbis being very 












common. 


16-14 




Aug. 6, 1900 


South end of 












lake east 












side of 












Kettlehole. 


Dredge . ... 


Plants; Potomogeton and Naias. 












Animals; mud minnow (Umbra limi). Two 












other Umbra were obtained a few days 












earlier in a similar place. 


18 


18 


Aug. 15, 1899 


"25-ft. hole". 


Dredge 


Plants; much weed (Myriophyllum). 












Animals; a few decayed shells of Planorbis and 












Sphcerium, 


20 


1 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Hole off 












Gravelpit. . 


Dredge 


Bottom; mud. 












Plants; weeds. 












Animals; nothing living; a few dead shells. 


20 


7 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Bar north of 












85-ft. hole.. 


Dredge 


Animals; The following shells, all dead and 












more or less decayed: Vivipara contectoides; 












many Sphcerium; Planorbis, Phyna; 1 Anodonta. 












Living animals 6 red worms (Chironomus 












lance) and 15 living Sphcerium. 


26-24 


21 


Aug. 16, 1899 


Flatiron 












bar buoy . . 


Dredge 


Bottom; marl. 












Animals; 1 Unio, empty and, broken shells 












representing all varieties; numerous red 


i 










worms; some living Sphcerium. 



258 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



TABLE OF DREDGING AND RESULTS Continued 



Depth 
in feet 


No. of 
haul 


Date 


Locality 


Apparatus 


Results 


27-26 


26 


Aug. 16, 1899 


Station 












where Far 












rar line 












crosses bar 


Dredge 


Chiefly broken shells. 


20-30 


32 


Aug. 24, 1899 


North side 












of Sugar- 












loaf bar 


Dredge 


Bottom; chiefly gravel (rough, not rounded), 












ranging from stones the size of hen's eggs 












down to very small sand. 












Animals; 1 red worm, some broken V. contec- 












toides, several Spharium. 


31 


15 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Near Kettle- 












hole 


Dredge 


Animals; dead V. contectoides, Sphcerium and 












black sharp gastropods; 1 living Spharium, 


35 


11 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Kettlehole. . . 


Dredge 


Bottom; much mud. 












Plants; none living; a few leaves. 












Animals; a white worm ; 3 dead V. contectoides. 


33-38 


25 


Aug. 16, 1899 


Along bar 












from buoy 


Dredge 


Animals; chiefly dead and broken shells; dead 












and empty V. contectoides, Planorbis, Physa, 












Sphcerium, and black sharp gastropods. Some 












living Sphcerium; 7 red worms. No plants 












but a few bits of leaf. 


40 


10 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Kettlehole.. 


Dredge 


Animals; dead shells, V. contectoides, Planorbis, 












and Physa. 


40-50 


9 


Aug. 14, 1899 


W. of 85-ft. 












buoy, off 












Long Point 


Dredge 


Plants; none; several dead leaves. 












Animals; dead Sphcerium; 1 dead V. conteit- 












oides; 28 living Sphnrium; 2 red worms. 


50 


17 


Aug. 15, 1899 


Channel in 












front of 












Arlington . . 


Dredge 


Plants; none, some dead oak leaves. 












Animals; numerous Sphcerium, some dead V. 












contectoides; 4 red worms. 


60 


8 


Aug. 14, 1899 


W. of 85-ft. 












buoy 


Dredge 


Plants; none; a few dead leaves. 












Animals; 1 dead gastropod; 1 red worm; 25 












living Spharium. 


70-85 


5 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Near Deep 












Hole 


Dredge 


Plants; none; some black, dead leaves. 












Animals; living Sphcerium several; 6 red worms. 


80-85 


4 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Near Deep 












Hole 


Dredge 


Animals; Sphcerium, many dead; a few dead 












V. contectoides and Planorbis; 1 red worm. 


80-85 


3 


Aug. 14, 1899 


Near Deep 












Hole 


Dredge 


Animals; many dead Sphcerium, 2 living ones; 












1 red worm. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 259 



Series of correlated hauls: In addition to the above tabulated 
hauls, the records of which were selected out of a large list and so 
arranged as to show as far as possible gradually increasing depths, 
the following table is given of certain sets of hauls made in series, 
beginning in deeper water and gradually working toward shal- 
lower places. On account of irregularities of the lake bottom there 
are, of course, certain numbers in the series which appear out of 
place. 

SERIES I 

The hauls of Series I were made by using drag-hooks between 
bars on a line 40 rods north of the center of Section 22, August 
22, 1900. 



Haul 


Depth in feet 


Results 


1 


25-22 


Nothing. 


2 


25-24 


A little Nitella. 


3 


24-20 


Nitella and several 


Vivipara contectoides. 




4 


22-18 


Nitella abundant; Vivipara, especially young ones, abundant. 


5 


18-16 


Some Nitella; some Potamogeton robbinsii; a few Vitipara. 


6 


16-12 


Potamogeton robbinsii; P. compressus; Philotria; Vallisntria and a good 
Vivipara. 


deal of 


7 


10-8 


Chara. 


8 


10-8 


Potamogeton robbint 


ii; Ceratophyllum; Chara; few Vivipara. 




9 


7 


On a bar; marl bottom; little vegetation; some short Chara and a little Pota- 
mogeton lucens. 



SERIES II 



A second series of dredge-hauls, made on the same date and in 
the same general locality, is represented by the following table : 



No. of haul 


Depth in feet 


Results 


20 


26-22 


A little Nitella. 


21 


22-13 


Potamogeton robbinsii; Chara; 
tectoides. 


a little Naias; a little Vallisneria; 


Vivipara con- 


22 


20-16 


Potamogeton robbinsii; P. lucen 


s; Philotria; Vivipara, 2. 




23 


10 


Chara abundant; Potamogeton robbinsii abundant: P. amplifolius 
lisneria, Myriophyllum, and Naias a little; Potamogeton lucens; 
tectoides several. 


a little; Val- 
Vivipara con- 



260 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



SERIES III 



This table records a series of hauls made with a drag on east 
and west half section line, section 22, and east of the middle of 
the same section in water between shore bar and lake bar, dragging 
toward the lake bar. 



No. of haul 


Depth in feet 


Results 


1 


25-22 


Mud bottom, Nitella abundant, covered with young gastropods, probably 
Vivipara contectoides; 1 large V. contectoides and 1 small bivalve. No plants 
except the Niiella. 


2 


22-18 


Mud bottom, chiefly Ceratophyllum and some Nitella; no other plants; several 
moderate sized V. contectoides and a few small ones. 


3 


20-18 


Mud bottom, Nitella plentiful, with several plants of Ceratophyllum and 1 of 
Potamogeton; several young gastropods, some evidently V. contectcidts. 


4 


22-19 


Mud bottom, chiefly Ceratophyllum; a good deal Nitella and 2 stems Potamo 
geton compressu?; plenty of V. contectoides; 1 red worm. 


5 


18-17 


Chiefly Ceratophyllum; some Nitella; a little Potamogeton compressus and P. 
robbinsii; V. contectoides common. 


6 


17-15 


Ceratophyllum, abundant; Potamogeton sp., a good deal; P. robbinsii, common; 
Naias, Philotria and Chara, a little; plenty of V. contectoid(s; 1 red worm. 


7 


15-14 


SteTi of Potamogeton sp. 


8 


14-12 


Plenty of- P. compressus; some Vallisneria; a little Myriophyllum; two other 
species of Potamogeton. 


9 


12 


P. compressvs, plentiful; Naias fleiilis robus'.a, plentiful; Vallisneria, little; P. 
robbinsii, little; Myriiphyllum , little. 


10 


12-10 


P. compressus, common; P. perfoliatus, few plants, in fruit; Potamogeton sp; 
few. 


11 


10 


Nearly all P. compressus. 



CONDITIONS FAVORABLE TO FISH-LIFE 

The physical and biological conditions obtaining at Lake Max- 
inkuckee are favorable in an unusual degree to the development of 
fish-life ; they are sufficiently diversified to provide suitable environ- 
ments for species possessing widely different habits. The lake- 
bed varies, in different places, all the way from soft black mud and 
decaying vegetation through clay, marl, fine sand, coarse sand, and 
fine gravel to coarse gravel and glacial boulders. In the littoral the 
bottom, though usually of hard, compact sand and gravel, is, in 
places, of softer material or very boggy. The depth of water 
ranges from a few inches to 89 feet. There is a considerable area 
of water exceeding 40 feet in depth, and there is a very great area 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 261 

of bars on which the depth is 20 feet or less, and these are dis- 
tributed about the lake most advantageously. The water appears 
to be of the best, as to purity, clearness, and temperature; it is 
warm enough to meet the needs of many species which thrive in 
warmer water, and cold enough for cold water species. The only 
important known limitation lies in the absence of absorbed oxygen 
in the depths, which necessarily bars the lake to deepwater species, 
such as the lake trout. 

The biological environment appears to be equally well adapted 
to support a varied and abundant fish life. The plankton (both 
holophytic and holozoic) is adequate both in quantity and quality; 
its composition seems almost ideal, and its distribution appears 
to be that which will meet the needs of the fishes in the highest 
measure. 

The larger plants are also well selected as to species and abund- 
ance; most of them are certainly helpful in one way or another. 
Animals of various kinds, many of them useful to fishes and few 
of them harmful, are present. There are many species of mollusks, 
many of crustaceans, and a good number of batrachians and rep- 
tiles. Aquatic birds, as ducks, coots and grebes, are common, and 
to be sure, not always helpful to fish-life, but, on the other hand, 
not wholly harmful. Natural enemies of fishes are not numerous 
nor very destructive. The purity of the water probably has much 
to do with keeping the fishes resistant to disease. 

Favorable situations for spawning grounds are numerous. 
There are reedy shallows for pickerel, pike, yellow perch, and the 
like ; sandy and gravelly areas near shore for darters, various min- 
nows, and sunfishes of various kinds ; bars of moderate depth well 
suited to bass, bluegills, walleyed pike and yellow perch; and a 
great range of situations in which most of the other species find 
conditions favorable to their eggs and young. 

In the following systematic account of the fishes of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee, we have endeavored to treat each species somewhat fully, 
so that anyone using this report will be able to acquire the general 
facts in its life history and to be able to distinguish the different 
species, one from another. A statement as to the known geogra- 
phic distribution of each is given, followed by remarks on its dis- 
tribution and habits in Lake Maxinkuckee as made known to us 
through our studies in that region, and finally by a relatively non- 
technical description which, it is believed, will enable anyone using 
the book to identify the species occurring here. 

The total number of species of fishes known from Lake Maxin- 
kuckee and its immediately connecting waters is 64. Of this num- 



262 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

bar, 59 are known to occur in the lake proper and its small inlets, 
the remaining 5 species being found in Lost Lake and the outlet 
immediately below. 

This is a considerably greater number of species of fishes than 
is known from any other small lake in the world. For purposes of 
comparison, the following figures are given : 

There are known from the entire basin of the Great Lakes 
152 species ; from Lake Ontario, 73 ; from the St. Lawrence River 
and its tributaries, 71 ; from Lake Champlain and tributary waters, 
54 ; from Chautauqua Lake, 31 ; from Cayuga Lake, 59 ; from Tur- 
key Lake, Indiana, 29 ; from Eagle Lake, Indiana, 41 ; from Clear 
Lake, California, 13 ; Colorado River basin, 32 ; Klamath River 
basin, 15. 

The great variety of fish-life in Lake Maxinkuckee is due to the 
unusual assemblage of favorable factors, constituting an environ- 
ment, both physical and biological, that conduces in a remarkable 
degree to the development of a varied aquatic fauna. 

The 64 species of fishes known to inhabit this lake are distrib- 
uted among 15 families and 41 genera. There are representatives 
of nearly all the families of American freshwater food-fishes only 
the salmon, sturgeon, mooneye, grayling, dallia, blindfish, pirate- 
perch, trout-perch, and sculpin families being unrepresented. And 
nearly all those families containing species which are useful as food 
for the food-fishes have numerous representatives 'here. The fami- 
lies having large representation are the Cyprinidse (minnows) with 
17 species, the CentrarchidaB (basses and sunfishes) with 11 species; 
the Siluridse (catfishes) with 4 species; the Catostomidse (suckers) 
with 5 species; and the PercidaB (perches and darters) with 13 
species. 

Of the 64 species inhabiting the lake at least 30 may be re- 
garded as food-fishes of greater or less importance. The most im- 
portant of these are the two species of black bass, the yellow perch, 
the bluegill and the walleyed pike. And at least 16 species are re- 
garded as game fishes of greater or less interest. Among these 
are the small-mouth black bass, the large-mouth black bass, wall- 
eyed pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass, and pike. 

Fishes in this lake are not only unusually numerous as to 
species, but equally so as to individuals. Many of the species are 
found in very great abundance, some of them swarming in myri- 
ads. Even the game fishes are usually abundant. This is par- 
ticularly true of the yellow perch, bluegill and the basses. When 
one considers the vast amount of fishing that is done at this lake, 
it is little less than marvelous that the supply keeps up so well 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 263 

as it does. The plantings made from time to time by the Bureau 
of Fisheries doubtless contribute in great measure to the mainte- 
nance of this satisfactory condition; nevertheless, the conditions 
for natural reproduction must be exceptionally favorable. 

Of the 64 species of fishes inhabiting this lake, at least 29 are 
used more or less for food and may therefore be properly regarded 
as food-fishes. Named approximately in the order of their import- 
ance as food, they are the following: Yellow perch, bluegill, rock 
bass, straw bass, small-mouth black bass, walleyed pike, calico bass, 
common sunfish, crappie, long-eared sunfish, warmouth, red-eared 
sunfish, pickerel, pike, eel, white sucker, redhorse, black sucker, 
chub sucker, carp, common bullhead, yellow bullhead, black bull- 
head, dogfish, river chub, creek chub, silverside, buifalo and spoon- 
bill cat. 

Col. Daniel McDonald, in his interesting "History 1 of Lake Max- 
inkuckee," states that little or no attention was given to the fish of 
the lake by the early settlers until about 1840. "There are yet 
living in Marshall County a few of those who as boys fished with 
their fathers in those early times, and the stories they tell of the 
schools of fish to be seen and the quantities caught are enough to 
make the modern fisherman green with envy. With fish poles cut 
from the grubs, homemade linen lines, and hooks of antique make, 
a couple of farmers would man a canoe, paddle to the first bar, and 
with worms and grubs for bait, an evening's fishing would bring 
in a bushel of as fine fish as ever swam in lake or river. It was not 
many months before a longer, a trolling line, with bucktail bait, 
was used, and a pull across the lake was all that was needed to fur- 
nish a small neighborhood with a hearty fish meal." 

That this lake was early known to the Indians and resorted to 
by them on account of the abundance of its fishes, is well known. 
The Indian villages on its shores and in its vicinity were among the 
most populous in northern Indiana, and they depended in large 
measure on this and neighboring lakes for their supply of food. 

FISHING AND FISH PROTECTION 

In the early days the methods of fishing were primitive and 
had as their sole object the taking of fish for food. The spirit 
of the meek and honest Isaak Walton had not as yet penetrated 
any of those sturdy pioneers; they had other more important, 
more serious things to do. They caught fish only when needed 
as food. They caught them in their own way and in such 

1 History of Lake Maxinkuckee, by Daniel McDonald. Indianapolis, J905. 



264 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

quantities as the condition of the larder in their cabins de- 
manded. It was purely a matter of food supply with them. 
Forunately for us, as well as for them, fish were abundant and 
the supply was not easily exhausted. Little or no thought was 
given to methods of fishing except as related to immediate, 
tangible results. There was no apparent danger of depleting the 
supply; fish were abundant and, it seemed, would always remain 
so. That a time would ever come when the fish would need pro- 
tection probably never occurred to any one; the fish protection 
idea was of later birth. 

According to Mr. McDonald, spearing fish at night very early 
became a favorite method of fishing and "if the occupants of a 
boat got less than a hundred pounds of fish during a night they 
considered themselves in bad luck." 

A little later, between 1850 and 1860, the use of seines be- 
came common and great quantities of fish of various kinds were 
caught each year in this way. 

The sentiment favoring the protection of the fish of the lake 
has developed slowly, but it has developed. It has developed not 
only in the minds of the regular summer cottagers, but it has grown 
also in the minds of the casual visitors, the farmers roundabout 
and the local villagers. There are some exceptions to be found in 
each of these classes, perhaps as numerous in one as in another, 
while willful law breakers are rare; those who do all the destruc- 
tion they can under a liberal interpretation of the law, are more 
numerous. On the whole, however, the law is well respected and 
the attitude of the people toward fish protection is wholesome. 

ANGLING 

According to Mr. McDonald, "it was not until in the '60's 
that the sporting fraternity the fishermen with rod, reel and 
line began to visit Lake Maxincuckee. By that time a few 
fairly comfortable row boats had been put on the lake and a small 
visiting party could find accommodation for a day or two with 
some of the farmers near by, and the fame of the lake as a fisher- 
man's paradise began to spread abroad. The completion of the 
I. P. & C. Railroad (now the Lake Erie & Western) brought the 
cities along its line within eight miles of the lake, and parties from 
Rochester, Peru and Logansport began to camp upon its shores, 
and their white tents could be seen all through the fishing sea- 
sons beneath the shady groves of Long Point, Edwards' Landing 
and Peebles's Point. And after the completion of the Vandalia 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 265 

Railroad to South Bend the Terre Haute people came in goodly 
numbers. The good qualities of the lake were first made known 
to the Indianapolis people by Hon. Martin H. Rice, who had known 
the lake since 1855, and when the railroad was completed the fish- 
ermen from the capital city came up, first singly, then by twos 
and threes, and finally by the dozen, to try their luck in the clear 
waters of our beautiful lake. They found good quarters at the 
Allegheny House, and they brought along their finest fishing tackle, 
their well-tried fly rods, their Frankfort reels, and the most ap- 
proved artificial baits, and they all caught fish all kinds of fish 
and enough to make a goodly show in their fish baskets, and nearly 
every man of them had a bundle of smashed fishing tackle to take 
home to prove the truth of his story of the big fish he had hooked, 
but which got away. And the men from these cities came again 
and again, and they caught something besides the fishes; they 
caught a vision of the glory of the lake, with its clear waters, its 
tree-lined shores, its wooded bluffs, its clean sandy beaches over 
which gurgled the cool waters of its crystal springs, and the vision 
went with them to their homes, to their business rooms, and it 
would not depart, and they began to long for a portion of bluff, of 




The charm of Maxinkuckee rests partly on its brilliant water above a clean gravel floor, 
and partly on the elevated shore line covered with grass and grove down to the water edge. 



266 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

shore or beach, where they might abide for days or months and 
take into their souls all the beauties that vision had revealed to 
them, and shortly after they became possessors of jutting points, 
of stretches of beach, of tracts of wooded shores, of acres of the 
shady bluffs, and there they built the row of artistic cottages that 
now encircle the lake like rich tinted gems set around a luminous 
pearl." 

And thus the angler has come more and more in evidence as the 
years have passed. At first the fishing was done wholly with live 
bait. The usual method still largely in vogue among the farm- 
ers of the region was by means of the long cane pole and angle- 
worms, grubs, grasshoppers, mussels, or cut fish for bait. Min- 
nows and artificial lures were not popular nor much appreciated. 
Later, a greater refinement of method gradually developed. 
Jointed split bamboo, lancewood and Bristol steel rods came into 
use, the lightness and cost of the rod varying with the experience, 
skill and professional pride of the angler. The grasshopper has 
continued a favorite for summer fishing and it is likely to ever so 
remain. The live minnow has grown in use and is now indis- 
pensible to fall fishing. Artificial lures of various kinds have come 
into use, some to be discarded, others as the frog and the Dowagiac, 
to remain in favor. 

A brief description of these various methods of angling will, it 
is believed, prove of interest and value. 

The long cane pole: This primitive and very effective method 
is still popular and will doubtless remain so. A good long stem 
of the giant cane (Arundinaria macrosperma) is selected. The 
length may vary from 10 to 25 feet. The longer the pole the bet- 
ter, as the areas over which one may fish vary as the squares of 
lengths of the poles. The devotees of this method of fishing usually 
go out in pairs and each with two poles. One fishes from the bow 
of the boat, the other from the stern. The line used is as long as 
can be properly handled without the use of a reel, and thus the 
fisherman is able to reach water 30 to 50 feet distant on either side, 
in front, or behind. He whips first on one side and then on the 
other until the fish are found when he anchors and settles down to 
steady fishing. A cork or wooden float is almost invariably used 
and it is adjusted from time to time to suit the depth of water. 
The line is usually inexpensive. The bait used consists chiefly 
of angleworms, cut bait and grasshoppers. Angleworms (and 
grubs when they can be had) are always popular. From early 
spring until midsummer they are the chief bait. In July, when 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 267 

grasshoppers appear, they largely take the place of worms and con- 
tinue to be the principal bait until fall when they can not be 
easily obtained. Cut bait is always resorted to when other kinds 
fail, and by some is even preferred. Various species of fishes, 
mussels and even meat are utilized. Sometimes a stringer is used 
on which to keep the catch, but usually a gunny sack is preferred. 
The sack, securely fastened to the boat, is allowed to hang in the 
water, by which method the fish are kept alive and in excellent 
condition. 

The species most often caught are bluegills, yellow perch, rock 
bass, calico bass and catfish, though an occasional bass or wall- 
eyed pike is taken. A hundred fish to the boat is not an un- 
usual catch. 

This method is very effective and, on occasion, appeals to many 
an angler who usually uses more expensive tackle. 

Trolling: Trolling has long been, and still is, a popular method 
of fishing. It can be practiced any time in the year when the ice 
is off the lake, and it seems to be about equally effective at all times. 
The rod used varies from a short stiff cane pole to a high-priced 
split bamboo. The line is usually of better quality than that used 
by the long cane fisherman. It may vary in length from 50 to 200 
feet. Among the popular lures are the Hildebrandt spinner, the 
Skinner fluted spoon, and other spoons, phantom minnows, and the 
like. Perhaps the most effective is the Hildebrandt spinner. When 
this method is employed the angler usually throws out his line im- 
mediately after putting out from shore and free of weeds, and 
then rows slowly to some favorite bar across or along the edge of 
which he will carefully row, doubling and recrossing as occasion 
requires. 

The species most often caught are the straw bass, small-mouth 
bass and the walleyed pike in the order named. Now and then 
a rock bass, calico bass or yellow perch is taken. The straw bass, 
however, is, above all, the species most frequently caught by 
trolling. 

Bait-casting: This method has grown in popularity greatly 
during the last few years, whereas it was little practiced 10 years 
ago. A short rod, either of split bamboo, steel or lance wood, 3| 
to 6 feet long, and a good 60-yard quadruple reel, with 50 yards 
of light, flat raw silk line, of 10 to 14 pounds tension, together with 
surface artificial lures such as the Dowagiac, pork rind, or pork 
chunk with weedless hooks or frog, constitute the proper outfit. 
Sometimes live frogs are used and with commendable success. 



268 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

The boat is slowly rowed over what is thought to be likely 
water, the angler casting the meanwhile, on either side or from 
the bow, 50 to 75 feet, depending upon the skill he happens to pos- 
sess in the art. Many of those who come to the lake are quite 
successful and easily reach the lawful limit. The species taken are 
large-mouth bass, small-mouth black bass, and walleyed pike. Oc- 
casionally two bass or a bass and a walleyed pike are taken at one 
cast. 

A favorite and usually successful method practiced by those who 
are seeking large-mouth bass is to row slowly late in the evening 
or very early in the morning along near the shore and cast into 
the edges of the patches of weeds. 

Fly-casting: Not many fly fishermen come to Lake Maxin- 
kuckee and not much fly casting is seen there. Those who do come 
use a 9 to 10-foot rod, and a very light oiled or Japan waxed silk 
line of 10 to 14-pounds tension. The small-mouth bass is the 
species usually taken ; rarely a large-mouth bass or a walleyed pike 
is secured. But several other species will rise to the fly on occa- 
sion; among them may be mentioned the rock bass, yellow perch, 
pumpkinseed, bluegill, calico bass, crappie, and the warmouth bass. 

Baits and lures: The baits and lures used by the fishermen who 
visit this lake have a very wide range. They include, among live 
bait, minnows, frogs, grasshoppers, crickets, grubs, angleworms; 
among cut bait, mussels, meat, cut fish, crawfish, etc. ; and among 
artificial lures, Dowagiacs of all patterns, Hildebrandt spinners, 
Skinner fluted spoons, buck tail, squirrel tail, pork rind, pork chunk, 
and doubtless others. 

Beginning in the spring live minnows are used. The principal 
bait minnows are the following: creek chub, river chub, blunt- 
nosed minnow, Storer's chub, common shiner, silverside, young 
goldfish, mud minnow, straw-colored minnow, grayback minnow, 
mad torn, darters of various kinds, and various other small fishes. 
For large bass and walleyed pike, creek and river chubs of moder- 
ate size are preferred ; for smaller bass any of the other species 
mentioned are good; and for bluegills, rock bass and perch, small 
minnows of almost any kind are suitable if not too large. The 
value of any particular kind of minnow depends largely upon its 
ability to live on the hook; if the minnow is delicate and dies 
promptly, it is not of great value, however attractive it may other- 
wise be. For this reason the common mud minnow ( Umbra limi) 
is popular. Its dark, somber color, however, prevents it from 
being very attractive to bass and walleyed pike. The mad torn 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 269 

and other small catfish, so popular with bass fishermen on- the 
Susquehanna River, are not much used at this lake. 

Unfortunately good bait minnows are not abundant in the 
streams about Lake Maxinkuckee. The nearest streams from 
which good minnows can be obtained are the Yellow. River, about 
two or three miles north of the lake, and the Tippecanoe River at 
Belong, four miles south. Most of the minnows used at the lake 
come from a distance, mostly from Bachelors Run, Wild Cat Creek, 
and Deer Creek in Carroll County, and from the Wabash River and 
small creeks near Logansport. Many of the anglers who come to 
the lake for a few days' fishing bring a bucket of live minnows 
with them. 

Minnows will be used in the spring and early summer until the 
water becomes so warm that they will not keep well; then they 
give way to grasshoppers which constitute the principal live bait 
from the middle of July until in September or the first frosts, 
after which they can no longer be found in any abundance. As 
soon as grasshoppers become scarce and the water becomes cool, 
minnows again become popular and continue so throughout the 
late fall and winter. After the temperature of the lake water gets 
down to 45 most any of the minnows -can be kept alive in minnow 
buckets all winter. 

Grasshoppers become popular as a bait just as soon as they 
are abundant enough to be caught in any numbers. At Lake Max- 
inkuckee this happens in the first half of July, and they continue 
in demand as long as they can be obtained. About the last of 
September, after a few good frosts have come, grasshoppers dis- 
appear. Most of the grasshoppers used at this lake belong to one 
or the other of two species, Melanoplus differentialis and Melanop- 
lus bivittatus, more of the former than of the latter. Both species 
are abundant in the meadows and fields about the lake, particu- 
larly on the west and south. In 1898, a boy living 2| miles south 
of the lake sold $25 worth of grasshoppers to anglers about the 
lake, and in 1899, $43.35 worth. He charged only 5 cents a dozen. 
Several other boys supplied grasshoppers more or less regularly 
during the season, and the total amount of money received by them 
per season for hoppers has been conservatively estimated at $200, 
which would represent 4,000 dozen grasshoppers. Perhaps another 
1,000 dozen were caught by the fishermen themselves, thus mak- 
ing the total number used each season at the lake not fewer than 
5,000 dozen or 60,000 grasshoppers. 

Considerable numbers of white grubs also are used. In 1899, 



270 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

the grasshopper boy sold 140 dozen white grubs at 5 cents a dozen, 
or $7.00. The grubs are a very killing bait as long as they last 
for any fish with mouth large enough to take them. Of all species 
perhaps the rock bass is the one that likes them best. 

Angleworms are always in demand and can usually be depended 
on to appeal strongly to rock bass, crappie, calico bass, yellow perch 
and bluegills; and, when properly impaled, they are not without 
attraction to bass and walleyed pike. Perhaps they possess the 
greatest charm to the goggle-eye and yellow perch, and it is a poor 
angler, indeed, who, when armed with a liberal supply of angle- 
worms, can not reach the lawful limit of these species. Fortu- 
nately for the fish, the region about Lake Maxinkuckee is entirely 
too sandy for angleworms, and those who wish to use this old 
familiar bait must bring them from other more favored localities. 

Frogs are not much used for bait at this lake. Small examples 
of the common leopard frog (Rana pipiens) , and the little cricket 
frog (Acris gryllus), are the species most used. At times good 
catches of straw bass have been made with these by casting along 
the edges of patches of Scirpus or lily-pads, particularly in Lost 
Lake. In the fall of the year when it is a little too cold for grass- 
hoppers and a little too warm for minnows, black crickets (Gryllus 
abbreviatus) are sometimes used with good results. These crick- 
ets can be had late in the fall after grasshoppers have practically 
disappeared. Favorite places to find them are in tiles lying on the 
ground or under pieces of old canvas or tarpaulin lying spread out 
on the ground. By examining such situations early in the morning 
large numbers may often be found. Crickets are most attractive 
to bluegills and goggle-eyes. 

Of the various kinds of cut bait cut fish is probably most used 
and most popular, as well as most easily obtained. An eye, a 
pectoral fin, or a piece of flesh of a yellow perch, is quite attractive 
to goggle-eyes, yellow perch and sometimes, to bluegills; occasion- 
ally good catches of crappie, calico bass, and even small-mouth 
bass can be made with this sort of bait. 

Mussels or freshwater clams are not much used except by the 
long cane pole fishermen who are after goggle-eyes, bluegills and 
yellow perch. The "foot" is the part of the mussel generally used. 

Crawfish are frequently used for bait. Small soft "ones are 
often used whole ; larger ones are cut up and only the fleshy part 
of the tail made use of. This sort of bait is of course used only 
in still fishing. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 271 

Of artificial lures the kinds are many and diverse that one may 
see about the lake. Among a few of the more popular are the 
Hildebrandt baits of various kinds, particularly the double tandem 
and single spinners, Skinner's new casting spoon No. 2, various 
weedless hooks such as Bing's, Mayer's, Maloney's, Hasting's and 
McCurdy's, buck tails, reverse double-blade spinners, vacuum bass- 
baits, moonlight floating bait, weedless porkers, Hedden's surface 
and minnow baits, and Dowagiacs of various patterns. All these 
and many others are more or less popular. Aberdeen hooks, Ken- 
dall sneck, Cincinnati bass, sproat and Pennell, are popular, No. 4 
for bluegills, yellow perch, redeyes and crappie, and Nos. 1 to 4/0 
for bass and walleyed pike. 

Reels of many kinds are in use, and rods of many styles from 
the long cane pole to the most expensive split bamboo and lance- 
wood and green heart ; an 81-foot rod for bass, 7^-f oot for walleyed, 
pike and 10-foot No. 4 for bluegills and perch. 

LAKE MAXINKUCKEE AS AN ANGLING RESORT 

No very close estimate can be made of the number of anglers 
who visit Lake Maxinkuckee annually, or of the quantity of fish of 
each species annually taken from the lake. There are now about 
the lake about 175 summer cottages. Each of these is occupied from 
two to five months each season. There will probably be at least one 
person at each cottage who does more or less fishing. Then a great 
many more come and spend from one to several days fishing. In the 
spring, and more particularly in the fall, farmers and farmers' 
boys from the surrounding country make frequent fishing trips 
to the lake. Then many of the permanent residents about the 
lake and in the town of Culver do more or less fishing throughout 
the year. It is believed that 2,000 is a conservative estimate of 
the number of people who fish at Lake Maxinkuckee for an aver- 
age of twenty days each year, and that the average daily catch 
is five fish for each person. This would make an annual catch 
of 200,000 fish. Putting the average weight at one pound, this 
would make the annual catch 200,000 pounds. The species caught, 
in order of number, are yellow perch, bluegill, rock bass, straw 
bass, black bass, and walleyed pike. Considered by weight the 
order would be straw bass, bluegill, walleyed pike, rock bass, yellow 
perch, and black bass. 

The following table will give some idea of the angling possibil- 
ities at this lake. 



1817618 



272 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



FISH BY SPECIES AND NUMBER CAUGHT BY ONE ANGLER AT LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 



Date 

1899 


Small- 
mouth 
Black 
Bass 


Large- 
mouth 
Black 
Bass 


Rock 
Bass 


Bluegill 


Walleyed 
Pike 


Yellow 
Perch 


Catfish 


Remarks 


Aug. 
18 


1 






24 










19 


3 






12 










21 


2 




4 


20 




1 






23 


4 




1 


9 










25 


5 






12 










26 


2 




2 


3 










27 


2 




1 


3 










28 


1 


2 


2 


10 


1 








30 


6 




2 


12 






1 




31 


1 






8 










Sept. 
1 




1 


2 


14 










3 


2 


1 




12 










5 


1 






6 


1 




1 




12 






6 












15 


4 




2 


5 










17 


4 




2 


2 










18 


3 






2 










21 


1 


6 


4 


4 










22 




5 


3 


1 


1 


10 






24 


1 


2 


1 






1 

























Date 
1899 


Small- 
mouth 
Black 
Bass 


Large- 
mouth 
Black 
Bass 


Rock 
Bass 


BluegiU 


Walleyed 
Pike 


Yellow 
Perch 


Catfish 


Calico 
Bass 


Remarks 


Oct. 
1 










3 










5 










6 










7 




2 






1 










8 




1 


1 




2 










9 


1 


6 
















12 




2 
















14 




6 
















IS 




4 


3 




1 










16 




1 






4 










17 










6 










18 




2 






7 










19 




3 






10 










20 










1 










22 










7 










23 




1 
















24 




1 
















25 




1 
















26 




1 
















30 




2 




1 








1 




Nov 
5 




















7 




1 
















9 
















7 




10 




1 






1 


12 








14 












13 









Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 273 



I ISM BY SPECIES AND NUMBER CAUGHT BY ONE ANGLER AT LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 

Continued 



Date 
1899 


Small- 
mouth 
Black 
Bass 


Large- 
mouth 
Black 
Bass 


Rock 
Bass 


Bluegill 


Walleyed 
Pike 


Yellow 
Perch 


Catfish 


Calico 
Bass 


Remarks 


Nov. 
15 












10 




1 




16 










2 


4 








17 










5 


2 








18 


2 








1 


12 








20 










2 


1 








22 


2 








1 










1900 
Jan. 
3 












55 








4 




3 
















5 




9 








5 








6 




16 


2 






2 








7 




15 












1 




13 




4 




1 












14 




2 








2 








15 




4 








3 








Feb. 
6 




24 
















7 




36 Ibs. 
11 


2 














9 




2 
















10 




4 


6 






3 




3 




11 




5 


2 


2 




6 




2 




23 




2 


1 


1 




10 




1 




April 
22 




3 
















27 




8 
















29 




12 








2 








May 
4 




8 








3 








6 




1 
















12 


3 


9 


3 














13 


2 


3 


4 














July 
9 







2 












' 


10 


3 




3 






1 








11 


4 




1 














12 


5 


1 


1 


2 












19 


2 


1 


1 




1 


2 








22 


16 


1 


1 














23 


1 


















25 


9 








































98 


200 


66 


166 


64 


160 


2 


16 





274 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Some idea can be gotten of the amount of fishing at Lake 
Maxinkuckee by noting the number of anglers' boats observed on 
the lake from day to day. A few records of this kind were made 
and they are here summarized in the following table: 







A.M. 






P. M. 




Date 


Sky 


Lake surface 


No. of boats 


Sky 


Lake surface 


No. of boats 


July 
14 


Cloudy 




33 


Cloudy . . . 




18 


15 


Rain 




2 






17 


16 






12 


Cloudy 




15 


17 


Fair 




15 


Fair 




17 


18 
19 


Fair 
Fair 


Smooth 
Smooth 


13 
11 


Fair 
Fair 


Very smooth. . 
Choppy 


9 
9 


20 


Fair 


Smooth 


6 


Fair 


Rough 


5 


21 


Fair, east wind 




7 


Fair .. 




5 


22 


Fair, east wind 




6 ' 


Fair 




11 


23 


Fair 




8 


Fair . . 




5 


24 


Fair 




17 


Fair 




11 


25 






20 


Fair 




12 


26 


Fair 




12 


Fair 




7 


27 


Fair 


Smooth 


3 


Fair 




5 


28 


Rain 


Rough 


3 


Fair . . 




7 


29 


Fair 




11 


Cloudy 




13 


30 


Fair 


Smooth 


5 


Fair 


Rough . . 


7 


31 


Fair 


Smooth 


14 


Fair 


Smooth 




August 
1 


Rain 




1 


Fair 


Rough 


3 


2 


Fair 


Smooth .... 


7 


Fair 




5 


3 


Partly cloudy 




21 


Fair 






4 






18 








5 






Few 








6 


Clear 


Smooth .... 


Few 


Clear 


Smooth 


7 


7 


Clear 




7 


Cloudy 




5 


8 












3 


9 


Cloudy 


Rough 


4 


Rain 


Rough 


15 


10 


Fair 




9 


Fair 




12 


11 


Fair 


Smooth 


7 


Fair 


Rough 


11 


12 


Fair 




9 


Fair 


Choppy 


15 


13 


Fair 


Rough 


5 


Cloudy 


Rough 


3 


July 
17 






11 




Smooth 


18 


18 






16 








19 






20 






13 


20 






18 






13 


21 






20 






11 


24 






Few 








August 
10 














15 














18 












7 


28 












11 


September 
3 












15 

















Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 275 

Ice-fishing: One of the most interesting methods of fishing 
practiced at Lake Maxinkuckee is that known as ice fishing, or 
fishing through the ice. A rather careful study was made of this 
method during the winter of 1900-1901, and a large amount of in- 
teresting and valuable data secured. 

The apparatus and the method may be described as follows: 

The apparatus consists of a small stick about 15 inches long, 
f inch thick, 2 inches wide at the reel end and tapering to one 
inch at the smaller end. On the larger end is placed a spool, 
usually If inches in diameter and If inches long, upon which the 
line is wound. The axis of the spool projects on one side as a 
handle, bent to the shape of the handle of the ordinary reel. About 
4 or 5 inches from the spool is a hole through the stick through 
which a round stick somewhat smaller than the hole is placed. An 
oblong hole is cut in the ice, through which the lower end of the 
stick is placed until the cross-stick rests upon the ice, adjusted so 
that the stick stands at an angle of about 40 degrees from perpen- 
dicular. A piece of red flannel is tied to the handle of the reel 
which is adjusted so as to stand up. Live minnows are used for 
bait. Each fisherman will have several, sometimes 15 to 20, 
spools arranged in a circle in the center of which he stands, keep- 
ing watch on all. When the red signal of any reel is observed to 
be turned down he assumes that a fish has taken the minnow of 
that line and, going to it, he takes the spool in his hand, gives it 
a jerk to hook the fish, then winds it in. 

Another somewhat similar contrivance used to some extent by 
ice-fishermen is the tip-up. This consists of a board 24 inches 
long, f inch thick and about 2 inches wide. A hole is bored 
through the board from edge to edge about 8 inches from one end. 
This detached piece, upon the outer end of which the spool is placed 
is supported by a wooden pin passing through the hole already 
mentioned and is so balanced that, when the tip-up is properly placed, 
a slight pull on the upper end brings it down. Usually a small 
leather flap is fastened upon the frame at the lower end so as to aid 
in holding the movable piece in place until pulled upon by a fish. 
The tip-up is set in the ice at an angle of about 45 degrees and the 
hook is let down through a hole underneath. Live minnows are 
used for bait. When the bait is taken the movable piece tips, the 
spool end going down. 

Sometimes the tip-up is simply laid flat on the ice over the 
hole. The inner (or base) end of the movable piece is painted red 
so that it may be seen the more readily when it tips up. 



276 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Ice fishing usually begins as soon as the ice is strong enough 
to bear up well, and continues as long as it remains safe. In the 
winter of 1900-1901, it began on December 13 and continued until 
March 22. Fishing is best when the ice is covered with snow or 
has become sufficiently opaque to prevent the fish from seeing the 
fishermen. 

As Lost Lake freezes over earlier in the winter than the large 
lake, ice fishing begins there first. On the first fine morning after 
the ice has become strong enough to be safe and sufficient snow has 
fallen to render it opaque, the ice fishermen will be found out in 
force. Usually there are about a half dozen who make ice fishing 
a regular business in winter. Besides these there is a varying 
number of others who fish irregularly. The fishermen usually ar- 
rive upon the scene early in the morning and, unless the weather 
becomes too disagreeable, continue until evening, and every day 
until the ice becomes so rotten as to be unsafe. 

The number of ice fishermen will vary from 2 or 3 to 20 or 
30; perhaps the average daily number would be about 6. 

The species of fishes that are caught in this way at this lake 
are the following : Straw bass, black bass, bluegill, rock bass, wall- 
eyed pike, yellow perch, warmouth, crappie, calico bass, grass pike, 
and catfish. Water-dogs and turtles are also occasionally taken. 

The straw bass is the principal fish caught, though large num- 
bers of the other species are sometimes taken. The method is a 
very successful one and on favorable days large catches are made. 

The following table shows by species the number of fish caught 
by certain ice fishermen in the winter of 1900-1901 : 



Date 
. 1900 


No. 

fishing 


Yellow 
Perch 


Crap- 
pie 


Cat- 
fish 


Straw 
Bass 


Grass 
Pike 


War- 
mouth 


Black 
Bass 


Blue- 
gill 


Rock 
Bass 


Wall- 
eye 


Water- 
dog 


December 
14 


1 


4 






















16 


2 




1 


1 


1 
















17 


3 


2 






8 


1 


2 












18 


1 






11 


















19 


1 






2 






1 










5 


22 


2 


8 






39 
















28 


1 








8 
















29 


3 








60 






1 










30 


2 








30 








1 








31 


2 








12 











































Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 277 



Date 
1901 


No. 
fishing 


Yellow 
Perch 


Crap- 
pie 


Cat- 
fish 


Straw 
Bass 


Grass 
Pike 


War- 
mouth 


Black 
Bta 


HlUO- 

gill 


Rock 
Bass 


Wall- 
eye 


Water- 
dog 


Dog- 
fish 


Jan. 

1 


4 


2 






25 


















2 


6 








22 










1 








3 


3 


1 






4 


















4 


5 








16 


















5 


6 








13 


















6 


7 


4 






17 












1 






7 


9 


5 


1 




65 












1 






8 


1 








9 


















9 


3 


6 






13 


















10 


4 








7 


















11 


5 


1 






3 










4 








12 


1 


1 
























13 


6 


1 






10 


















14 


1 








-21 


















15 


3 








24 


















16 


2 


1 


1 




2 


















18 


2 








6 






1 












19 


1 


3 






1 


















21 


5 


3 






40 






2 












22 


1 








1 


















23 


5 


30 






54 






1 












30 


2 








2 






2 












Feb. 

7 


1 
























1 


11 


1 








1 


















13 


2 








7 



















Date 
1901 


Number 
fishing 


ll 
:= 

1* 


o> 

! 




Catfish 


Straw Bass 


Grass Pike 


Warmouth 


Black Bass 


1 

S 


3 


0) 

& 
1 


Waterdog 


X 

1 

I 


Calico Bass 


February 
15 


5 








2 




















16 


2 








18 




















19 


2 








2 




















23 


2 








21 




















24 


1 








15 




















25 


3 








18 




















27 


1 








2 




















28 


2 


6 






8 






3 














March 
1 


11 








56 






5 


1 












2 


3 








24 




















3 


1 








8 




















4 


4 


1 






84 






2 






1 








7 


7 








112 


















2 


8 


8 


9 






52 




1 


1 




1 








1 


9 


4 








6 












1 








10 


2 








3 












1 








11 


2 








5 


















2 


12 


6 


5 






27 




















13 


4 


3 






6 






17 




1 










14 


3 


8 












19 














15 


3 








10 






2 














16 


4 




3 




13 












1 








17 


2 








14 






1 














18 


5 


22 






18 






1 












1 


19 


1 




2 




2 




















22 


3 








1 












1 






11 




195 


126 


8 


14 


1,068 


1 


4 


58 


2 


7 


7 


5 


1 


17 



278 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

FISHES PLANTED IN LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 

The people interested in Lake Maxinkuckee have been and are 
alive to the value of the artificial propagation of food and game 
fishes and the inadequacy of natural reproduction to keep up the 
supply in the lake. The officials of the Vandalia Railroad, the 
Maxinkuckee Association, and a number of private individuals 
have kept in touch with angling conditions at the lake and have 
been active in their efforts to keep up the supply of fish. The 
United States Bureau of Fisheries has always responded promptly 
to requests for fish for this lake, and during the last 23 years has 
planted in the lake a total of more than 34,138,830 fish. 

So far as known the first plantings of fish in Lake Maxinkuckee 
were made in September, 1889, and August, 1890, by the senior 
author of this report, then professor of biology in the Indiana State 
Normal School at Terre Haute. In his investigations about Terre 
Haute he had observed that, during high water in the spring, many 
fishes, including both the large-mouth black bass and the small- 
mouth black bass, run out into the overflow ponds and bayous 
along the Wabash River, and, as the water recedes, become caught 
there. And in the fall the majority of these ponds dry up and 
the fish in them perish. He conceived the idea of seining out these 
fish and transplanting them into the Wabash River and Lake Max- 
inkuckee. Large tin transportation cans were borrowed from the 
U. S. Fish Commission, and with the assistance of his students 
several hundred valuable fish were saved which would otherwise 
certainly have perished had they been left in the ponds. Many 
hundreds of large-mouth black bass, small-mouth black bass, rock 
bass, crappie, calico bass, sunfish and catfish of several species, 
suckers, buffalo, saugers, and other less important kinds, were 
turned loose in the Wabash River near by, and one shipment was 
made to Lake Maxinkuckee. Two other shipments were made in 
August, 1890. Mr. George E. Farrington, general agent of the 
Vandalia, with the true public spirit and a keen appreciation of the 
advantages of keeping Lake Maxinkuckee an attractive fishing 
resort, kindly arranged for the free transportation of the fish to 
the lake, and the three plants were made from the pier at Knapp's 
hotel. The three plants aggregated a total of 750 adult fish and 
consisted chiefly of large-mouth black bass though there were many 
of the small-mouth species among them. 

Since then the U. S. Fish Commission (now the Bureau of Fish- 
eries) , has planted a great many fish in Lake Maxinkuckee, as may 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 279 

be seen from the following tabular statement. It is doubtful if any 
lake in the country has been more liberally supplied with fish by 
the Government. It is also doubted if there is any other lake where 
the results of artificial plantings of fishes have been more satis- 
factory. Perhaps the best results have been obtained with the 
walleyed pike, locally called "salmon." While this species is un- 
doubtedly indigenous to the lake, it does not seem to breed well 
in this lake. In order to keep up the supply to any considerable 
abundance it is therefore necessary to make large plants of fry 
from time to time. It is believed that the majority of "walleyed" 
pike caught each year are the grown up fish from the fry planted 
two or more years previously. It is different, however, with the 
large-mouth black bass, the small-mouth black bass and most of 
the other species planted; they all breed freely in this lake and 
every plant made increases the breeding stock correspondingly. 

It will be observed from the table that four plants of lake trout 
aggregating 10,587 fish have been made in this lake. So far as 
we have been able to learn there is no evidence that any of these 
survived ; there is no authentic record of the capture of a lake trout 
in this lake. If the physical and biological conditions obtaining in 
Lake Maxinkuckee had been as well understood before the lake trout 
were planted, as they are now, those plants would not have been 
made. One of the important results of our investigations was the 
discovery that there is little or no absorbed oxygen in the deeper 
waters of the lake in the fall. Deep-water species, such as the lake 
trout, whitefish, etc., finding no oxygen in the depths they inhabit, 
can not survive. This interesting problem is discussed more fully in 
another part of this report (page 221) . If this important fact had 
been known in time the plantings of lake trout would not have been 
made and the Government would have been saved an expense 
greater than the entire cost of all the investigations that have been 
made of Lake Maxinkuckee. 

The following table shows the number of fish of the various 
species that have been placed in Lake Maxinkuckee. In the earlier 
plantings the two species of bass were not differentiated; each 
planting usually contained both species, the large-mouth more often 
predominating : 



280 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



PLANTS OF FISH IN LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 



Date 


Species 


Fry 


Fingerlings and adults 


1889-90 






750 


1890 
Feb. 15 


Lake trout 




1,900 yearling 


1891 
Jan. 14 


Lake trout 




3,250 yearling 


June 12 


Pike perch or salmon 


800,000 




1892 
Feb 1 








Nov 10 








10 








10 


Crappie 




50 year ing 


10 








1894 
Mar 10 


1 ii .- 




2 906 yearling 






2 000 000 




1896 
Dee 29 


Black bass 




2,200 yearling 


29 






1 , 600 yearling 


29 






300 adult 


1898 
Oct 20 






200 yearling 


29 








1899 
Aug 23 






5 198 adult 


1900 
May 16 




800,000 




1902 




10,000,000 










800 


1903 




8,200,000 










400 


1904 


Pike perch 


7,700,000 




1905 


Catfish 




5,700 








750 








6,900 


1907 




1,000,000 




1909 






625 


1911 






45 






1,500,000 




1912 




2,100,000 




1913 






250 












Total . -. 


34,100,000 


38.830 











From this it is seen that a total of over thirty-four million fish 
have been planted in Lake Maxinkuckee. These represent differ- 
ent species, as follows: 

Lake trout 10,587 

Pike perch 34,100,000 



Black bass, both species 

Warmouth bass 

Crappie 

Yellow perch 

Catfish . 



18,558 
400 

3,200 
385 

5,700 



Total 34,138,830 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 281 

All of these species do well in Lake Maxinkuckee except the 
lake trout. It is not certain that any of that species has ever been 
seen in the lake after the plants were made, but all the others do 
well. 

On April 1, 1908, 600 rainbow trout were put in the outlet 
stream just below Walley's and 150 in Culver Creek north of the 
Academy grounds. The trout were 3 to 5 inches long. 

Although an examination of those streams indicated favorable 
conditions under which trout ought to do well, none of the fish has 
been seen since the plants were made. The conditions are so fa- 
vorable that it is hoped the experiment may be repeated soon. 

The establishment of a fish-cultural station or fish hatchery at 
Lake Maxinkuckee has often been suggested. 

It is believed that an excellent site for a pond station could be 
secured at this lake. There are two or three excellent locations on 
the east side where a gravity supply of water could be secured and 
where ground suitable in character and ample in area for a series 
of ponds can be found. There are also good locations on the north 
and west sides. 

A well-equipped hatchery at this lake could easily keep, not 
only Lake Maxinkuckee, but all suitable waters in northern Indi- 
ana well stocked with bass, walleyed pike, bluegills, and rock bass. 

MORTALITY AMONG DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FISHES 

At various times in the year dead fish of different species are 
found in some numbers washed up along the shore. The species 
most affected appear to be the bluegills and white suckers. The 
bluegills die in the spring, in May and June, and the white suckers 
in the fall, usually in September. Although a large number of dead 
fish were examined no satisfactory explanation of the cause or 
causes of their dying was discovered. The fish were usually infested 
with water mould, or Saprolegnia, but it is not believed that was the 
agent that caused the fish to die. This saprophytic plant first be- 
comes evident by appearing as a soft white mould on the surface of 
the fish, particularly in places where the scales have been rubbed off 
or where the fish has been otherwise injured. But by the time it be- 
comes evident to the naked eye, the fish is probably past helping. 
When the fish becomes injured in any way or when its vitality is 
lowered because of foul water or any other reason, it is apt to be 
attacked by water mould and nothing can be done to save it. 

In the spring of the year, soon after the ice goes off the lake, 
unusual numbers of dead fish, water-dogs, crawfishes, etc., are apt 
to be washed up on shore. These do not indicate any sudden or un- 



282 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

usual mortality among the fishes; they probably simply represent 
the accumulated mortality of the past winter, during which time 
the lake was covered with ice, the water inadequately aerated, and 
many fish died as a result. Fishes or other animals dying under 
such circumstances would decay very slowly in the ice-covered 
water and, remaining well preserved in the ice-cold water, would 
accumulate and be washed up on shore soon after the ice disap- 
pears and winds again disturb the lake surface. 

COMMERCIAL FISHING 

There is now no commercial fishing at this lake. The impor- 
tant species in it are all game fishes under the law, the sale of 
which is not permitted. 

A canvass made of the fisheries of Indiana in 1894, credited 
Lake Maxinkuckee with five hand-line fishermen with 10 hand-lines 
valued at $30 and five boats worth $50, and a catch of 

600 pounds of rock bass, valued at $72 00 

2,833 pounds of black bass, valued at 368 00 

300 pounds of walleyed pike, valued at 24 00 

500 pounds of yellow perch, valued at 60 00 

4,233 pounds total, valued at $524 00 

This of course represents only the fish actually sold; the vastly 
greater amount caught by sportsmen does not appear. 

Until the present law prohibiting the sale of game fishes became 
effective, a considerable part of the catch of the ice-fishermen was 
sold. 

OBSERVANCE OF FISH LAWS 

Public sentiment about Lake Maxinkuckee in relation to the 
fish and game laws is wholesome and favors their observance. 
There has been a notable improvement in the last ten years. In 
the spring of 1900, it was not uncommon to see lights in the 
south part of the lake where spearing was going on at night. 
Sometimes the violators operated in Outlet Bay. In the same 
year some spearing was done about the middle of November. 
Some netting was done also. A favorite method was to cut a 
long narrow slit through the ice across the mouth of Norris Inlet. 
A gillnet would be let down through this and by pounding on the 
ice the fish would be driven into it. Little or none of this sort 
of fishing has been observed recently. 

It was reported that some seining was done in May, 1907, and 
three arrests were made, and a conviction secured, in each case. 

Considerable illegal fishing was thought to be going on in March 
and April, 1911, but no actual case was observed. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 283 

There have doubtless been more violations of the bird law. 
Even prominent cottagers and citizens have been suspected of 
shooting or hunting ducks illegally and some convictions have been 
secured. In October, 1904, a prominent cottager on the east side 
was caught chasing coots with a motor boat, after sunset and on 
Sunday, all three acts being unlawful. He was fined on all three 
counts. 

We are informed by the present deputy fish and game warden 
stationed at the lake that he has known of only one violation of the 
fish law in the last two years. One arrest was made for having a 
fish spear in possession. Conviction was secured. 

It is believed that both the fish and game laws are now fairly 
well observed in the vicinity of the lake. 

MINNOWS 

In the fall of the year, about when the water becomes chill 
and the first ice forms, minnows of various species begin to 
congregate in great numbers in shallow water along the shore. 
On November 12, 1899, a narrow fringe of ice appeared along 
the shores of Lost Lake and minnows were observed crowded 
thickly under it. Similar conditions existed at the south end of 
Lake Maxinkuckee and thousands of minnows were crowded under 
the ice. Some that had hidden under boards and boats were more 
tame and more easily caught than those found elsewhere. 

On September 16, 1900, a large school was seen near shore in 
front of the Fish Commission station ; on the 18th, a considerable 
school remained near shore all day. On October 17, a good many 
were again observed, and on the 26th, a large school remained near 
shore. The day was quiet, the water very smooth, and the little 
fish could be heard breaking water and splashing for some dis- 
tance. They were probably feeding on surface plankton. On the 
29th, they could be heard at night making a "snipping" noise. On 
the night of October 30, they could be heard making a sort of lisp- 
ing noise. Early in tho morning of November 3, great numbers 
were seen near shore, playing very lively at the surface. Again 
on the 10th, llth, and 12th they were very lively, splashing and 
making considerable noise. 

On November 30, several grayback minnows among a large 
number taken were found to be ruptured slightly in the abdomen. 
This was probably caused by freezing. Many large schools of 
minnows, chiefly skipjacks, were seen under the ice at south end of 
lake. 

On December 1 and 2, only a few were seen near shore, some 
in Lost Lake and some in the big lake. On the 3rd, there was an 



284 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

immense school, very dense and compact, of straw-colored min- 
nows and skipjacks along the east side of Long Point for a long 
distance. 

On the 5th, enormous schools, considerably larger and denser 
than ever noted before/were seen along the east side of Long Point. 
They made great dark patches on the bottom, like Chara carpet. 
On the 12th, a good many under the ice near shore all day ; a large 
and very dense school under the bow of a small steamer at the 
Arlington station. Many were noted also on the 14th, in each lake, 
under the ice, and a few under the ice in Lost Lake on the 15th; 
none seen in the Outlet. 

Similar conditions were observed in 1904. On December 16 
and 24, several schools were seen along Long Point, but they were 
not so dense as in 1900. On the 27th, enormous schools were seen 
under the Depot pier. The next day many skipjacks were noted 
under the Outlet bridge. On January 4, 1905, considerable num- 
bers were seen along the north shore where there was some ice, and 
Culver Inlet was full of straw-colored minnows. 

In 1906, a great many were seen on east side of Long Point, 
November 13, and on the 14th, many in Lost Lake. 



In a body of water as small as Lake Maxinkuckee and with no 
considerable tributary streams or outflow, the movements of the 
fishes are necessarily much restricted. There are, however, certain 
movements that may be considered, as follows : 

1. From one depth to another: Movements of this kind occur 
at various times. 

a. During the summer, when the deeper parts of the lake are 
abundantly supplied with absorbed oxygen, certain species, such 
as the walleyed pike and to some extent the small-mouth black bass, 
the large-mouth bass, the bluegill and the yellow perch, will be 
found in deep water. This is particuarly true of the walleyed pike ; 
of the other species named it is true only to a very limited ex- 
tent. In the fall, even as early as September, the oxidation of 
the vast amount of dead plankton which during the summer has 
been slowly falling to the bottom of the lake in a continuous shower 
from above, will have exhausted the supply of oxygen in the deep 
water. The walleyed pike and other fishes which were able to live 
there during the summer are now forced to move up to shallower 
depths to which, fortunately, they are able to adapt themselves. 
This movement is not usually until toward the end of September 
or in October. By the middle of October they have come out into 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 285 

water 30 to 45 feet deep and may be taken on or about the bars 
between those depths. Later in the season they will be found at 
still more shallow depths. Whether they return to deeper water 
during the winter has not been definitely determined. It is known 
that they are in relatively shallow water during the spring where 
they remain until in June, or early July; then they go to deeper 
water. 

b. There is another seasonal movement from greater to lesser 
depths and back again, that is probably not related in any way to 
the oxygen content of the water, but which is caused chiefly by 
temperature differences. This manifests itself in a number of 
ways, of which a few illustrations may be given : The little stickle- 
back, Eucalia inconstans, prefers relatively cold water. During 
the summer and early fall they may not ordinarily be found in 
water less than 15 to 20 feet in depth; indeed, they seem to go 
down to the depths which mark the maximum for Chara and other 
aquatic vegetation. In all of our summer seining operations about 
the lake only one stickleback was obtained ; but in the late fall and 
during the winter, specimens were frequently obtained when dredg- 
ing in 4- to 12-foot water. During summer dredging they were 
found only in considerably greater depths. Evidently these little 
fish remain during the warm summer months at considerable 
depths, and some, not all, come out into shallower water only when 
the temperature there has become equally cool. 

Then again, young of many of the fishes of the lake, especially 
basses, bluegills and perch, are found in greatest abundance dur- 
ing the summer in shallow water near shore where they not only 
find protection in the masses of vegetation which they inhabit but 
where they also find an abundant supply of suitable food. But as 
fall comes on, and the shallow water near shore becomes more and 
more cold until finally near the freezing point, these young fishes 
move out into deeper and slightly warmer water and secrete them- 
selves in the masses of Chara, Nitella and other vegetation. There 
they spend the winter, returning to shallower water in the spring. 

Still another movement occurs late in the fall, usually not until 
after the first frosts have come, when several species of small 
fishes gather up in unusual numbers in shallow water along the 
shore. The species most concerned are the straw-colored minnow 
(Notropis blennius) , the Cayuga minnow (Notropis cayuga), the 
blunt-nosed minnow (Pimephales notatus) , the skipjack (Labides- 
thes sicculus), the grayback minnow (Fundulus diaphanus me- 
nona), and the log perch (Percina caprodes). Each of these 
species is found at all times in greater or less numbers pretty welJ 



286 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

distributed in shallow water everywhere along shore. But in the 
fall they gather up in schools. Sometimes these schools are of im- 
mense size, containing many thousands of individuals. The dif- 
ferent species mentioned are present numerically usually in the 
order named, and there will be along with them a few individuals 
of several other small fishes, chiefly CyprinidaB. Usually the skip- 
jacks and log perch school by themselves. The log perch schools 
come earlier than the others; in 1913, they were first noticed in 
large numbers on October 3, when a school of 100 to 200 or more 
was seen at Johnson's pier on Long Point. They were lying quietly 
on the clear sandy bottom or moving slowly about in shallow water. 
The same school was observed on several subsequent days. On 
the same day, October 3, a large school of skipjacks was seen near 
the same place. Others were seen later and continued to be noted 
as opportunity afforded so long as our observations were kept up, 
or until October 31. 

The very large schools of small fishes that may be seen along 
the shore in the fall consist, however, chiefly of the species of 
Notropis mentioned, particularly Notropis blennius and N. cayuga, 
and do not appear until some time later. Perhaps the largest 
schools ever noted by us were seen on November 5, 1907. On that 
day the shallow water on the east side of Lost Lake was alive with 
small fishes all the way from the Bardsley cottage to the south end 
of the lake. More than a bushel were caught at a single haul with 
a 12-foot seine. There were actually millions of them, chiefly 
Notropis cayuga. In other places Notropis blennius was the most 
abundant species. 

These schools seen in the fall vary much in size, from small to 
very large. They are seen to best advantage on still, bright sun- 
shiny days, even when the air is quite cold. They are seen most 
often about or under piers or boats. 

We are unable at this time to explain why these small fishes col- 
lect in schools and come out into shallow water in the fall. It 
evidently has no relation to their feeding habits or their breeding 
habits; nor does it appear to be for the purpose of getting away 
from the bass and other carnivorous fishes; as a matter of fact 
many of them fall prey to water-dogs which crawl up close to shore 
and devour the fishes in considerable numbers. It may be a reac- 
tion to temperature. 

c. There is still another movement that occurs daily during 
the summer and early fall. We refer to the coming of bass and 
other fishes into shallow water at night. This is a well-marked 
movement and occurs more or less evidently every still night in 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 287 

summer, especially in August and September. The species that 
participate are both large- and small-mouth black bass, rock bass, 
yellow perch, walleyed pike, dogfish and even suckers and catfish. 
This movement is clearly a factor in the feeding habits of the 
species concerned ; they evidently come at night into shallow water 
along shore for the purpose of feeding upon the young and small 
fishes and other life found there, especially insects which oviposit 
in the water surface near shore. 

For this reason seining operations along shore at night were al- 
ways interesting, because species could then be gotten which could 
not ordinarily be found there in day time. 

The intelligent anglers, well aware of this habit, particularly 
of the large-mouth bass and the walleyed pike, will be found troll- 
ing or casting near shore in the evening. And the enthusiasts who 
fish after dark know that it is worth while to do their casting and 
trolling near shore at the edges of the rushes and other vegetation. 

2. From Lake Maxinkuckee to Lost Lake: To what extent do 
bass and other fishes leave Lake Maxinkuckee in the fall and go 
down into Lost Lake and on to Tippecanoe River? And to what 
extent do they return in the spring? These are very important 
questions. The abundance and the permanence of the supply of 
fishes in the lake will be dependent in large measure upon the facts 
suggested in these questions. 

In the opinion of many residents about the lake and of many 
of the anglers who visit it, a great many of the game fishes leave 
the lake in the fall and go through the Outlet down into Lost Lake. 
Some think they all stop and spend the winter in Lost Lake and 
return to Lake Maxinkuckee in the spring. Others think that 
many of them go on down the Outlet stream to Tippecanoe River, 
perhaps to return to the lake in the spring, or perhaps not. All 
are agreed that the species most concerned is the large-mouth bass, 
and the small-mouth black bass to a less extent. 

So general and strong is the belief in this alleged migratory 
movement that, at various times, those holding this view have suc- 
ceeded in having a screen put across the Outlet at the railroad 
bridge in the fall to prevent the fish from going down. The screen 
would be installed in September and kept in place until sometime 
in the winter or early spring when it would be removed in order 
to let the fish return if they wished to do so. 

During our investigations we gave considerable attention to 
this question. As the Outlet is only a few rods (about 40) from 
where we stopped when at the lake we were able to make almost 
daily observations on the fish at that place. Our observations cov- 

1917618 



288 Lake Maxmkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

ered practically all of the fall of 1900, 1904, 1906, 1907, and 1913, 
and during parts of other falls. 

A few of our records may be given as typical. 

September 28, 1900, a good-sized school of straw bass of various 
sizes, mostly small, under railroad bridge. 

October 21, 1904, a few small straw bass in Outlet above the 
screen this morning ; about as many near a minnow box in the Out- 
let below the screen. 

October 23, one small straw bass against the screen. 

October 25, a small school of little straw bass under the railroad 
bridge. 

October 26, a school of small straw bass and one yellow perch 
under the railroad bridge, the perch having moved down from 
under the wagon bridge. 

October 27, water too rough and foamy for observation. 

October 28, a good sized school of small straw bass near the 
screen. In the afternoon there was a school of perhaps 1,000 skip- 
jacks under and at each side of the wagon bridge, heads up stream 
and skipping some. 

October 29, a number of small straw bass in morning and at 
noon; also a school of skipjacks and a few common sunfish 
(Eupomotis gibbosus) . 

October 31, only a few straw bass (same school previously 
noted) under railroad bridge. Immense school of skipjacks under 
wagon bridge at noon; nothing seen in evening. 

November 1, nothing seen early in morning but probably the 
same school seen later, also on 2d, and a smaller one on the 3d. 

November 4, a few small straw bass under railroad bridge 
all day. 

November 5, 6, 7, and 9, only a few seen each day. 

November 11, 12, 13, and 15, no fish at Outlet. 

November 17, a few straw-colored minnows at noon. 

November 18, nothing in morning, a few straw-colored minnows 
at noon. 

November 19, nothing under railroad bridge; a few straw-col- 
ored minnows under wagon bridge at morning and noon. 

November 20, nothing except a few straw-colored minnows 
under railroad bridge in morning, nothing at noon, a few in even- 
ing. 

November 23, nothing. 

November 26, nothing. 

December 10, a large school of straw-colored minnows. 

December 12, nothing. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 289 

The observations of other years show essentially the same con- 
ditions. 

Much to our regret, spring records are largely wanting, due to 
the fact that neither of us was at the lake during the spring ex- 
cept in 1901, when the importance of this question had not yet 
been fully realized. Such observations, however, as were made in 
the spring do not confirm the belief that there is any appreciable 
spring movement into Lake Maxinkuckee. 

It will be noted that the large-mouth black bass (straw bass) 
is the species that was most frequently observed, and that the in- 
dividuals seen were almost without exception young or very small 
ones. 

Migration of fishes through the Outlet of Lake Maxinkuckee 
might consist of any one or more of the following movements: 

1. From the lake into Lost Lake either (a) to remain perma- 
nently or (b) to return to the larger lake in the spring. 

2. From the lake into Lost Lake and on down into the Tippe- 
canoe River either (a) to remain there permanently or (b) to re- 
turn to Lake Maxinkuckee in the spring. 

3. From Tippecanoe River to Lake Maxinkuckee either (a) 
to remain in it permanently or (b) to return to the river in the 
fall. 

4. From Lost Lake to Lake Maxinkuckee either (a) to remain 
permanently, or (b) to return to the smaller lake in the fall. 

It is evident that the only movement that can seriously affect the 
fishing in the larger lake is that which is not followed by a return 
migration. If a fall migration out of the lake is followed by a cor- 
responding spring migration into the lake, the supply of fish in the 
lake is not materially affected. This is true whether the fall mi- 
gration carries the fish only to Lost Lake or on down into the 
Tippecanoe River. If the fish should go into Lost Lake and remain 
there the supply in the larger lake would be deceased by so much 
and that in Lost Lake correspondingly increased. As the two lakes 
are only a few rods apart this would not greatly affect the fishing 
in the general Maxinkuckee region ; if the fish could not be found 
in one lake they could in the other. But if the fish go on down to 
the Tippecanoe River and do not return the fishing in the Maxin- 
kuckee region suffers. 

Aside from the evidence secured through observations at the 
Outlet, very important, if not conclusive, evidence has been ob- 
tained as one of the results of another and very different investiga- 
tion, namely, a study of the geographic distribution of the Union- 
ida3 or freshwater mussels in the Maxinkuckee-Tippecanoe region. 



290 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

As is now well known, the young of the various species of fresh- 
water mussels are carried as parasites on the fins and gills of fishes 
for a ' considerable period. When sufficiently developed, these 
young, known as glochidia, slough off and drop to the bottom at 
any place where the fish happens to be at the time, and there enter 
upon an independent existence. If there were any considerable 
migration of fishes from one of these waters to the other it is highly 
probable that glochidia of mussels from the one body of water 
would be carried to and dropped in the other. We should there- 
fore find some river mussels in the lake and some lake mussels in 
the river; in other words, the mussel faunas of the lake and that 
section of the Tippecanoe River adjacent to the outlet stream 
should closely resemble each other. But such is not the case ; as a 
matter of fact, they are almost wholly different. It is not believed 
this would be possible if there were any marked interchange of 
fishes between the two waters. This feature of the case is con- 
sidered more fully in the discussion of the mussel fauna of the lake, 
to which the reader is referred. 

Another important fact must be kept in mind. As already 
stated the large-mouth black bass is the species which, of all, is 
popularly believed to leave the lake in the fall, and which is most 
often seen in the Outlet. But that these fish go down to Tippe- 
canoe River is rendered extremely doubtful by the fact that this 
species is not known from the portion of the Tippecanoe River 
concerned. Considerable and frequent collecting in the river at 
and near the mouth of the outlet stream has failed to discover a 
single example of the large-mouth black bass in those waters ; and 
anglers familiar with the Tippecanoe River rarely, if ever, find 
that species in that stream. 

During the autumn of 1906, on various occasions, hauls with the 
seine were made in the Outlet about two or 2^ miles below Lost 
Lake, and on various occasions trips were made along the whole 
or part of the Outlet, and the species of fishes noted. Although 
both the seine-hauls and several of the trips were made at a time 
of year when the fishes are supposed to be migrating, and the 
seining was done in just such places as they would naturally lurk, 
no bass were observed, only a few small suckers, minnows, and 
darters, some species of which make their home in the Outlet but 
do not ascend to the lake at all. We are therefore forced to the 
conclusion that such migration or movement of fishes in and out of 
Lake Maxinkuckee as may occur is negligible and that screening 
the Outlet will serve no useful purpose. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 291 

FOOD AND PARASITES OF THE FISHES 

BY CHAELES BRANCH WILSON 

INTRODUCTION 

The paper herewith presented is one of those resulting from 
an investigation of the animal and plant life found in Lake Max- 
inkuckee and neighboring waters. The author was sent to the 
lake in the summer of 1906, and directed to study the parasites 
and diseases affecting the fishes of the region. 

Mr. H. Walton Clark assisted the writer during his stay at the 
lake in 1906, and, at various times thereafter, collected and sent 
to him additional material which has been useful in the study of 
the food and the external parasites of the fishes of this lake. 

Unfortunately no record could be found of such a study of a 
limited area of fresh-water, where the entire ground could be 
covered. Consequently there has been no precedent to serve for 
guidance and much of the work has been preparatory rather than 
conclusive. 

The fishes studied were mostly the game and food fishes caught 
by local and visiting sportsmen, and hence just the ones most de- 
sirable. Young fish of the same species and others too small or 
otherwise unfit for food were caught with a seine. 

In this way nearly 1,500 fish, adults and young, were examined 
during July, August, and the first week in September, and care- 
ful records were kept of the food and parasites observed. 

It was soon realized that any intelligent discussion of the para- 
sites must include their life histories and also a careful study of 
their habits, their enemies, and the physical conditions which 
might prove advantageous or detrimental to their growth. 

For the three genera of parasitic copepods these data were 
all obtained, in the case of two of them for the first time; for the 
various genera of cestodes, trematodes, and Acanthocephali, the 
data have been already published by Dr. Edwin Linton in his vari- 
ous excellent papers- dealing with the internal parasites of fresh- 
water fishes. But for the leeches, which bid fair to prove the most 
important of the parasites, only a crude beginning could be made. 
Their importance was not realized until late in the season; only 
a little time could then be given to them, and they are not a group 
that can be easily handled. 

The lake was found to be exceedingly well balanced in both its 
animal and vegetable life, and the fish proved to be disappoint- 



292 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

ingly healthy. And yet, on second thought, a region where the 
various kinds of life are well suited to their environment and 
properly balanced can be made fully as profitable a subject of 
study as one filled with contamination and disease. 

A remedy or preventative is always of more value than the dis- 
ease which it cures; indeed, the only true incentive for the study 
of any disease is the hope of thereby finding an effective cure or 
preventative. Hence the careful investigation of such conditions 
as prevail at Lake Maxinkuckee ought to reveal the proper balance 
between parasite and host, and show how the former are prevented 
from multiplying fast enough to become dangerous. With such 
a purpose the following observations have been recorded, and it is 
hoped they may also serve as a basis for future work along the 
same lines. 

The physical and general ecological conditions obtaining at 
Lake Maxinkuckee are considered in detail in another portion of 
this report. The conditions which make possible the abundant fish- 
life of the lake are fully considered the depth of the lake, the char- 
acter of the water, the remarkable richness and profusion of plant 
life, and the abundance and variety .of many groups of aquatic 
animals and need not be repeated here. 

Of the 64 species of fishes known to inhabit Lake Maxinkuckee 
and immediately connecting waters 27 species were studied by the 
writer with relation to their food and parasites. Among these are 
included practically all the food and game fishes of the lake (at 
least 12 species) and also a considerable number of minnows and 
darters, of which there are in the lake no fewer than 10 species. 

This wealth of small fishes bears a most important relation to 
the general economy of the larger food and game fishes, as will 
be seen in the following considerations. 

In the first place, they furnish food directly to the larger fishes, 
the majority of which are carnivorous. Ten of the species cer- 
tainly depend upon these small fish for a portion of their food. 
And these ten include all the game fishes of the lake except the 
crappie and the bluegill. For the different kinds of bass and 
perch there is no bait that can compare with a lively minnow. And 
the best of the artificial baits are made in imitation of the min- 
now, either directly simulating its form (Hildebrandt), or indi- 
rectly imitating the gleam of its body darting through the water 
(the various trolling spoons) . Then, too, every fisherman knows 
by repeated experience that it is not the food fish alone that are 
partial to minnow bait. Many of the worthless fish are only too 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 293 

willing to seize the tempting morsel and bring disgust to the angler 
who, after a hard fight, was looking for something much better. 
Again it must be remembered that the fish just enumerated were 
examined during the summer season when their other food is es- 
pecially abundant. They could be expected therefore, to yield only 
minimum returns in the line of fish food. 

In the winter, on the other hand, when the plankton, frogs, 
crawfish, mollusks, and algse are less numerous, the proportion of 
fish food probably increases. And it would not be surprising to 
find even the crappie and bluegill eating darters and minnows 
then. There is much reflection in the thought that not only is a 
minnow the one bait available for fishing through the ice, but in 
all probability it is the best that could be offered. Necessity and 
choice go hand in hand for once. 

In the second place, the minnows themselves feed almost en- 
tirely upon plankton and insect larvae, and hence an abundance of 
these foods is requisite to keep up the supply. Fortunately the 
lake is very rich in just these creatures, and although the swarms 
of may-flies, gnats and other dipters may occasion the angler some 
inconvenience at times, he has but to remember how essential they 
are to the life of the fish he is endeavoring to secure. 

Species of fish studied:* In discussing the food and parasites 
as here recorded it will be better to take up the different kinds 
separately, considering their relative importance and abundance, 
and proposing such recommendations as have been suggested dur- 
ing the progress of the work. 

1. Dogfish ; bowfin. Amia calva. 

Only six specimens were examined, in whose stomachs were 
found chiefly crawfish and minnows, with the remains of other 
small fishes, mollusks and algje. Each of the six fishes contained 
internal parasites, trematodes in the mouth and throat, and ces- 
todes and Acanthocephali in the stomach and intestine. There was 
also a trematode (Azygia tereticolle) in the gills of four of the 
specimens. On the outside of the body one fish yielded Argulus 
americanus, and three gave two different species of leeches. 

The dogfish in Lake Maxinkuckee seem to be unusually free 
from tapeworms. All those examined elsewhere are invariably 
found loaded down with masses of tapeworms, the penalty of their 
voracious and carnivorous habits, but here they seem to have es- 
caped. 

* Considerable additional data regarding the food of Maxinkuckee fishes will be found in 
the chapter on Fishes (pp. 306-451). 



294 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

2. Yellow Cat. Ameiurus natalis. 

One hundred and twenty-two specimens of this species were 
obtained, all but 10 of them from Lost Lake. Such of the food as 
could be recognized consisted entirely of small fish and crawfish, 
but in the great majority of cases nothing could be distinguished. 
This species is the true host of Argulus maculosus and more than 
60 specimens were obtained, nearly half of the. fish examined being 
infested with the parasite. On the yellow cat, also, a new species 
of Ergasilus E. versicolor, was more abundant than on the bull- 
head. Leeches were commonly found in the mouth and around 
the lips, and occasionally on the fins, while nearly every specimen 
showed trematodes and many of them Acanthocephali in the stom- 
ach. 

3. Common Bullhead. Ameiurus nebulosus. 

Twenty specimens were examined, half of which were caught 
in Lake Maxinkuckee and the other half in Lost Lake. 

Partially digested fish were found in the stomachs of four speci- 
mens; in a fifth many seeds of the water lily, Castalia odorata, 
while in the remainder there was a small mass of indistinguishable 
animal remains. About one fish out of four proved to be the host 
of Argulus maculosus, three or four of these parasites being ob- 
tained from the outside surface and fins of a single fish. A single 
leech was found fastened to the lip of the fish in three specimens ; 
on the gill-filaments of eight others were a very few specimens 
(only 12 in all) of a new species of Ergasilus, which has been 
named E. versicolor, and which will be found described on page 
341, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 39. In the stomach of nearly every 
fish were found trematodes and Acanthocephali. 

4. Mad Tom. Schilbeoties gyrlnus. 

The stomachs of the specimens examined contained beach- 
fleas, which are very common in the lake. The mad toms lie 
among the Chara where these Crustacea are plentiful. 

We thus see that the cat-fishes as a whole are omnivorous, eat- 
ing both animal and vegetable food. The larger cats feed mainly 
on small fish and crawfish, while the smaller ones eat the smaller 
Crustacea. 

5. Buffalo-fish. Ictiobus cyprinella. 

A single specimen of this large sucker was found dead and float- 
ing at the surface in one of the deeper parts of the lake. 

It had not been dead more than an hour or two when secured, 
and so was practically freshly caught. It measured 4 feet in 
length and 3 feet in girth, and weighed 75 pounds. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 295 

Its stomach was filled to distention with chironomus larvae and 
the remains of algae, the latter so digested as to be incapable of 
identification. A few trematodes were found on the gills and 
cestodes in the stomach and intestine, but no external parasites of 
any kind were seen. 

6. White Sucker. Catostomus commersonii. 

Only four specimens of this fish were examined and two of 
these were found dead near the shore. From one of them and 
from the two freshly caught, were obtained eight specimens of 
Argulus catostomi, four males and four females. The stomachs 
of these fish contained only an indistinguishable mass of dirt and 
vegetable remains. Many teeches were found on the dead fish but 
it was impossible to determine whether they had fastened to the 
fish before or after their death. 

7. Hog-molly; Stone-roller. Hypentelium nigricans. 

Two specimens of this sucker were obtained from Yellow River 
four miles north of Lake Maxinkuckee. Their stomachs were 
found to be filled with mud and a mixture of animal and vegetable 
remains, the only things distinguishable being a few insect larva?. 
No parasites were found anywhere upon them. 

8. Chub Sucker. Erimyzon sucetta. 

Two specimens of this sucker also were obtained from Yellow 
River in connection with the preceding species. The stomachs of 
both were empty and no parasites were found anywhere upon 
them. 

9. Blunt-nose Minnow. Pimephales notatus. 

One of the most common forms, and also one of the best for 
bait because it is so hardy and long-lived. The stomachs of five 
specimens showed insect remains and plankton, the latter chiefly 
Bosmina 1 and Cyclops. 

10. Silver-fin. Notropis whipplii. 

Another common form, and one greedily eaten by all the food 
fishes. The stomachs of two specimens showed insect larvae, water 
mites, and plankton. 

11. Grass Pike ; Pickerel. Esox vermiculatus. 

A single specimen of this pickerel from Lost Lake showed the 
usual fish remains in the stomach together with trematodes and 
cestodes. A trematode (Azygia tereticolle) was also found on 
the gills, and a leech was fastened to the tongue near its tip. 

1 We have not endeavored to distinguish between the genera Bosmina and Chydorus. 



296 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

12. Grayback Minnow. Fundulus diaphanus. 

Abundant in shallow water and makes excellent bait. The 
stomachs of four of these killifish contained several small snails, 
six water mites, many Bosmina and a few Cypris. In each of 
them were also found several trematode parasites. 

13. Top Minnow. Fundulus dispar. 

Fairly common along shore, but more abundant in the Outlet 
and in Lost Lake. The stomach contents of three examined con- 
sisted entirely of surface plankton, amongst which was a cope- 
podid larva of Achtheres which also swims at the surface. 

14. Brook Stickleback. Eucalia inconstans. 

Nothing was learned of its food under natural conditions but 
some which were kept in an aquarium eagerly snapped up red 
worms (Chironomus larvse) and small entomostraca, such as 
Cypris, shaken from the towing net into the water. 

A single specimen was secured in a good state of preservation 
from the throat of a large-mouthed bass which was just endeavor- 
ing to swallow it. There was nothing recognizable in the stomach 
and no parasites of any kind were found. 

15. Skipjack. Labidesthes sicculus. 

This species is also abundant in shoal water along the shore. 
Like the top-minnow it feeds almost exclusively at the surface, 
frequently jumping out of the water. Neither this species nor the 
top-minnow is of much value for bait since they die so quickly 
in the minnow buckets and when placed on the hook. 

16. Calico Bass. Pomoxis sparoides. 

Twenty specimens were examined, whose food so far as could 
be determined consisted entirely of plankton and insect remains. 

From the gills of two of them were obtained six specimens of 
Ergasilus centrarchidariim, while in the mouth of two others were 
found several leeches. It was noticeable that the largest fish ex- 
amined, one and a half and one pound respectively, were entirely 
free from parasites, while the smallest ones were most infested. 

17. Red-eye; Rock Bass. Ambloplites rupestris. 

Two hundred and sixty specimens of this fish were examined, 
and they were of all sizes from one inch to 11 inches in length. 
The small ones were captured in a minnow seine, while the larger 
ones were obtained from the fishermen. 

The food of the smaller ones, four inches and under, was found 
to be chiefly plankton, and small fish. The plankton was largely 
Bosmina, Daphnia, and Cyclops, and there were also a few may- 
fly and other insect larvse. Among the small fish were two mad 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 297 

toms, Schilbeodes gyrinus, the pectoral spine of one of which had 
pierced the stomach wall of the red-eye that swallowed it, and was 
imbedded in the flesh of the body wall. Other small fish that could 
be identified amongst the food of the red-eyes were Etheostoma, 
iowse, Labidesthes sicculus, and Notropis whipplii. 

On several occasions some of the small red-eyes were kept over 
night in minnow buckets along with minnows, and in nearly every 
instance they improved the opportunity and swallowed some of the 
minnows. From the stomachs of these red-eyes, in addition to the 
small fish just mentioned, there were taken also specimens of 
Pimephales notatus, Notropis cornutus, Fundulus dispar, and 
Fundulus diaphanus menona. 

The larger red-eyes, four inches and over, ate mostly crawfish, 
minnows, and darters of the various kinds just mentioned. 

For parasites, Ergasilus centrarchidarum was found upon the 
gill-filaments of even the smallest specimens examined. With rare 
exceptions the gills of every fish contained some of these parasites, 
and often 50 to 75 could be obtained from a single fish. To the 
gill-arches of the larger specimens were attached Achtheres am- 
bloplitis; these were much less plentiful than the Ergasilus and 
many of the fish were entirely free from them. 

Leeches were found in the mouth or on the fins of about one- 
third of the fish, while cestodes and trematodes were nearly always 
present in the stomach and intestine. 

18. Warmouth Bass. Chssnobryttus gulosus. 

Only three specimens of this fish were examined, and nothing 
could be determined as to the food of any of them. On the gills 
of one were found three specimens of Ergasilus centrarchidarum 
and on another seven. No other parasites were found. 

19. Bluegill. Lepomis pallidus. 

One hundred and fifty of these sunfishes were examined, includ- 
ing many small ones caught in the minnow seine. 

The smaller ones, like the smaller red-eyes, had eaten mostly 
plankton. From the stomach of one, three-quarters of an inch in 
length, were taken many Bosmina, five or six Cyclops, one Daphnia, 
and much that was indistinguishable. From another fish, two and 
a half inches long, were secured two green beetles and the re- 
mains of other insects. In a third, 65 millimeters in length, were 
many Bosmina, two blue, and 12 red, water mites, and two insects 
like ants. A fourth, 18 millimeters in length, contained several 
Cyclops, Bosmina, and Daphnia like the first one, but in addition 
there were two copepodid larvaB of Achtheres. As these larval 



298 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

parasites were attempting to fasten themselves to the gills of the 
little fish, they evidently met their just deserts and were swallowed. 

The stomachs of the larger bluegills contained many Chirono- 
mus larvae. Of 50 obtained near the middle of August the stom- 
ach of every one was gorged with the tender tips of Potamogeton, 
Heteranthera, Naias, and other water plants. But most of the 
vegetable matter was so chewed and digested as to be incapable of 
identification. 

Ergasilus centrarchidarum was obtained from the gill-filaments 
and Achtheres ambloplitis from the gill-arches of a few fish, but 
neither parasite was at all common. 

To the sportsman, acquainted with the carnivorous habits of 
most game fishes, this vegetable diet of the bluegill comes as a 
surprise, but of course the fish eats many animals also. In the 
summer they eat Potamogeton, Ceratophyllum, Naias, some 
Chironomus larvse, and a few Sphseriums. In the fall they eat 
large branches of the brown bryozoan of the lake, Plumatella poly- 
morpha, Rivularia, and bits of Chara. 

These bluegills are particularly infested with leeches, some 
being found on nearly every fish, and often eight or 10 huddled 
together on the roof of the mouth of one fish. Trematodes also 
occur on the gills and cestodes and Acanthocephali in the stomach 
and intestine. 

20. Sunfish; Bream. Eupomotis gibbosus. 

Only six specimens of this fish were examined, the food of which 
consisted of insect larvse, mollusks, and small crawfish. One ex- 
ample had two tapeworms in its stomach, but there were no ex- 
ternal parasites on the gills or the outside of the body. 

21. Small-mouthed Black Bass. Micropterus dolomieu. 
Twenty-five specimens of this fish showed almost nothing beside 

crawfish and minnows; what there was of other material was so 
digested that it could not be identified. 

Every bass had at least some specimens of Ergasilus centrarchi- 
darum on its gill-filaments, and about half of them (11) had also 
Achtheres ambloplitis on the gill-arches. There were usually but 
two or three of the latter on a single fish, but from one bass weigh- 
ing one and a half pounds there were taken 37 specimens, includ- 
ing both sexes and every stage of development from a copepodid 
larva just attached up to the mature adult. 

Cestodes were also found on the gills and in the stomach, and 
Acanthocephali in the stomach and intestines. A single leech was 
taken from the pectoral fin of one of the smaller specimens. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 299 

22. Large-mouthed Bass. Micropterus salmoides. 

Fifteen of these fish were obtained for examination during the 
summer, and in most of them the digestive tract contained noth- 
ing that could be identified with certainty. From three were ob- 
tained crawfish, and from one of these and four others the remains 
of small fish. Five young fry taken in the minnow seine gave bet- 
ter results. One, 45 millimeters long contained many Cypris, 
Daphnia, and other entcmostraca, one Chironomus larva, and an 
Achtheres copepodid larva. Another, the same length, contained 
the same entomostraca and their eggs, and a strange alga. A 
third, 52 millimeters long, had its stomach nearly filled with amphi- 
pods. A fourth, 55 millimeters in length contained an Achtheres 
larva and a lot of indeterminable material. The fifth one, 70 milli- 
meters long, contained only fish remains. 

All the larger fish and four of the small ones contained cestodes 
and Acanthocephali ; the fourth small one just enumerated yielded 
four species of these parasites from the stomach alone. 

Achtheres ambloplitis was found on the gill-arches of four of 
the large fish, and Ergasilus centrarchidarum on the gill-filaments 
of four of the smaller ones. 

23. Wall-eyed Pike; "Salmon". Stizostedion vitreum. 
Twenty-four of these perch were obtained for examination, the 

largest of which weighed four pounds and the smallest a pound 
and a half. The only thing obtained from their stomachs in the 
way of food was the remains of small fish, too far digested in every 
instance to allow of identification. 

They were all badly infested with Acanthocephali, six or eight 
large specimens being often found in the stomach of a single fish. 
Trematodes were also common in the stomach and intestines. 
Ergasilus centrarchidarum in small numbers was found on the 
gill-filaments of three of the fish. 

No leeches were found on any of the fish, but this is no doubt 
partly due to the fact that during the summer the walleyes stay 
in deep water. In the spring when they come into shallow water 
to breed they are probably as badly infested with leeches here 
in this lake as they have been found to be elsewhere. 

The author had the privilege of examining 200 walleyes at the 
Hatching Station at Swanton, Vermont, on the extreme northern 
end of Lake Champlain, in the spring of 1905. 

With very few exceptions every fish had at least a few leeches 
somewhere on its body, and from the roof of the mouth of one four- 
pound female were taken 40 large specimens. 



300 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

24. Yellow Perch. Perca flavescens. 

One hundred and fifty of these perch were examined at differ- 
ent times, and in their stomachs were found insect larvae, amphi- 
pods, small fish, mollusk remains, crawfish, and in the smaller speci- 
mens, plankton and a few algae. 

Ergasilus centrarchidarum was found on the gill-filaments of 
nearly every fish, but although careful search was made not a single 
specimen of Achtheres was secured. 

A large species of cestode was found in the throat of many 
specimens whither it seemed to have crawled from the stomach 
after the fish's death. Large leeches were also found in the mouth 
of 50 of the fish; trematodes and Acanthocephali were found in 
the stomach and intestine of about one-third of the specimens. Of 
two examined October 27, 1904, one contained a rather large rock 
crawfish, and the other a number of Sphseriums. 

One found dead on shore November 1, 1904, contained a large 
dragon-fly larva. 

On October 3, 1904, many perch were caught fishing from the 
pier. They all contained medium sized crawfishes. Of two perch 
about six inches long examined October 22, 1904, one contained 8 
small Physa and the other a well digested fish. Of a number of 
small perch caught off the Gravelpit September 25, 1900, three 
contained crawfishes, one had 28 small Physas, five others had a 
few Physas each, and one had two Vivipara opercula. 

25. Manitou Darter, Per dim caprodes zebra. 

The largest and one of the most common darters in the lake. 
Eight specimens from two and a half to three and three-quarters 
inches in length were examined. They all contained much indis- 
tinguishable insect remains ; in four, may-fly larvae could be recog- 
nized, in two others beach fleas, and in one Bosmina, Daphnia and 
Chironomus larvae. 

26. Johnny Darter. Boleosoma nigrum. 

Another very common species found everywhere in shallow 
water. Of the five specimens examined, two yielded beach fleas, 
two Chironomus larvae, and one an ant-like insect which could not 
be determined. In addition they all contained partly digested in- 
sect remains, and one had a trematode parasite in its stomach. 

27. Iowa Darter. Etheostoma iowse,. 

Fairly common along shore in the shallow water where it lurks 
amid the algae on the bottom. Of the three specimens examined 
each contained several beach fleas and a mass of indistinguishable 
insect remains. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 301 

The algse and water plants furnish ideal breeding places for 
these entomostraca and insect larvae on which the minnows and 
darters feed, and so long as they remain there need be no fear of 
any diminution in this important food item. 

Amongst their other food the minnows which frequent the 
surface eat more or less of the larvse of the parasitic copepods 
which infest the larger food fish. They thus not only serve as food 
for the larger fish, but also are of great value in helping to keep 
these obnoxious parasites within due bounds. 

This double service greatly increases their economic value and 
makes their preservation a matter of considerable importance. 

There is every probability that the darters which frequent the 
eel grass at the bottom of the lake feed to some extent upon the 
small leeches which breed there. These leeches are the worst 
enemies of the food fish, and anything that contributes to their de- 
struction is worthy of careful fostering and protection. 

Such being the relation between the minnows and darters 
and the food fish the following facts become worthy of careful 
consideration : 

1. None of the darters and only three or four of the minnows 
are of any value as bait. They die quickly in the minnow buckets 
and still more quickly when placed upon the hook. 

Every one that dies in a minnow bucket acts as a killing agent to 
the minnow's left alive, and every one put upon a hook decreases 
by so much the angler's chance for success. 

2. The very kinds that are of least value as bait are of most 
service in keeping down the parasites which infest the food fish. 
Under natural conditions also they are as often eaten by the large 
fish as any of the bait species. 

3. In seining for minnow bait all kinds of minnows and dar- 
ters get into the net, and nearly always the young fry of larger fish, 
particularly those of the large and small-mouthed bass, bluegills, 
red-eyes, sunfish, and catfish. 

4. Very few of the fishermen and none of the boys who seine 
for minnows can distinguish these different kinds one from 
another. Those who can do so have never been taught the eco- 
nomic value of these small fish, and, if they stop to think at all, con- 
sider them good for nothing if they do not make suitable bait. 

Consequently the good ones, or usually all that are large enough, 
are put in the minnow bucket, and the rest are left to die on the 
shore where the seine was pulled out and examined. 

5. Such indiscriminate destruction is a serious menace to the 



302 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

fishing interests. The supply of bait, if obtained in this manner, 
is by no means "inexhaustible" as Judge Capron would have us be- 
lieve. And worse than all is the wanton destruction of small fish 
that are of no value directly to the angler, but are of immense im- 
portance in the economy of the fish life of the lake. Hence the 
following recommendations seem in order : 

, a. Some means should be taken to acquaint the fishermen and 
especially the seine boys with the common minnows and darters, 
and with such fish fry as they are likely to get in their seines. 

A collection of the common species, well labelled and placed in 
the office of the hotels frequented by fishermen would help greatly 
in this direction. The publication of a small folder setting forth 
these facts briefly and plainly, and its free distribution among 
fishermen would also tend to arouse their interest and turn it in 
the right direction. 

b. There is already a law which limits the size of the seine 
that can be used in catching minnows. There should be a corollary 
to that law making it compulsory to throw back alive into the 
water everything that was not kept for bait. 

c. There should be some restriction in the use of minnows. 
Most anglers take too many in their buckets, and they die rapidly 
and are thrown away without having served any legitimate pur- 
pose. 

Insect Larvae 

Amid the wealth of insect forms which surround the lake and 
teem in its waters, a few may be selected as of more importance in 
consequence of their value as fish food. 

I. The Diptera. Two-winged Flies. 

This immense order is represented by an abundance of the 
aquatic larvse of the Culicidse (mosquito) and Chironomidae 
(midge) families. 

Species of Chironomus are particularly abundant, and the long 
jelly strings containing their eggs are common everywhere among 
the algae during the earlier part of the season. Some of these eggs 
were hatched and reared in aquariums and it was found that the 
young larvse ate Spirogyra and similar algae greedily. 

These larvae are eaten by many of the fish in the lake, notably 
the crappie, the darters, young bass fry, and even by the huge 
buffalo-fish. 

The larvae of some culicid were found in the stomachs of two 
darters, Etheosoma IOWSR and Percina caprodes, and in the young 
fry of Eupomotis gibbosus and Perca flavescens. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 303 

These Culicidse also furnish food for the dragon-flies and damsel- 
flies ; the adult dragon-fly eats the adult mosquito, gnat, midge, etc., 
while the dragon-fly nymph feeds just as voraciously on their wrig- 
gler larva?. The larger fish feed upon the dragon-flies, both adults 
and nymphs, and thus indirectly upon these Diptera. 

II. The Ephemerida. May-flies. 

These may-flies or shad-flies are all aquatic, and their nymphs 
can be found everywhere in countless numbers amid the algae and 
near the surface of the water. Several times during the early 
summer the tow consisted almost entirely of these nymphs and 
their cast skins from which the sub-imagos had emerged. 

These were the larger Species having a limited period of emer- 
gence, the adults of which suddenly appear in countless numbers 
along the lake shore and as suddenly disappear. 

At such times the sub-imagos and images fairly covered the 
screens at the doors and windows after nightfall, and there was 
no difficulty in collecting a sixteen-ounce bottle full every evening 
around the lantern on the wharf. In the morning the entire top 
of the wharf would be found covered with the sub-imago skins 
fastened as closely together as they could stand. 

But most of the species are not thus limited, and only a few 
adults emerge at a time, the nymphs being taken commonly in the 
tow during the entire summer up to the first of August. The lar- 
vae are very active and swim about among the water plants, feed- 
ing for the most part upon algae, including beside the plankton 
scums, diatoms and conferva. The larva lives from one to three 
years, thus compensating in a measure for the short life of the 
adult. 

Both larvae and adults are eaten by nearly every fish in the 
lake, and thus constitute an important item in their food. 

In particular they are a favorite food with the crappie, the 
redeye, the perch, the darters, the catfish, the suckers, and the 
minnows. The fact to which Howard calls attention in his Insect 
Book is worthy of repetition here in emphasizing the value of 
these insects for fish food. Imitation shad-flies furnish one of the 
best possible' baits in regions where the real insects abound. The 
flies known as duns, drakes, and spinners, which are used by Eng- 
lish anglers, are imitations of Ephemerids. One of the best arti- 
ficial baits at Lake Maxinkuckee is known as the Hildebrandt spin- 
ner, in which the hook is covered with a tuft of feathers to simu- 
late an Ephemerid. 



2017618 



304 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

III. The Odonata. Dragon-flies and Damsel-flies. 

Treatment of the species of this order in their relation to fish- 
life will be found in the chapter of this report (p. 648) giving a 
systematic list of the species of Dragon-flies and Damsel-flies known 
to occur in the vicinity of Lake Maxinkuckee. 

Leeches 

These are found in great numbers everywhere around the lake, 
and it is safe to say that there is not a species of fish that does not 
suffer from their ravages. They are frequently found on mussels 
also, as well as on turtles, crawfish, and mud-puppies. And they 
do not refrain from attacking cattle and even human beings while 
wading through the eel-grass near the shore. 

They often congregate in considerable numbers upon some ani- 
mal which has been subjected to adverse conditions and make it 
so much the harder for it to recuperate. Fifty-three specimens of 
Glossiphonia parasitica were taken from the neck of a snapping 
turtle whose shell was only seven inches long. The turtle was 
fairly clean when caught but had been kept for ten days in a fish- 
car with several others of its kind. 

The leeches are more abundant at certain seasons than at 
others, especially in the spring, and there can be no doubt that they 
at least contribute to the killing of the fishes, which perish in such 
numbers at that season. 

They constitute therefore a serious menace to the fishing inter- 
ests ; once let them get the upper hand and they would destroy the 
fish rapidly. Hence it is of interest to ascertain what keeps them 
down and prevents their multiplication in sufficient numbers to 
prove destructive. 

No study of this problem has ever been published so far as 
known ; indeed, but very few papers have appeared upon American 
leeches, and they are concerned entirely with morphology and 
systematization. The most that can be done here is to call atten- 
tion to the importance of the study and record a few observations. 

Leeches lay their eggs in cocoons which are either deposited in 
moist earth or glued to some object in the water. In one or two 
genera the cocoon is covered by the body of the parent, who fur- 
ther cares for the brood by carrying them about with her for some 
time after they have hatched. But usually on hatching the young 
seek the shelter of the algse and water plants in the shallow water 
along shore. From this shelter they emerge to fasten upon what- 
ever host they may select. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 305 

Here among the algse, therefore, we should look for the chief 
enemies of the leeches, and this period immediately after hatching 
must constitute a critical period in their lives. 

There are two groups of animals which frequent the alga3, both 
of which probably eat many of the young leeches, although unfortu- 
nately there is no direct proof of such a fact in the observations 
here recorded. The importance of the leeches was not realized 
until the very close of the summer's work and it was then impos- 
sible to secure the evidence. 

The first is the group of small fishes called darters, that live 
and breed amid the algse. In the few whose stomachs were ex- 
amined were found the larvse of many animals that breed in the 
algae and of some parasites (see p. 300). There is good reason 
to believe that further investigation of the food of these fishes 
would show that they occasionally eat leeches also. 

The second group is even more promising; it is the dragon-fly 
nymphs whose greed and voracity are only too well known. 

They seize and devour everything in sight, and it must happen 
sometimes that they get hold of leeches amongst their other prey. 
At least there is promise enough in these two groups to warrant a 
careful study in the future. 

The fishes get back at the leeches in another way also, since 
the latter are often found in the fish's stomach mingled with other 
food. Marshall and Gilbert, in their "Notes on the Food and 
Parasites of some fresh-water Fishes from the Lakes at Madison, 
Wisconsin" (Appendix to the Report of the Commissioner of Fish- 
eries for 1904, pp. 513-532) record leeches amongst the food of 
Esox Indus, Lepomis pallidus, and Micropterus salmoides. 

That they are eaten by other fish also seems probable from the 
testimony of City Marshal Fisher of Culver, who says they make 
the best fish bait he ever tried. All sorts of fish bite at them 
eagerly, bass, perch, bluegills, sunfish, etc. They are tough, so the 
fish cannot tear them from the hook easily, and often two or more 
fish can be caught with the same bait. 

Here is a good suggestion for the fishermen, especially when 
other bait is scarce, and one that will help to rid the fish of their 
worst enemy. 

Copepod Parasites 

The Copepod Parasites will be found fully treated in connec- 
tion with the other Crustaceans, pp. 717-720. 



306 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

LIST OF SPECIES OF FISHES 

In the following annotated list we use the nomenclature and 
sequence of species of Jordan and Evermann's Fishes of North 
and Middle America. 

1. WESTERN BROOK LAMPREY 

LAMPETRA AEPYPTERA (Abbott) 

No lampreys have been seen by us in Lake Maxinkuckee itself 
and it is possible that they do not occur there. A few catfishes 
were found dead along the east side of the lake in the spring of 
1901, and from marks on their sides it was thought that they might 
have been killed by lampreys, but this is by no means certain. 

Young lampreys, however, are not rare in the Outlet of the lake 
and in some of the smaller lakes of the region. Fishermen about 
the lake who go seining for minnows in the Outlet and other 
streams and waters of the region report -the capture of "young 
eels." 

On June 18, 1901, one of the fishermen living near the lake 
reported that he had two young eels, obtained while seining for 
minnows in an old outlet of a drained mud pond. He said that 
when the lake was drained it was quite full of young eels, and that 
he could get many more where the two had been caught. The 
supposed eels were found to be lampreys. In 1906, a fisherman 
reported finding "young eels" in the Outlet, but none was seen 
by us at that time. 

On October 7, 1907, a trip was taken with men going to seine 
for minnows at a point in Outlet Creek, about 3 miles below the 
lake. The net was dragged through a hole with a muddy bottom, 
and upon being drawn ashore was found to contain a large amount 
of mud in which were several lampreys. A few more were taken in 
a subsequent haul, the total number taken in 4 hauls being 14. 

None of the specimens seen was adult; the largest obtained 
were the two secured in June, 1901, one of which was 132 mm., 
and the other 124 mm. in length. This is less than half the length 
given for the adult, which is given as 12 inches (304.8 mm.). Of 
the 14 specimens secured in the fall of 1907, the largest was 116 
mm. and the smallest only 29 mm. long. 

An interesting characteristic of this species is the size it at- 
tains while still in an immature condition; none of the specimens 
obtained has either teeth or eyes developed, while considerably 
smaller examples of the related /. castaneus, with which it was 
compared, have teeth and eyes well formed. Lampetra wilderi 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 307 

also has well-developed teeth and eyes before it reaches the size 
of the specimens of /. aepyptera at hand. 

The following is a description of the specimen 116 mm. in 
length : 

Head 5.8 in length; depth 19.3; dorsal finfold beginning as a 
low ridge a short distance behind last gill-opening, reaching its 
greatest height (about 8 mm.) a little behind vent, no notch sepa- 
rating it from caudal ; caudal fold quite low ; the dorsal and ventral 
folds extending nearly to end of body; barely any membrane 
beyond caudal tip of body ; ventral fold similar to dorsal, beginning 
as a mere ridge a little behind the last gill-opening. Body ellip- 
tical in cross-section, not much compressed, the thickness from 
side to side being about five-sixths the depth; gill-openings 7 in 
number, branchial space about 9 in body; nostril small, single, 
median, consisting of a small pore somewhat lengthened along the 
axis of the body, surrounded by 3 low flaps forming an equilateral 
triangle with one apex at the anterior end ; upper lip a prominent 
horseshoe-shaped projection, thick at the base, thinner at the edges, 
curving somewhat downward along each side and ending in a 
rounded lobe; lower lip a low open V-shaped ridge; buccal disk 
covered with small, somewhat fringed flaps or papilla?; teeth and 
eyes not developed. 

Color: Back and sides slaty blue, belly whitish, the branchial 
area somewhat paler than the remaining portion of the sides; the 
small dusky spots mentioned in current descriptions as being pres- 
ent above each gill-opening and usually conspicuous even in the 
Iarva3, are not present in our (alcoholic) specimens. The num- 
ber of muscular impressions between the last gill-opening and 
vent in the specimens examined is somewhat larger than given in 
current descriptions, there being 53 to 55 instead of 51. 

These larval lampreys are exceedingly active little creatures, 
and move rapidly through the water or mud by quick lateral 
flexions of the body, their actions much resembling those of some 
of the aquatic salamanders in this respect. They appear to spend 
most of their time in the mud, upon which they feed for the sake 
of the microscopic organisms contained in it, and the fringed flaps 
on the buccal area probably assist in washing the mud into the 
mouth, or in selecting food. The stomach of an example 100 
mm. long was examined. The intestine, a straight tube from the 
mouth to the vent, was pretty well filled with mud. The mud was 
examined and found to contain numerous diatoms, among 
which Navicula was represented by several species; species of 
Synedra, Epithemia, Gomphonema, Stauroneis and Cymbella and 



308 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

an example of Cymatopleura solea were also present. In addition 
to the diatoms 2 examples of the desmid, Closterium dianse, one of 
Gleocapsa, one of Pediastrum, and 2 tests of the rhizopod Euglypha 
alveolata were found. 

It is quite likely that this actively wiggling creature might 
make an attractive bait for some species of fishes, although it is 
not used at the lake. Prof. Simon H. Gage* says of a similar form 
(Lampetra wilderi) "from the tenacity with which the larvae re- 
tain life they have been found excellent bait for all kinds of ordi- 
nary carnivorous fishes. The fishermen along the Cayuga and 
Seneca Lake inlets make considerable use of the larvae for bait. 
This form of bait has not up to the present been much used in the 
lake fisheries, as apparently its excellence is unknown. At Owego, 
on the Susquehannah River, however, quite a business is carried 
on in supplying larval lampreys to fishermen of all kinds, and 
many are shipped to distant points." The larvae are, therefore, 
to be regarded as "non-injurious and positively beneficial by serv- 
ing for bait. The adult Lamprey, however, is injurious, and is 
a common parasite of the sturgeon and other large fishes. The 
following is a description of the adult form : 

Body considerably compressed ; head broad, with a large buccal 
disk, which is moderately fringed ; teeth strong and nearly uniform, 
the 2 supraoral teeth being similar to those on the rest of the disk ; 
lateral teeth all simple; infraoral cusps connivent, 7 in number, 
the middle ones the longest; upper margin of dorsal scarcely de- 
pressed in front of the vent; origin or dorsal nearly midway be- 
tween tip of snout and end of tail ; 51 muscular impressions between 
gill-openings and vent. Head 7.5 ; depth 12. 

Color silvery, bluish above, sometimes with bluish spots; a 
small dusky spot above each gill-opening, usually conspicuous even 
in the larva. Length 12 inches. 

2. PADDLEFISH 

POLYODON SPATHULA (Walbaum) 

The Paddlefish, known also as the Spoonbill Cat, Duckbill Cat 
and Spade-fish, is a fish of the shallow lakes and bayous and slug- 
gish lowland streams of the Mississippi Valley. It is perhaps most 
abundant in those portions of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas 
bordering on the Mississippi, though it occurs as far south as Texas 
and as far north as Minnesota. It is fairly common in the Ohio 
River, at least as far east as Pittsburgh, and a single example, said 
to have been 6 feet 2 inches long and weighing 123.5 pounds, has 

* The Lake and Brook Lampreys of New York. Wilder Quarter-Century Book, 1893, 457. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 309 

been reported from Chautauqua Lake. The senior author has 
taken it in the Missouri Basin as far west as Chamberlain, South 
Dakota. At least one specimen has been taken in Lake Erie* ; 
which it had probably reached through the Wabash and Erie Canal. 

The Paddlefish attains a considerable length, but as much of this 
is taken up by the bill, it does not weigh heavy in proportion. 

Mr. George D. Shannon of Penns Grove, New Jersey, reports 
one from Natchez, Mississippi, 7 feet in total length, which weighed 
about 50 pounds dressed. A male example caught in White River 
near Chamberlain, South Dakota, was 4 feet 5 inches long and 
weighed 18 pounds. The average length of those now caught near 
Natchez does not exceed 4 or 5 feet, and the weight (dressed), 30 
or 40 pounds. A large number examined at Louisville, Kentucky, 
in May, 1898, averaged very much smaller, though all were mature 
fish. They varied in weight (dressed) from .5 to 15 pounds. 




Paddlefish (Polyodon spathitla) 

Some were quite small, not exceeding a foot in length, exclusive 
of the bill and tail. The female is larger than the male. Mr. 
Shannon gives the average length of the females taken at Natchez 
as 5 feet 4 inches, and the weight 40 pounds, and of the males 4 
feet average length and 30 pounds weight. The weight of the roe 
is given by Mr. Shannon as 5 to 12 pounds, but not usually exceed- 
ing the former figure. The weights given by Mr. Shannon seem 
rather large for the lengths, and verifications are much to be de- 
sired. 

The only record of the occurrence of this fish in Lake Maxin- 
kuckee has been furnished by Mr. M. V. McGilliard of Indianap- 
olis. In 1891 or 1892 he was present when a Paddlefish was 

* McCormick, Descriptive list of the fishes of Lorain County, Ohio, Laboratory Bull. No. 2, 
Oberlin College, 9, 1892. 



310 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

caught with hook and line in this lake. The fish was about 14 
inches long and weighed about 2 or 2.5 pounds. Mr. McGilliard 
has for many years been familiar with this species in the Illinois 
River and elsewhere, and his identification is entirely trustworthy. 

It is rather surprising that this fish has not been more fre- 
quently reported from the lake. It is possible that the dam which 
existed until recently in the Outlet of Lake Maxinkuckee has been 
effective in keeping it out. It is not uncommon in the Wabash 
River, at least as far up as Logansport, and it has also been re- 
ported from Lake Manitou at Rochester, only about 10 miles east 
of Lake Maxinkuckee, and from Tippecanoe Lake about 35 miles 
northeast. 

Very large examples have been reported from Lake Manitou. 
The largest is said to have been speared many years ago (sometime 
in the fifties) by Wilson Newell, and it weighed 173 pounds. While 
spearing bass from the shore in a little channel connecting Manitou 
or Devils Lake and Clear Lake he saw the fish working its way 
through the channel and struck it with his spear, leaving it fast in 
the fish. The shaft fastened to the spear by a long cord becom- 
ing detached, floated and indicated the course of the fish. Newell 
followed the fish all day, finally exhausting and killing it. Another 
weighing 163 pounds was shot in the same lake a few years later, 
and still another, 7 feet 8 inches long and weighing 116 pounds, 
was caught by Andrew Edwards in a gillnet about the middle of 
May, 1890. It is said that this fish was a female and that "nearly 
a wooden pail full of spawn was taken from it." One has been 
recorded from Tippecanoe Lake which weighed 150 pounds. These 
are the largest paddlefishes of which we have any trustworthy rec- 
ord. 

The Spoonbill Cat is, of course, not a catfish at all, it being more 
closely related to the sturgeons than to the catfishes. It is the only 
American representative of the family to which it belongs ; indeed, 
the family has but twp known species, the present one and another 
(Psephurus gladius) which is known only from the fresh-waters of 
China. The family is an old one which has been long upon the 
earth. Because of its representing an ancient type, the Paddlefish 
is of much interest to zoologists, and especially to embryologists, 
though its embryology has never been fully worked out. The 
young are rarely seen. 

According to Dr. George Wagner, who studied the habits of the 
Spoonbill at Lake Pepin, this fish lives practically always near the 
surface in deep water; it feeds mainly during the night and early 
in the morning, its food consisting entirely of plankton organisms. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 311 

The rostrum or bill is not, as is frequently stated, used in stirring 
up the mud, but probably serves purely as a sense organ. 

Very little is known of the spawning time or place of this fish. 
The little that is known indicates that in the lower Mississippi 
Valley the spawning season is during February, March and April, 
while in the Ohio and northward it is during the latter part of May 
and June. Among a large number of fish examined by the senior 
author at Louisville, Kentucky, during the third week in May, only 
a few were fully ripe. At that time the fish were running up 
stream, swimming near the surface, and evidently seeking their 
spawning grounds, which are thought to be in the ponds and 
bayous along the river. At this time they are caught in seines 
lightly leaded so as to fish the surface. At other seasons the Pad- 
dlefish may be caught on set-lines. 

The greatest enemy of the Spoonbill is the silvery lamprey, 
Ichthyomyzon concolor. Dr. Wagner reports as many as 20 of 
these lampreys having been taken from a single Spoonbill, while 
Mr. Horace Beach reports "as many as a half a dozen on a fish in 
the spring of the year", and says that the fishes leap out of the 
water and fall on their sides, probably to rid themselves of the 
parasites. 

Not until recently was the Paddlefish considered of any value, 
its flesh being regarded as worthless; but now it is one of the most 
highly valued and most assiduously sought fishes of the Missis- 
sippi Valley. It is chiefly sought on account of its roe, which is 
manufactured into caviar, for which it is regarded as not inferior 
to the sturgeon. The eggs are greenish black in color, about three 
times the size of shad eggs, and very numerous. The flesh of the 
Paddlefish, though coarse, is nutritious and not unpalatable, closely 
resembling that of the catfish when fresh, and when smoked not 
much inferior to that of the sturgeon. There is great demand 
for the roe, and the flesh always finds a ready sale. One dealer 
at Louisville, during the four years preceding 1901, handled over 
700,000 of these fish. 

Head, with opercular flap, more than half total length ; without 
flap, about 5; opercular flap long, nearly reaching ventrals; pre- 
maxillary extending far behind the small eye; skin smooth or 
nearly so, except for the rhombic plates on sides of tail; ventrals 
near middle of body, dorsal well behind them; anal mostly behind 
the dorsal and somewhat larger, these fins somewhat falcate; fin- 
rays slender; spiracle with a minute barbel; isthmus papillose in 
the young; spatula broad, 2.5 to 4 in length of body, proportionally 
longer in the young. Color pale olivaceous; length 2 to 7 feet. 



312 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

3. LONG-NOSED GAR 

LEPISOSTEUS OSSEUS (Linnaeus) 

The Long-nosed Gar occurs in the Great Lakes and all the rivers 
of the United States from Vermont to the Rio Grande and west to 
Kansas and Nebraska. It is generally abundant and very variable, 
the local variations having given rise to not fewer than 28 specific 
names. 

This fish is, unfortunately, abundant in Lake Maxinkuckee. In 
our seining operations, though confined chiefly to shallow water 
near shore, numerous examples were caught. At one haul with a 
45-foot seine near Norris Inlet, 40 examples were taken varying 
in lejigth from 1.5 to 3 feet. With a larger seine drawn in deeper 
water, a great many of this destructive fish could doubtless be 
caught. They were occasionally caught in other hauls of the seine. 
On July 29, 1899, a 27-inch example was caught near the top 
of a gillnet in 8 feet of water, and on July 21 of the same year 3 
were taken in one haul of the net at the Academy pier. They are 
also sometimes caught on hooks. On July 26 one was caught by- 
Miss Burford of Indianapolis which was 4 feet 2 inches long and 
weighed 14 pounds. On August 16, 1900, a small one was caught 
on a trot-line set off Long Point over night, and on September 20, 
1903, a gar which was 4 feet 5 inches long and weighed 16 pounds, 
probably this species, was caught by an angler. 

The Gar has a habit of basking on the surface, especially in 
warm shallow bays during hot weather. While thus occupied, 
they look very much like a stick. It is possible that they sometimes 
use this method of capturing other fishes instead of chasing them. 
In the latter part of August, 1900, a fisherman reported that they 
were seen basking in considerable numbers in Culver Bay, and 
about the same time several were seen on the Weedpatch. 
Sometimes the basking fish seem to be actually asleep. On August 
11, 1906, an example about 9 inches long was seen basking among 
the weeds near shore in the Inlet region and was nearly caught by 
the hand before it escaped. It was reported that in the spring of 
the same year a member of the Military Academy saw a large gar 
in Culver Inlet and, wading in, stabbed it with a sword. It was 
41 inches long and weighed 14 pounds. During the summer of 
1907 little Gars about 6 inches long were occasionally seen basking 
in shallow water near the shore of the upper Mississippi River, 
at St. Paul and in Lake Pepin, and one was caught by hand. It 
still had the long streamer or filamentous projection extending 
from the upper lobe of the caudal ; a peculiar feature characteris- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 313 

tic of young Gars. On October 17, 1907, after the water had 
become quite chilly, two young Gars of this species were seen lying 
perfectly still at the bottom in water 2 or 2.5 feet deep off the east 
shore of Long Point. They looked much like sticks in the bottom. 
One was pinned to the bottom by a thrust with a rake which hap- 
pened to bp at hand, and was captured. It measured 12.5 inches 
in length. The other example escaped. 

During the winter the Gars are occasionally seen through clear 
ice. They are never up close against the ice, but those seen were 
2 feet or so below the surface. They do not dart away when seen, 
as bass and most other fishes do, but remain stationary or swim 
slowly and unconcernedly along. On December 23, 1900, an ex- 
ample about 2 feet long was seen in Lake Maxinkuckee off the 
Gravelpit. It swam along slowly and was followed up until it 
stopped and could not be urged to swim farther even by pounding 
and stamping on the ice. A trip was made a quarter of a mile 
for an ax and hooks with which to capture the fish, and on return- 
ing it was found at the same place. While the ice was being cut 
above it, it started off and moved with great deliberation to the 
shore where it was hidden by opaque ice. 

This Gar is a large fish, attaining a length of 5 or 6 feet. It is 
a voracious creature, feeding largely upon the young of other 
fishes, and is believed to be very destructive to the young of the 
various food fishes which inhabit the waters in which it is found. 
It is fair to state, however, that an examination of many stomachs 
and their contents does not bear out fully the reputation which it 
has for destructiveness to other fishes. Small fishes were fre- 
quently found in their stomachs, but not to the extent that popular 
belief would indicate. It is certain, however, that the two species 
of Gar in this lake are destructive to other fishes, and it is not 
known that they serve any useful purpose whatever. They are 
not scavengers in any sense of the word. They are essentially 
carnivorous and rapacious in their habits, and the only fishes upon 
which they could feed in Lake Maxinkuckee are either food fishes 
or species which serve as food for useful species. Sometimes they 
fall a victim to their own rapacity. One large example was found 
dead from trying to swallow a catfish 10 inches long. 

Every effort to reduce the number of Gars in the lake is worthy 
of commendation. Whether it is possible to rid the lake entirely of 
them is doubtful, but much can be done toward greatly reducing 
their numbers and holding them in check. Perhaps the most ef- 
fective method would be by seining. By using a large seine in as 
deep water as possible and when the Gars are out near shore in 



314 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

relatively shallow water, good results ought to be obtained. In 
the spring, during early May and June when the Gars are spawn- 
ing, they will come out near shore and can then be seined to ad- 
vantage ; and during the summer they may now and then be seen 
in considerable schools feeding upon other fishes near shore, par- 
ticularly near Norris Inlet and in Culver and Outlet bays. 

Gillnets of 1.5- to 2.5-inch mesh would also yield good results. 
These nets should be set where the Gars have been observed to run, 
and should be examined at least once a day. On calm sunny days 
when they are lying at the surface basking in the sun, they could 
be shot from the deck of a steamer. They can also be caught on 
set-lines and may occasionally be speared. By taking every op- 
portunity to destroy these fish and keeping it up for a few years, it 
is believed that their numbers could be very greatly reduced. 

The Gars are exceedingly prolific. A female example of the 
Long-nosed Gar, 3 feet 4 inches long, and weighing 9 pounds, was 
examined by the senior writer at Morgan City, Louisiana, April 
23, 1897. This fish was in mature spawning condition, the ovaries 
weighed 1 pound 3 ounces, and the number of eggs was, by actual 
count, 36,460. The spawning time of the Gars in Lake Maxin- 
kuckee is during May and early June. 

Head 3 in length of body ; depth 9 ; eye 12 to 15 in head, about 
10 in snout; snout about 1.5 in head, or 4.5 in body; D. 8; A. 9; 
V. 6; P. 10; scales about 58, 20. 

Body long, slender, and sub-cylindrical ; snout very long and 
narrow, its length usually more than twice that of rest of head, 
its least width 15 to 20 times in its length. 

Color grayish silvery, brightest on side; under parts yellow- 
ish white; snout and top of head greenish gray; side of head sil- 
very; snout and side with a few small dark brown spots; vertical 
fins each with several large black spots, most numerous on caudal ; 
ventrals and pectorals sometimes with one or two black spots. 
Young with a broad dark brown band from snout through eye to 
caudal, bounded above by a narrow pale line, then by a broad light 
brown one ; below by a broad milky-white band ; under parts white, 
dusted over with fine dark specks, which assume the character of 
lines at sides of belly; fins profusely spotted with brown. Young, 
2.25 inches in total length, are pale olivaceous above, silvery white 
below, with a broad, somewhat darker lateral band. 

The snout of this species is much longer and narrower than in 
the next. An examination of 8 examples varying in length from 
2.25 to 18.5 inches, does not indicate that there is any variation in 
the length of the snout with age. The longest snout possessed 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 315 

by any one of these examples was that of the smallest fish (1.375 
in head), while the shortest snout was that of the fish next in size, 
3 inches (1.5 in head). 

The color, however, varies greatly with age, the lateral line 
and most of the spots disappearing and the color becoming more 
silvery. 

Young Gars 3 inches long have no scales developed. The scales 
appear to develop on the caudal end of the body first, an example 
6.5 inches long had the posterior third of the body scaled, and one 
5.75 inches long, had about the posterior half scaled. The develop- 
ment of scales does not affect the color further, though it 
appears to make this somewhat less distinct. 

4. SHORT-NOSED GAR 

LEPISOSTEUS PLATOSTOMUS Rafincsque 

The Short-nosed Gar is found throughout the Great Lakes 
region and south and west in all the lowland waters and larger 
rivers, being more abundant southward. In Lake Maxinkuckee 
this Gar is common, though probably less so than the long-nosed 
species. 

The largest example from this lake of which we have any defi- 
nite information was caught near Long Point some years ago by 
Mr. Thomas Medbourn. This specimen, which was afterward 
mounted and which is now in the possession of Mr. Morris, of 
Culver, was 4 feet 1.75 inches long. In our own seining opera- 
tions, an individual 15 inches long was caught near the Outlet, 
July 10, 1899, and another '28 inches long was taken on a set-line 
August 16, 1900. On December 15, 1900, men who were fishing 
through the ice on Lost Lake saw two of these fish through the 
ice. They cut holes in the ice above them, and by cautiously letting 
down a hook under the chin and jerking, managed to capture them. 
One was 20.5 inches long and the other 22.5. Shortly afterward 
another, 12.5 inches long, was caught in the same manner. 

On June 8, 1901, while rowing along the south shore of Outlet 
Bay, a small one, 11.5 inches long, was seen lying at an angle near 
the surface of the water head upward, apparently dozing. The 
boat was cautiously rowed up to the fish and, by making a sudden 
grab, it was caught by hand. On June 20, 1901, a fisherman caught 
one 28.5 inches long. 

The habits of this species are similar to those of the Long-nosed 
Gar. Like them they spend hot days in shallow water basking, 
and they are occasionally seen lying motionless in the water under 
clear ice. In cases where the fish were not captured it was not 



316 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey . 

possible to say with certainty what species they were. A very 
large Gar, thought to be this, was seen under the ice in rather 
shallow water in Outlet Bay, January 16, and holes were cut 
through the ice and an attempt made to capture it, but without 
success. 

This species spawns at the lake during May and early June. 
On June 12, 1901, two large Gars thought to be this species, were 
seen lying close together among the weeds at the north end of 
Lost Lake. They lay still until the boat was nearly upon them, 
when they went off with a loud splash. Much splashing was tak- 
ing place in other parts of the same region and it was thought 
that these fishes were sporting about. The next day a large school 
of Gars was reported basking off Long Point. Frequent reports 
were heard of Gars being caught by fishermen, but the species 
could not be ascertained. 




Short-nosed Gar (Lepisosteus j>latostomus) 

Like its near relative, the Long-nosed Gar, this species feeds 
chiefly upon small fishes, great numbers of which are destroyed by 
it. It could be captured and killed in the same manner as the 
other. 

Head about 3 in length of body; depth about 8; eye 12 to 15 
in head ; snout 1.75 ; D. 8 ; A. 8 ; V. 6 ; scales 56, 20. 

Body long, slender and sub-cylindrical, but stouter than in the 
preceding species. Snout shorter than in L. osseus, its length 5 to 
6 times its least width, and usually about one-fifth longer than rest 
of head, though sometimes about equaling head. 

Color grayish silvery; top of head with 15 or 20 large round 
dark spots; side of head with similar spots; a small dark post- 
ocular spot sometimes connected with a broad dark spot extending 
forward from opercle ; under parts of head much mottled with light 
and dark; a few distinct dark spots on side; under parts pale; 
vertical fins each with a few large black spots; ventrals and 
pectorals pale at base, but with much dark toward the tips. In the 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 317 

young the dark markings are more pronounced. In a specimen 
15 inches long the back was distinctly marbled with whitish and 
black, and the side had a broad dark lateral band, interrupted 
posteriorly ; the spots on the fins were darker, and even the ventrals 
and pectorals were plainly spotted. 

Examples of the Long-nosed Gar of the same size (15 inches) 
are much more silvery and are comparatively free of black spots. 
Length 2 to 4 feet. Weight 2 to 15 pounds. It is a very variable 
species, the young being difficult to distinguish from related 
species. 

5. DOGFISH 

AMI A CALVA Linmeus 

(Plate 2) 

The Dogfish, or Bowfin, is found in the Great Lakes and slug- 
gish waters from Minnesota to Virginia, Florida and Texas, and is 
generally abundant throughout its range. It does not appear to 
be common in Lake Maxinkuckee, but in Lost Lake it is quite 
abundant. During our investigations not many Dogfish were seen ; 
3 were seined in Norris Inlet, and on July 25 one was seined which 
weighed 4.75 pounds. Occasionally one would be found dead on 
shore, while now and then one would be caught on a hook. Anglers 
fishing in Outlet Bay, or near Norris Inlet, or off the Gravelpit, 
were liable to get this fish, particularly if they were fishing for 
catfish or doing bottom fishing. While seining in Norris Inlet 
several young examples were secured, and a few were obtained in 
Culver Creek; a few were also taken on set-lines. Some of the 
largest examples ever seined were taken in front of the Fish Com- 
mission station late at night, September 20. These had apparently 
come in near shore to feed upon other fish which were then abund- 
ant in shallow water. On May 8, 1901, a fisherman caught an im- 
mense one which he thought would weigh 10 pounds, and Patrol- 
man Wiseman caught on a set-line one which was 23 inches long 
and weighed 4.5 pounds. Later in the year an example 25.5 inches 
long was found dead on shore by Murray's and some fishermen 
caught a male 22.5 inches long, weighing 4.5 pounds. On Novem- 
ber 7, 1904, six were found dead on shore where they had probably 
been left by men who had been seining. Their lengths were 16.5, 
17.75, 18, 19.75, 20.5, and 21 inches. The stomachs of all except 
one, which contained a young sunfish, were empty. In the autumn 
of 1906 they were caught occasionally by fishermen ; one was seen 
19 inches long and another, 24. 

In Lost Lake and the Outlet, this fish is more abundant, and 



318 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

numerous specimens were secured from that lake, chiefly on set- 
lines, the large examples obtained by us varying in length from 
16 to 24 inches. On April 22, 1901, one was found in a boat in 
the Outlet, a male 21 inches long, weight 3 pounds. The smallest 
individual secured by us was 3.75 inches long. 

The Dogfish resembles the gar-pike in many of its habits. With 
the exception of its feeding near the bottom and including more 
crawfishes in its dietary, the habits of the two are very similar. 
Both love to bask in warm shallow water. The Dogfish is, per- 
haps, more fond of muddy bottom. One of the best places for 
Dogfish fishing used to be the Little Wabash River, locally known 
as the "Little River," a sluggish stream, coursing its way through 
a large flat prairie, its shores quaking and edged with willows. 
A fisherman, standing on entangled willow-roots, could shake a 
large area and could push down a 20-foot fishing pole vertically 
between his feet without touching bottom. Here, on hot still days, 
the Dogfish would almost fight for bait, and there three fishermen 
landed 55 big fish in the course of an afternoon. 

Like the gar-pike, also, the Dogfish can frequently be seen mo- 
tionless in the water under clear ice in winter. On December 18, 
1901, one about 2 feet long was seen under the ice in Lost Lake, 
swimming along very leisurely. On January 7 several large ones 
were seen in Outlet Bay where the ice men had cut out ice. They 
were in three or four feet of water, lying perfectly still on the bot- 
tom where they were almost wholly covered by the Chara which 
abounds there. When disturbed they made off, but not very fast 
nor very far, propelling themselves with lateral flexions of the tail 
like the water-dog. The same place was visited again in the after- 
noon and 6 large individuals were seen. One was speared which 
proved to be a male 22.75 inches long, weighing 4 pounds. The 
Dogfish is not particularly heavy for its length. Two males from 
Lake Erie, each a foot long, weighed one-half pound each. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee this fish spawns toward the end of April. 
On April 24 and 25 large ones were seen in a pool in Green's 
marsh. The next day it was discovered that they were making 
nests there. The nest is made by hollowing out a place in the 
muck, and is of good size, about 18 inches to 2.5 feet in diameter. 
The fish bite off such rushes as are in their way, and also make 
paths for themselves leading to and from the nests. The eggs, 
small and yellowish in color, are quite numerous and are in the 
bottom of the nest, some of them apparently sticking to the pro- 
jecting vegetable fibres of the muck. A male was usually found on 
the nest. Besides the nests found in Green's marsh, another was 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 319 

found July 3 near the Inlet, guarded by a male. After the young 
are hatched they follow the parent about. Mr. S. S. Chadwick 
speaks of having seen one accompanied by "a couple of gallons of 
young, in a thick cloud." 

A good many people near Culver eat the Dogfish in winter, 
but say that "in summer the flesh turns green and is not good." 
There is probably a heightening of color during the breeding sea- 
son to which they refer. The fins of these fishes as seen in the 
water June 7 and later were of a fine opalescent green. 

This fish is quite free from external parasites such as copepods 
on the gills, etc. Several individuals examined contained trema- 
todes attached to the gills and a few had leeches attached, and one 
had two fish lice ( Argulus) , but they were on the whole remarkably 
clean. Internally they have numerous parasites, especially dis- 
tomids and trematodes. 

The Dogfish is of peculiar interest to zoologists as the remains 
of an ancient stock of fishes; it is the only surviving species in 
the whole order to which it belongs. Its habits, however, render 
it a nuisance, as it is carnivorous and very voracious. 

Its good qualities as a game-fish have not been sufficiently ap- 
preciated, doubtless, chiefly, because not many have ever angled for 
it, and because the fish has not been regarded as having any food- 
value. But the true angler cares nothing for the edible qualities 
of the fish he catches. His desire is to match the strength of his 
tackle and his skill in handling it against the strength and intelli- 
gence of the fish he hooks. Thus it is with the ever-increasing 
large number of real sportsmen who seek the large ocean fishes, 
the white sea-bass, the tuna and the albicore ; the shark, the yellow- 
tail, and the silver king. And so it is with the few who have culti- 
vated the Bowfin. It will take almost any kind of bait, but prefers 
cut bait of some sort, such as cut fish, a freshwater clam, or a 
piece of meat. It takes the bait deliberately, but when the sting 
of the hook is felt, the fish wakes up and gives the angler as 
pretty a fight as one could desire. 

In the Report of the New York Fisheries, Game and Forest 
Commission for 1898 is an article by Dr. Bashford Dean on the 
Dogfish, which contains so much interesting information that we 
take the liberty to reproduce it here. Dr. Dean says : 

"The Dogfish has been described by some as diurnal, by others 
as nocturnal in its habits. In the daytime during the season of 
breeding the fish can readily be seen in shallow waters, and, when 
not actually on its nest, can sometimes be made to take a bait. At 
night, however, judging from my own experience vdth set-lines, the 

2117618 



320 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

fish is not often taken. And the result of my later observations 
is not favorable to the view that the dogfish is distinctly nocturnal 
in habit. With a view of determining how active the fish were 
at night, I have kept them in captivity and I have also watched 
them at different hours on their spawning grounds, when light was 
no more than sufficient to enable their outlines to be seen. My con- 
clusions indicate that the dogfish is rather to be regarded as most 
active at twilight. It takes the hook best shortly after sundown 
and during the early morning, and at these times I have seen it ex- 
ceedingly active under natural conditions. In a general way the 
fish can hardly be described as shy. As far as taking an alarm is 
concerned, it behaves very much as a catfish; it is certainly less 
apt to notice one's approach than, for example, many common 
teleosts. 

"The general habitat of the fish varies greatly at different sea- 
sons of the year. In summer it frequents deeper water ; in spring 
it comes into the marshy shallows and makes its way through reedy 
places where the water is scarcely deep enough to cover its dorsal 
fin. In general it affects muddy water. 

"In the matter of feeding, the rapacious nature of the dogfish 
has already been noted. Its common articles of diet, as Fiilleborn, 
for example, has noted, are small fishes and crayfish. The latter 
are especially common in the stomach contents. Among the speci- 
mens examined by the present writer was noted one, a female, 
measuring twenty-eight inches, which had eaten among other 
things, a pickerel twelve inches in length. Another, a female 
measuring thirty-one inches, contained the columns of eleven fishes, 
cyprinoids, each about three inches in length. Another, taken at 
twilight near the margin of a rubbish heap, had eaten scraps of 
meat and a lump of raw potato, the latter having been taken from 
the stomach altogether undigested. Among the local fishermen of 
the Wisconsin lakes, salt pork is well known as a 'killing' bait. I 
have no evidence that the dogfish eats fish, or more accurately some 
fishes, after they are dead. Dead perch and sunfish remain un- 
touched, even in regions where Amia is very abundant. 

"The dogfish deposits its eggs in more or less definitely pre- 
pared nests.* These often occur very abundantly in the reedy 
shallow in the margins of the lakes. A particular region of the 
shore will often be given marked preference : in one case observed 
by the writer eleven nests occurred within a radius of fifty feet, 
and seven of these within a radius of fifteen feet. The spawning 

* The writer has obtained good evidence that inconvenient rushes are bitten off when the 
fish prepares the nest. This is also noted by Reighard. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 321 

season, like that of all fishes, varies somewhat from year to year. 
In Wisconsin, where the fish have been most accurately observed, 
the height of the spawning occurs about the middle of May. It, 
however, varies in this locality from the first day of April until the 
early part of June. There is usually a maximum period of spawn- 
ing, as in the case of other fishes. 

"The actual nesting habits of the fish have not as yet been ex- 
amined in sufficient detail. There is good evidence to believe that 
the fishes divide into spawning parties, as in the case of the gar- 
pike, Lepisosteus, each party consisting of a female and several 
males. In a single instance the writer has seen three fishes on a 
nest after spawning had commenced. Whitman, on the other 
hand, maintains, also from a single observation, that but a single 
male is present. The eggs are scattered over the nests thickly, 
in number varying from a few hundreds to possibly a hundred 
thousand. A single male tends the nest, keeps away intruders, 
and by vigorous breathing produces a current of water which prob- 
ably retards the growth of fish fungus. The fish stands guard, 
sometimes for hours motionless, save for its movements in balanc- 
ing and breathing ; at other times it appears restive, turning about 
in the nest, making short detours, and returning by the 'runaway' 
which it provides. A favorite position is for the fish to lie in the 
'runaway' with its head projecting over the nest. It usually re- 
mains in the shaded side of the nest, but appears occasionally in 
bright sunlight, so that it can be seen quite a distance away. 
* * * Such a fish, for example, has been photographed. The 
pictures clearly demonstrate that Amia does not hesitate to show 
itself in the sunlight, as Fiilleborn early maintained. The outline 
of the nest in this case was clearly seen from the surface, and all 
of the 'supernatant' rushes must have been brushed aside, or even 
removed by the fish, since the nest was photographed as it first 
appeared. 

"The eggs hatch out in the course of about a week, the length 
of time varying notably with the temperature of the water. The 
larva? pass their first few days deep in the nest, where they at- 
tach themselves to debris by means of curious sucking disks devel- 
oped on the under side of their snouts. In the course of another 
week or so, the young are probably herded together by the male 
fish, who leads his flock of young to various points in the neighbor- 
hood in search of food. This peculiar "nursing habit" of the 
male is known to continue until the fish attain a length of several 
inches. During the later spring it becomes a common sight to see 



322 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

the male fish accompanied by a dense swarm of young, the latter 
appearing dark in color, and at first sight tadpole-like. 

t * ft 4> ' 4> 4i 4 4> 

"The foregoing notes upon the spawning and habits of the dog- 
fish provide the fish culturist, I am convinced, with data which 
should enable him, and with relatively little trouble, to materially 
reduce their numbers in localities where they abound. He learns, 
for example, that these fish will repair to a more or less definite 
locality at the time of spawning, and that here in the shallows 
their nests can readily be found and destroyed. He concludes, 
furthermore, that without extraordinary effort he can secure the 
male fish which guards the nest and young. This he can take 
either by snare or by spear. As the first step in reducing the 
numbers of dogfish, he finds it of course necessary to determine 
accurately the time of spawning ; in this he is helped, since the gen- 
eral limits of the season have been already indicated. The exact 
time of spawning may usually be determined with little difficulty, 
for the splashing of the fish during the early days of spring may 
be looked upon as an indication that spawning has either begun 
or is about to begin. An occasional rise in the shallows is thus 
found to mark the preparation for spawning; a continuous and 
noisy splashing, one which can be noted at a distance of a hun- 
dred yards or more, is, in the experience of the present writer, a 
most useful sign that the fish are actually spawning. At this time, 
perhaps, the greatest difficulty will be experienced in approaching 
the fish closely enough to capture one or more of them. A slight 
movement is sometimes enough to give the alarm. And a further 
difficulty in capturing them at this time is the muddiness of the 
water, caused by the energetic movements of spawning. In some 
localities, no doubt, nests are more easily found than in others, 
but in a general way the writer believes that there are few fishes 
in our fresh-water lakes whose eggs and young can be secured 
with less difficulty than those of the dogfish. Should the novice in 
collecting fail to find at once one of their nests, the rush and splash 
of the escaping guardian fish will often give a sufficiently obvious 
hint as to the location of a nest. I may note, furthermore, that the 
dogfish does not prove itself skillful in throwing a human enemy off 
the scent ; one rarely finds that a fish will move away quietly from 
the nest and then make a noisy escape in order to divert the col- 
lector. The fish, on the other hand, is far more likely to remain 
on the nest till the boat is actually upon it, when with a sudden 
plunge it reveals the exact position of the nest. So fearlessly does 
it stand its ground that in several cases noted by the writer, the 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 323 

fish was not discovered until the stern of the boat had passed over 
it. There may indeed be cases where, although almost touched by 
the bottom of the boat, the fish has been actually overlooked ; but as 
the writer has noted, the shape of the nest is so often shown at the 
surface of the water, that one can frequenly detect it before any 
sign of the fish is visible. 

"Furthermore, the habit of the dogfish in accompanying its 
young for a number of weeks after hatching gives the fish culturist 
another valuable hint. With little difficulty many schools of young 
dogfish can be found and destroyed. The very fact that the young 
when alarmed draw together into a more and more compact mass 
puts them readily into the hands of the collector although on the 
other hand, this habit has doubtless proved of great value as a 
means of preserving them from rapacious fishes; for should the 
young scatter at the first alarm, they could obviously be less per- 
fectly protected by the parent fish. 

"In conclusion, accordingly, I think it is fair to assume that 
whenever it becomes necessary, dogfish can be readily destroyed. 
The fish themselves can be speared when they appear at the season 
of spawning; their nests can be found and destroyed; and young 
fish can later be taken, and in large numbers, when in company 
with the male fish. I am led to believe that a single collector, 
operating in a lake several miles in length, could in one season re- 
duce the supply of dogfish in a very effective way." 

Head 3.75; depth 5 to 6; eye 11 to 12; snout 5.75; maxillary 
2.25 to 2.75; D. 48; A. 10 to 12; V. 7; scales about 10-70-12. 

Body long, not compressed; head moderate; mouth large, 
slightly oblique, snout broadly rounded, lower jaw slightly the 
shorter; maxillary reaching far beyond eye; eye small;* back 
broad, not elevated; caudal peduncle deep, somewhat compressed; 
dorsal fin very long, beginning well in front of ventral fins and ex- 
tending to near base of caudal ; anal fin small ; caudal fin rounded ; 
lateral line nearly median, directed slightly upward at each end. 

Dark olivaceous or blackish above, inclining to greenish, paler 
below; side with traces of reticulate markings; lower jaw and 
gular plate often with round blackish spots or irregular mottlings ; 
fins mostly pale, somewhat mottled, especially the dorsal and anal ; 
male with a round black spot at base of caudal above, surrounded 
by an orange or yellowish shade; this spot usually not present 
in the female. Length of male about 18 inches ; length of female 
2 feet or more. 

* In the young examined at the lake the eye is proportionally nearly twice as large as in 
the adult, and the snout from .25 to .2 larger. 



324 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



6. YELLOW CATFISH 



(Plate 3) 

The Yellow Cat is generally abundant from the Great Lakes 
region to Virginia and Texas and southward. It is extremely va- 
riable, running into several subspecies. Of the four species of cat- 
fish known from Lake Maxinkuckee, this is by far the most abund- 
ant. It is very common in Lost Lake and in favorable places in 
Lake Maxinkuckee it is not rare. No attempts were made to get 
a large number, but our collection contains specimens from many 
parts of the shore and from the various inlets of the lake. They 
are mostly quite small and exhibit much variation in general ap- 
pearance, especially as regards depth, some being short and plump 
and others rather elongate. The mature specimens appear to be 
equally diverse as shown by the table of weights and measures 
given below. The Yellow Catfish frequents the region of the in- 
lets and those portions of the lake where there is soft bottom; 
usually it may be found in water 5 to 15 feet deep where the bot- 
tom is of marl, and even in somewhat deeper water in muck 
bottom. 

The Yellow Cat in these waters rarely attains a greater length 
than a foot'or 15 inches and a weight of a pound or a pound and 
a half, though considerably larger examples are sometimes taken. 
The largest seen by us weighed 3 pounds, and the largest of which 
we have heard is said to have weighed 5 pounds. The follow- 
ing table shows the lengths and weights of 22 individuals examined 
at various times. 



Date caught 



Length 



Weight 



May 9 


6 inches 


8 ounces 


10 


9 inches 


8 ounces 


10 


10 inches 


12 ounces 


9 


10 inches 


14 ounces 


9 


11.5 inches 


1 pound 1 ounce 


14 


12 inches 


12 ounces 


7 


12 inches 


1 pound 


10 


12 inches 


1 pound 2 ounces 


7 


12 inches 


1 pound 4 ounces 


15 


12.25 inches 


12 ounces 


15 


12.25 inches 


12 ounces 


7 


12.50 inches 


1 pound 2 ounces 


9 


12.50 inches 


1 pound 2 ounces 


10 


12.50 inches 


1 pound 8 ounces 


9 


12.75 inches 


1 pound 4 ounces 


November 3 


12 . 875 inches 


1 pound 1 . 75 ounces 


May 7 


13 inches 


1 pound 8 ounces 


14 


13 inches 


12 ounces 


11 


13 inches 


1 pound 8 ounces 


14 


14 inches 


1 pound 4 ounces 


10 


14 inches 


2 pounds 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 325 

In the autumn the young of this fish appear to be fond of hid- 
ing under logs and stones in shallow water. They also hide among 
Chara in the winter and are occasionally raked up with other fishes. 
The stomachs of a few individuals examined contained crawfish. 

The habits of this fish, the methods of its capture, and its food 
qualities are not essentially different from those of the common 
bullhead, and are discussed more fully in connection with that 
species. 

Head 3.66 ; depth 4 ; eye 10 ; snout 3.66 ; D. I, 6 ; A. 26 ; maxil- 
lary barbel 1.33 in head; nasal barbel 2.25. Body short and stout; 
head heavy; jaws subequal; eye small; barbels moderate; origin of 
dorsal fin nearer tip of snout than to origin of adipose fin ; dorsal 
spine short, equal to snout and eye, or 1$ in longest dorsal ray; 
anal large, its base 4 in body ; pectoral fin short, 2.5 in head ; caudal 
fin regularly rounded. 

Color, dark olivaceous yellow above, becoming clearer on sides ; 
yellowish white below maxillary and nasal barbels. 

7. COMMON BULLHEAD 

AMEIURUS NEBULOSUS (Le Sucur) 

(Plate 4) 

Though this is the Common Bullhead or Horned Pout of every 
pond or sluggish stream of the east and north, it is not so abund- 
ant at Lake Maxinkuckee as the Yellow Cat. The two species are 
usually associated and are not usually differentiated by fishermen. 
The characters most useful for diagnostic purposes are the color 
and the number of anal rays, the Common Bullhead being more or 
less marbled or mottled and having but 21 or 22 anal rays, while 
the yellow cat is quite uniform in color on the back and sides and 
has 23 to 27 anal rays. The two species in Lake Maxinkuckee 
reach about the same size 1 to 3 pounds, very rarely more and 
have essentially the same habits. 

They are, as every one knows, bottom feeders; and most of 
them frequent those shallower parts of the lake where there is mud 
bottom, where they feed upon crawfish and some of the softer- 
shelled mollusks, as Spha?rium, and the young of various species of 
Unionidse. They are also said to feed pretty extensively on the 
eggs of other species of fishes. One example was found gorged 
with water-lily seeds. A young one 2.125 inches long, raked up 
in Chara December 22, 1904, contained a beach flea. Their spawn- 
ing time is in late May and June. This seems to be a period of 
considerable mortality among them, and a good many are found 
dead on shore about this time. The eggs are relatively large and 



326 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

few in number and these are placed under chunks or sticks, the 
edges of rocks or about the bases of water plants. They hatch 
in about 5 days in water at a temperature of 77, and in the cooler 
waters of the lake probably require some time longer. The whole 
school of young follows the parent fish about for some weeks after 
hatching, forming a thick black cloud of actively wiggling black 
creatures bearing considerable resemblance to tadpoles. This 
species, more perhaps than any other fish, frequently gets en- 
trapped in drying-up lagoons and ditches and dies in great num- 
bers. It is considerably afflicted with leeches ; the majority caught 
have the slender fish-leech of the lake attached to the chin, or 
small red spots are usually found there where the leeches have 
been. The leech also often attaches itself to the roof of the mouth 
just behind the teeth. Among other external parasites are Argu- 
lus maculosus, and a new species of Ergasilus found at Lost Lake, 
Ergasilus versicolor. Two individuals examined contained en- 
cysted in the mesenteries long round worms bearing a considerable 
resemblance to the horse-hair snake. 

In our seining operations not many adults were caught, scarcely 
any in Lake Maxinkuckee, and only a few in Lost Lake. A good 
many young 1.5 to 3 inches in length were taken, however. While 
these young were most abundant in the mouths of inlets they were 
often found in limited numbers almost everywhere, even on bot- 
tom covered with Chara. They were more often found, however, 
on marl bottom. Several examples of good size were taken on set- 
lines placed in 4 to 7 feet of water just off the Gravelpit. Others 
were taken in Outlet Bay and off the ice-houses, while the cane- 
pole fishermen frequently make good catches in the south part of 
the lake. 

Among the cottagers of Long Point was one lady who appreci- 
ated the game qualities of this fish, and she made many excellent 
catches in a shallow channel just east of the Point. 

There are not many people who have ever fished at all who 
can not remember many happy days spent in angling for bull- 
heads. The individual whose experiences do not include days of 
this kind has missed one of the real joys of youth. 

The following racy account of the habits of the Common Bull- 
head was written by the author of "Peck's Bad Boy," and published 
originally in the Milwaukee Sun. Though written as a burlesque, 
it presents a truthful and vivid picture of the game qualities of 
the Bullhead: "It seems that the action of the Milwaukee com- 
mon council in withdrawing the use of the water works from the 
fish commissioners will put a stop to the hatching of white-fish. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 327 

This is as it should be. The white-fish is an aristocratic fish that 
will not bite a hook, and the propagation of this species is wholly 
in the interest of the wealthy owners of fishing tubs, who have 
nets. By strict attention to business they can catch all of the 
white-fish out of the lake a little faster than the State machine 
can put them in. Poor people cannot get a smell of white-fish. 
The same may be said of brook trout. While they will bite a hook, 
it requires more machinery to catch them than ordinary people can 
possess without mortgaging a house. A man has got to have a 
morrocco book of expensive flies, a fifteen dollar bamboo jointed 
rod, a three-dollar trout basket, with a hole morticed in the top, 
a corduroy suit made in the latest style, top boots of the Wellington 
pattern, with red tassels in the straps, and a flask of Otard brandy 
in a side pocket. Unless a man is got up in that style a speckled 
trout will see him in Chicago first, and then it won't bite. The 
brook trout is even more aristocratic than the white-fish, and should 
not be propagated at public expense. 

"But there are fish that should be propagated in the interest of 
the people. There is a species of fish that never looks at the 
clothes of the man who throws in the bait, a fish that takes what- 
ever is thrown to it, and when once hold of the hook never tries 
to shake a friend, but submits to the inevitable, crosses its legs and 
says, 'Now I lay me', and comes out on the bank and seems to 
enjoy being taken. It is a fish that is the friend of the poor, and 
one that will sacrifice itself in the interest of humanity. That 
is the fish that the State should adopt as its trade-mark, and culti- 
vate friendly relations with and stand by. We allude to the Bull- 
head. 

"The Bull-head never went back on a friend. To catch the Bull- 
head it is not necessary to tempt his appetite with porterhouse 
steak, or to display an expensive lot of fishing tackle. A pinhook, 
a piece of liver, and a cistern pole is all the capital required to 
catch a Bull-head. He lies upon the bottom of a stream or pond 
in the mud thinking. There is no fish that does more thinking, 
or has a better head for grasping great* questions, or chunks of 
liver, than the Bull-head. His brain is large, his heart beats for 
humanity, and if he can't get liver, a piece of thin tomato can will 
make a meal for him. It is an interesting study to watch a boy 
catch a Bull-head. The boy knows where the Bull-heads congre- 
gate, and when he throws in his hook it is dollars to buttons that 
'in the near future' he will get a bite. 

"The Bull-head is democratic in all its instincts. If the boy's 
shirt is sleeveless, his hat crownless, and his pantaloons a bot- 



328 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

tomless pit, the Bull-head will bite just as well as though the boy 
were dressed in purple and fine linen, with knee-breeches and plaid 
stocking's. The Bull-head seems to be dozing on the muddy bot- 
tom, and a stranger would say that he would not bite. But wait. 
There is a movement of his continuation, and his cow-catcher 
moves gently toward the piece of liver. He does not wait to smell 
of it, and canvass in his mind whether the liver is fresh. It makes 
no difference to him. He argues that there is a family out of meat. 
'My country calls and I must go', says the Bull-head to himself, 
and he opens his mouth and the liver disappears. 

"It is not certain that the boy will think of his bait for half 
an hour, but the Bull-head is in no hurry. He is in the mud and 
proceeds to digest the liver. He realizes that his days will not be 
long in the land, or water, more properly speaking, and he argues 
that if he swallows the bait and digests it before the boy pulls 
him out, he will be just so much ahead. Finally, the boy thinks of 
his bait, pulls it out, and the Bull-head is landed on the bank, and 
the boy cuts him open to get the hook out. Some fish only take the 
bait gingerly, and are only caught around the selvage of the mouth, 
and they are comparatively easy to dislodge. Not so with the 
Bull-head. He says if liver is a good thing, you can't have too 
much of it, and it tastes good all the way down. The boy gets 
down on his knees to dissect the Bull-head, and get his hook, and 
it may be that the boy swears. It would not be astonishing, though 
he must feel, when he gets his hook out of the hidden recesses of 
the Bull-head, like the minister who took up a collection and didn't 
get a cent, though he expressed thanks at getting his hat back. 
There is one draw-back to the Bull-head, and that is his horns. 
We doubt if a boy ever descended into the patent insides of a 
Bull-head to mine for limerick hooks, that did not, before the work 
was done, run a horn into his vital parts. But the boy seems to 
expect it, and the Bull-head enjoys it. We have seen a Bull-head 
lie on the bank and become dry, and to all appearances dead to 
all that was going on, and when a boy sat down on him, and got a 
horn in his elbow, and yelled murder, the Bull-head would grin 
from ear to ear, and wag his tail as though applauding for an 
encore. 

"The Bull-head never complains. We have seen a boy take a 
dull knife and proceed to follow a fish line down a Bull-head from 
head to the end of his subsequent anatomy, and all the time there 
would be an expression of sweet peace on the countenance of the 
Bull-head, as though he enjoyed it. If we were preparing a pic- 
ture representing 'Resignation', for a chromo to give to subscrib- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 329 

ers, and wished to represent a scene of suffering, in which the 
sufferer was light-hearted, seeming to recognize that all was for 
the best, we should take for the subject a Bull-head, with a boy 
searching with a knife for a long-lost fishhook. 

"The Bull-head is a fish that has no scales, but in lieu thereof 
has a fine India rubber skin, that is as far ahead of fiddle-string 
material for strength and durability as possible. The meat of the 
Bull-head is not as choice as that of the Mackerel, but it fills up a 
stomach just as well, and the Sun insists that the fish commission- 
ers shall drop the hatching of aristocratic fish, and give the Bull- 
heads a chance." 

But the editor of London Punch does not agree with the editor 
of the Milwaukee Sun, and When the introduction into England of 
one of our catfishes was being suggested, Punch printed this 
protest : 

"Oh, do not bring the Catfish here! 
The Catfish is a name I fear. 

Oh, spare each stream and spring, 
The Kennet swift, the Wandle clear, 
The lake, the loch, the broad, the mere, 
From that detested thing! 

"The Catfish is a hideous beast, 
A bottom-feeder that doth feast 

Upon unholy bait; 
He's no addition to your meal, 
He's rather richer than the eel; 

And ranker than the skate. 

"His face is broad, and flat, and glum; 
He's like some monstrous miller's thumb; 

He's bearded like the pard. 
Beholding him, the grayling flee, 
The trout take refuge in the sea, 

The gudgeons go on guard. 

"He grows into a startling size; 
The British matron 'twould surprise, 

And raise her burning blush 
To see white catfish as large as man, 
Through what the bards call 'water wan', 

Come with an ugly rush! 

"They say the Catfish climbs the trees, 
And robs the roosts, and down the breeze 

Prolongs his caterwaul. 
Oh, leave him in his western flood, 
Where the Mississippi churns the mud; 
Don't bring him here at all!" 



330 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Though the cat-fish is a good deal of a scavenger in its tastes, 
its flesh is firm, flaky and well-flavored, and there are many who 
will agree with the old darky when he says: 

"Don't talk to me o' bacon fat, 
Or taters, coon or 'possum; 
Fo' when I'se hooked a yaller cat, 
I'se got a meal to boss 'em." 

The Darkey and the Cat-fish. 

"Sat'day night come arter, 
De niggers went a-fishin', 
Dey call for Billy Carter, 
'Case he want to go a-cattin', 
Dey filled de jug an' started 
For de Pocomoka river, 
Chicken-guts was better bait, 
Dey dug a gour o' wurrims." 

From "Pleasantry of the South." 

Head 3 to 4 ; depth 4 to 4.5 ; snout 3.66 ; eye 10 to 12 ; D. I, 6 ; A. 
21 or 22 ; V. 9. 

Body rather long; upper jaw usually distinctly longer than 
the lower ; humeral process more than half length of pectoral spine, 
which is rather long; length of base of anal 4 in that of body; 
dorsal fin inserted rather nearer adipose fin than tip of snout. 

Color dark yellowish brown, more or less clouded, sometimes 
yellowish, sometimes nearly black, but usually distinctly marbled 
or mottled. Length a foot to 18 inches. 

8. BLACK BULLHEAD 

AMEIURUS MELAS (Rafinesque) 

The Black Bullhead is found in brooks, ponds and lakes from 
northern New York westward to Kansas and Nebraska and south 




Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) 



- 
w 
p 

fe 
o 

G 
H 

8 

CO 



- 

o 




Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 331 

to Texas, and is usually abundant, especially west of the Missis- 
sippi. It is very variable and is closely related to both A. natalis 
and A. nebulosus. It is, however, a smaller fish and can usually 
be known by the fewer rays in the anal and by the marked contrast 
between the pale anal rays and the dark interradial membranes. 

This species is not at all common in Lake Maxinkuckee, only a 
few individuals having been seen there, and the majority of these 
were obtained in the Outlet and in Lost Lake. 

Head 3.5 ; depth 3 to 4 ; eye 8 to 9 ; snout 3 ; D. I, 6 ; A. 17 to 19. 

Body short and stout; head blunt; mouth moderate, jaws sub- 
equal; origin of dorsal midway between tip of snout and origin 
of adipose fin, dorsal spine long, 2 in head, equalling pectoral spine ; 
anal short, its base 4 to 5 in length of body, its rays 1.75 in head; 
barbels long, maxillary barbel much longer than head. 

Color usually almost black; anal rays pale, the membranes 
black, the contrast being quite marked. Size a foot or less. 

9. MAD TOM; TADPOLE CAT 

SCHILBEODES GYRINUS (Mitchill) 

(Plate 5) 

This little fish is common from the Hudson River westward 
through almost the entire Mississippi Valley and upper lake re- 
gion. In Lake Maxinkuckee it is rather common. It seldom 
reaches a length of more than 3 inches here, though specimens 5 
inches long have been reported from elsewhere. Of 35 examples 
measured at the lake the largest was 2.6 inches long, the short- 
est .9 inch, and the average was 1.74 inches. Several of these 
examples were mature fish. This is the only species of the genus 
occurring in Lake Maxinkuckee, although other species are com- 
mon in the various streams of Indiana. It may be readily known 
from the young of any of the other catfish found there by its 
adnate adipose fin which is continuous with the caudal fin, and also 
usually by its color. 

It was found by us both in the main lake and in the small one. 
It is not at all uncommon in shallow water near shore, where we 
would frequently find it more or less completely secreted in the 
Chara or in patches of Nitella or dwarfed Potamogeton. Speci- 
mens were also brought up with vegetation by the dredge or 
grapple from depths of 8 to 16 feet. Throughout the winter rak- 
ing in the Chara would frequently bring up one or more of these 
fishes. With the exception of the Iowa darter this is one of the 
most common fishes taken in this manner. They were also often 



332 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

found under sticks and stones. The species is capable of in- 
flicting a very painful sting, as it has a poison gland at the base 
of the pectoral spine. According to Prof. H. D. Reed it also has 
poison glands under the skin surrounding the pectoral and dorsal 
spines.* 

The food of this species consists mainly of small crustaceans 
and insect larvae. One of 2 examples raked up in Chara November 
25, 1904, contained a small beach flea and the other an Asellus ; of 
4 examples raked up in Chara in Outlet Bay, December 21, 1904, 
one, 1.19 inches long, contained a large water flea and an ostracod 
(Cypris), another 1.125 inches long, contained 2 ostracods and a 
few other entomostraca ; the third, 1.875 inches long, had eaten a 
good-sized insect larva and an ostracod ; the fourth, 1.25 inches 
long, contained a worm and 2 ostracods. One example, 2.31 inches 
long, examined in the summer, contained 5 individuals of Asellus, 
and another contained beach fleas. Stomachs of 2 examined May 
7, 1901, contained may-fly larvae and larvae of Chironomus. 

The species apparently spawns in June and July. One found 
dead on the shore by Lakeview Hotel, May 18, was much distended 
with ova; the eggs were yellow, large (11 to the inch) and about 
50 in number. Another example, 2.63 inches long, taken in the 
lake July 10, contained 93 mature eggs each about 1/15 of an inch 
in diameter. All the others examined in July were either spent 
fish or immature individuals. 

Head 3.9 ; depth 5 ; eye 6 ; snout 3 ; D. I, 6 ; A. 13 ; body short 
and thick, the head large, its width 3.5 to 4.5 in body; posterior 
part of body compressed ; spines stout and long, that of the pectoral 
straight, grooved behind, but not serrated, its length about 2^ 
in distance from snout to origin of dorsal ; dorsal higher than long, 
inserted nearer anal than snout; jaws about equal; humeral process 
short; adipose fin continuous with the pointed caudal. 

Color uniform yellowish brown, sometimes blackish; a narrow 
dark lateral streak and one or more dorsal ones. 

10. COMMON BUFFALO-FISH 

ICTIOBUS CYPRINELLA (Cuvier & Valenciennes) 

The Buffalo-fish was formerly abundant in the larger streams 
of the Mississippi Valley, and was also plentiful in many of the 
lakes in that region. In Lake Maxinkuckee it appears to be rare ; 
only one example was seen during the course of our investigations. 

* The poison glands of Noturus and Schilbeodes, by Hugh Daniel Reed, Amer. Nat., XLI, 
1907, pp. 553-567. 



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g 
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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 333 

On the morning of August 24, 1906, Mr. George W. Davis and 
a friend went out fishing toward the south end of the lake in a 
launch, but soon returned with a large fish in tow. It was landed 
at the Assembly grounds and placed on the pier at that place where 
its size at once attracted attention, for it was not only the largest 
fish known to have been taken in this lake, but considerably the 
largest Buffalo-fish yet reported; previous records gave the Buf- 
falo-fish "a length of nearly 3 feet and a weight of 20 to 30 
pounds." This fish was 4 feet in length, 35 inches in girth and 
weighed 75 pounds. It was taken to the laboratory and skinned. 
The fish was quite fat; it had immense scales some of them 
larger than a silver dollar. The stomach appeared to be full of 
Chironomus larvae. It contained more than a bucket full of roe, 
the ova being quite small. 




Common Buffalo-fish (Ictiobus cyprinctla) 

The Buffalo-fish, like the paddle-fish, is one of those fishes 
which might exist in the lake in some numbers without the fact 
being known, as they generally stay near the bottom and never 
take the hook. 

Old settlers along tributaries of the Mississippi report that 
Buffalo-fish used to run in such schools in spring that it was im- 
possible to ford streams while the run was in progress. In gen- 
eral appearance and in some of its habits the Buffalo-fish bears 
some resemblance to the carp. In some of the lakes of the Missis- 
sippi Valley extraordinary runs of very large Buffalo-fish occur 
occasionally. During the high water of spring the fish run out in 
great numbers into the overflowed marshes where they are killed 
with clubs, pitchforks or other weapons at hand. The flesh is of 
an inferior flavor, but nutritious. 



334 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Old settlers about the lake report that 20 or 30 years ago they 
used to catch a good many Buffalo-fish in Lake Maxinkuckee with 
the spear. A large one is reported to have drifted ashore some 
30 years ago near where the Farrar cottage now stands. 

Head very large and thick, 3.5 in length of body; depth 2.5 
to 3.5 in length; developed rays of dorsal 27 to 29; anal rays 9; 
ventrals 10; scales 7-37 to 41-6. Body robust, moderately com- 
pressed, the outline somewhat elliptical, but the back rather more 
curved than the belly. Opercular apparatus very strong, the 
operculum itself forming nearly one half the length of the head. 
Coloration dull brownish olive, not silvery ; fins dusky. 

11. COMMON SUCKER 

CATOSTOMUS COMMERSONII (Lacepede) 

(Plate 6) 

This is the most abundant sucker in the streams and lakes from 
Quebec and Massachusetts westward to Montana and Colorado 
and southward to Missouri and Georgia. It does not appear to 
be at all abundant in Lake Maxinkuckee. On the night of Sep- 
tember 20, 1900, two large examples, each about 18 inches long 
and weighing about 2.5 pounds, were seined in shallow water in 
front of the Fish Commission station. A few small ones were 
found dead along the shore of the lake in the summer of 1906. No 
examples were caught in any of the gillnets which we had set. A 
few young individuals \vere seined in Culver Inlet and in the Out- 
let below Lost Lake, and on one occasion a good number were 
seen in the Outlet some distance below the lakes. 

This fish does not take the hook, and when captured is usually 
taken in nets and traps. The flesh is of good quality, but very full 
of small bones. No opportunity was had to study its food . or 
habits, as so few were seen. 

Body moderately stout, varying with age, subterete, heavy, at 
the shoulders, the depth 4 to 4.56 in length. Head rather large 
and stout, conical, flattish above, its length 4 to 4.5 in body (3.5 
to 4.25 in young). Snout moderately prominent, scarcely over- 
passing the mouth. Mouth rather large; the lips strongly papil- 
lose, the upper moderate, with 2 or 3 rows of papillas. Scales 
crowded anteriorly, much larger on the sides than below; scales 
10-64 to 70-9. Coloration olivaceous ; males in spring with a faint 
rosy lateral band; young brownish, more or less mottled, often 
with confluent blackish lateral blotches or a lateral band. Lateral 
line imperfect in the very young. D. usually 12. L. 18 inches. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 335 
12. HOG-SUCKER 

HYPENTELIUM NIGRICANS (Le Sueur) 

(Plate 7) 

The Hog-sucker is abundant in swift and rocky streams from 
New York to Minnesota and Kansas, Arkansas and the Carolinas. 
Like all other well-known species of wide distribution, it has re- 
ceived many different common names, among which are Stone- 
roller, Stone-toter, Crawl-a-bottom, Hammerhead, Stone-lugger, 
Boot-leg sucker, Spotted sucker, Black sucker and Hog-molly. 

The Hog-sucker is not at all common in Lake Maxinkuckee. 
Six examples were seined July 18 near the Maxinkuckee pier, the 
largest about 8 inches long, and another example 12.75 inches long, 
was obtained later. A small one about 3 inches long was washed 
up dead in front of the Fish Commission station April 1, 1901. 
Mr. Gardner on the east side caught a specimen about August 16 
from a pool by his house. In the autumn of 1907 one was fre- 
quently seen in the Outlet just below the wagon bridge, and one 
was seen near shore along the south edge of Outlet Bay. 

This fish is not a lake species, but one which prefers clear 
pebbly streams, such as the Tippecanoe. Its occurrence in any 
abundance in Lake Maxinkuckee would, therefore, hardly be ex- 
pected. It is present in some abundance in the Outlet; on April 
2, 1901, a trip was taken about a mile down the Outlet and 9 
examples, each about a foot long, were seen in a pile on the shore 
with spear marks on them. In a trip down the Outlet in the 
autumn of 1907 (September 30) a good many were seen. On 
August 9, 1906, 2 examples about 9 inches long were seined in 
Yellow River. The stomachs were examined and found full of 
mud and a few bits of insect fragments. 

The Hog-molly can often be seen lying motionless at the bot- 
tom of clear, rather swift brooks, the black stripes across its back 
showing distinctly at a distance. In general coloration it resembles 
a pebbly bottom considerably and this frequently makes it difficult 
to see. In its general aspect, while in this position it resembles 
somewhat a large darter or a miller's thumb. It cannot usually be 
induced to bite, though a hook baited with a tempting morsel be let 
down to its very nose. It probably lives chiefly on insect larvaB 
and such microscopic organisms as it can suck up from the bottom. 

This sucker reaches a length of about 2 feet. Although not ex- 
tensively used as food its flesh is firm and flaky and possesses a 
flavor peculiarly sweet and agreeable. The chief objection is the 
abundance of small fagot bones. 

2217618 



336 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

At certain places in the Mississippi Valley this fish, along with 
other species of suckers, is utilized to some extent by salting for 
winter use. 

Head 4 to 4.5 in body; depth 4.5 to 5; eye rather small, 4.5 
to 5 in head, placed very high. D. 10 or 11 ; A. 7 ; V. 9 ; scales 7-48 
to 55-6. Head flattened above, transversely concave between the 
orbits, the frontal bone thick, broad and short, the physiognomy 
being, therefore, peculiar. Upper lip very thick, strongly papil- 
lose, with a broad free margin, which has upward of 8 to 10 series 
of papillae upon it; lower lip greatly developed, considerably in- 
cised behind, but less so than in related species. Fontanelle shorter 
and smaller than in C. commersonii, pectoral fins usually larger. 
Color olivaceous ; sides with brassy luster ; belly white ; back brown, 
with several dark cross-blotches, irregularly arranged, these be- 
coming obsolete in old individuals; lower fins dull red, with some 
dusky shading ; young considerably variegated, the sides spotted. 

13. CHUB SUCKER 

ERIMYZON SUCETTA (Lacepede) 

(Plate 8) 

The Chub Sucker, or Creek Fish as it is sometimes called, is 
found throughout the Mississippi Valley, the region of the Great 
Lakes and in coastwise streams from Maryland to Texas. It pre- 
fers small lakes, bayous and sluggish lowland streams, and, where 
found, is usually not uncommon. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee it is not often seen in the main lake but 
in the Outlet and in Lost Lake it is not rare. 

In our seining operations about the lake numerous specimens 
were secured. Between July 25 and August 25, 612 hauls were 
made and Chub Suckers were taken in 24 of them, the total num- 
ber of specimens being 109. The largest number in any single 
haul was 23. Specimens were obtained in Culver Inlet, Lost Lake, 
and in the Outlet between the two lakes. A few were got near 
the Vandalia pumping station at Culver and a few in Norris Inlet. 
On May 29, 1901, one was found dead in Aubeenaubee Bay, and 
another May 31 near the Assembly grounds. 

The young of this species bears but slight superficial resem- 
blance to the adult, the jet black lateral band and the small mouth 
making it easy to mistake them for minnows. 

This species reaches a length of 6 to 8 inches. Like all suck- 
ers it is quite full of fagot bones but is, nevertheless, a delicious 
lit lie panfish. The flesh is firm and of attractive flavor. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 337 

Head 4.25 ; depth 3.25 ; eye 4.25 to 6 ; snout 2.5 to 3 ; D. 12 ; A. 
7 : V. 9 ; scales 36 to 42-15. 

Body oblong, compressed, becoming gibbous with age, the ante- 
dorsal region more or less elevated in the adult; head short and 
stout, the interorbital space wide; scales closely imbricated and 
more or less crowded anteriorly; mouth small, somewhat inferior, 
the upper lip well developed and freely protractile, the lower small, 
infolded A -shaped in outline, plicate, with 12 to 20 folds on each 
side. 

Color varying greatly with age; back usually dark olivaceous, 
the sides with pale streaks along the rows of scales; belly white; 
young with a broad black lateral band bordered above by paler, 
becoming broken up later into a series of blotches which sometimes 
assume the form of broad transverse bars; often the band is jet 
black and ends in a jet black spot at base of caudal. As the fish 
gets older this black band becomes less distinct and finally disap- 
pears, leaving the color nearly uniform dusky with a brassy or 
coppery luster ; the fins are dusky, the lower ones sometimes tinged 
with reddish. 

A young example 2 inches long, taken in Lost Lake July 31, had 
the following colors in life: 

Back greenish-olive, side with a broad black band beginning as 
a large black spot at base of caudal and running along side a little 
above axis of body to tip of snout; under parts and lower part 
of side silvery-white, with golden or coppery wash; caudal pale 
brick-red; dorsal dark, particularly on the anterior 2 or 3 rays; 
all the other fins pale ; pectoral with a thin dark edge. An adult 
8 inches long was rich greenish-olivaceous, with rich brassy ir- 
idescence; fins all greenish brassy, no trace of black lateral band. 

The sexual differences are usually well marked, the males in 
spring with large tubercles on the snout and the anal fin more or 
less swollen and emarginate. 

14. SPOTTED SUCKER 

MINYTREMA MELANOPS (Rafinesque) 

This species, known locally as Black Sucker, is not common in 
these lakes. The only specimens we have seen were four examples 
seined in Lost Lake, October 21, 1913, by some commercial fisher- 
men who undertook to "rid Lake Maxinkuckee of carp." These 
specimens were 14 to 16 inches in length. 

This fish is also known as Winter Sucker. It attains a length 
of a foot to 18 inches and, as a food fish, is one of the best of the 
family, the flesh being firm, flaky and particularly sweet and palat- 



338 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

able. It occurs throughout the region from the Great Lakes south 
and west through the upper Mississippi Valley, it being perhaps 
most abundant in Missouri. 

It may be known from all other suckers by the following de- 
scription : Dorsal fin short, with only 12 rays ; air-bladder in two 
parts ; lateral line incomplete, most evident in the adult, the scales 
large, firm, regularly and smoothly imbricated, in 44 to 47 longi- 
tudinal series. Color dusky above, usually with a black blotch be- 
hind the dorsal fin; each scale along sides with a small blackish 
spot, these spots forming interrupted lines along the rows of 
scales, especially distinct in the adult, faint in the very young. 

15. REDHORSE 

MOXOSTOMA AUREOLUM (Le Sueur) 

This species of sucker, so common in most of the rivers and 
creeks in the upper Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes region, 
is apparently very rare in Lake Maxinkuckee. It is essentially a 
fish of moderately swiftly flowing streams and its occurrence in 
this lake was unexpected. Our records show but a single speci- 
men, an example 6.5 inches long, obtained in the summer of 1900. 
In neighboring streams, such as Yellow and Tippecanoe rivers, it 
is a common and well-known fish. It is variously known as the 
Common Redhorse, White Sucker, Large-scaled Sucker and Mullet. 
In Indiana it is most commonly called the Redhorse, and is a 
familiar fish to the boys and others who go a-fishing in the spring 
and early summer. It is not often caught on the hook, though 
when the hook is baited with angleworms and allowed to lie on the 
bottom it will sometimes be sucked in by the Redhorse. The 
method usually employed in the capture of this and other species 
of suckers, however, was by means of the wire snare. Favorite 
places were in the interstices in the old log drifts which occurred 
all too frequently in the smaller Indiana streams 30 to 40 years 
ago. As a game-fish not much can be said for the Redhorse, al- 
though it fights well when once it is hooked. As a food-fish it is 
excellent except for the abundance of fagot-bones. In a fish taken 
from clear cold water, the flesh is firm and flaky and deliciously 
sweet. At various places in the Ohio basin, and doubtless else- 
where where these suckers occur abundantly, they are salted or put 
up in brine for summer use. 

The breeding habits of the Redhorse are well-known. In the 
fall, when cold weather comes on, they run down stream and re- 
tire to the quiet, deeper portions of the river where they remain 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 339 

through the winter. When the warm days of spring return these 
fish leave the deeper water and run up stream into the shallow, 
swifter portions. This spring run of the suckers was, in the 
early days, one of the phenomena in Indiana and Illinois which 
never failed to attract the attention and excite the interest of those 
who were at all observing. 

The Redhorse may be readily known from all other species of 
suckers of this region by the following description, based on the 
one Maxinkuckee specimen : 

Head 4.2 in length ; depth 3.9 ; eye 4.75 in head ; snout 2.6 ; in- 
terorbital 2.5; dorsal I, 13; anal 7; scales 7-42-4. Body stoutish, 
varying to moderately elongate, considerably compressed, dorsal 
outline arched; head rather long, bluntish, rather broad, flattened 
above; lips full, the nose projecting; lower lip strongly plicate. 
Color in life yellowish or light rosy above, paler on sides, whitish 
beneath ; fins more or less red, fading to light yellow in alcohol. 

16. ROT-GUT MINNOW 

CAMPOSTOMA ANOMALUM (Rafinesque) 

(Plate 9) 

This minnow is common in streams from central New York 
westward to Wyoming and south to Tennessee and Texas. It is 
usually most abundant in deep or still places in small streams with 
muddy bottom. In the spring it runs into the smaller brooks at 
spawning time. Although not a lake fish it occurs in Maxinkuckee 
in some numbers. In July and August, 1899, more than 30 speci- 
mens were seined in various places about the lake, though chiefly 
in the small streams flowing into it. It was most abundant in 
Aubeenaubee Creek ; it was found also in Norris Inlet, Culver Inlet 
and the Outlet. Only rarely have we taken it in the lake proper; 
two were got July 25, 1899, near the pumping house of the Van- 
dalia railroad in the northwest corner of the lake on sandy bot- 
tom covered with Hydrodyction and other aquatics, and another 
was obtained near shore west of Lakeview Hotel, June 18, 1901. 
The smallest specimen in our collection is 2 inches long, the largest 
5.625 inches. 

This species is known also as Stone-roller, Stone-lugger, Steel- 
backed Chub, Mammy and Doughbelly. It attains a length of 5 
to 9 inches. As a food fish it possesses very little value, albeit, it 
often adorns the small boy's string. Its flesh is soft and doughy, 
full of small bones, and quick to decay, hastened, no doubt, by the 
character and quantity of food usually found in the remarkably 



340 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

long intestine. If dressed immediately after being caught and 
quickly consigned to the frying pan well rolled in fine meal and 
seasoned with butter, and browned to a turn, it is a dainty morsel. 
It is as a bait minnow, however, that this fish is of most value, 
and it is often seen in the minnow buckets of anglers about the 
lake. It is fairly good as a deep troller, and is excellent in shal- 
lower water provided it is kept near the surface. Its tendency 
is to bear down and become entangled in the weeds if there be 
any present, where it will pout and sulk. It lives well and is 
active on the hook when held up. It is a good bait for bass and 
wall-eyed pike but too big for yellow perch. 

This species can be readily distinguished from any of the other 
minnows of the lake by an examination of the very long intestine, 
which is spirally coiled around the air-bladder, a feature peculiar 
to the genus to which it belongs. 

The males are so greatly modified by the development of 
tubercles over the body during the breeding season that they hardly 
look like the same fish ; an example 4.75 inches long caught in the 
Outlet at the railroad bridge June 16, 1901, was so decorated. 
Several large tubercles adorned the head, and the greater number 
of scales on the upper part of the body contained each a small 
tubercle near the center. These tubercles appeared to be com- 
posed of a horny substance and were each seated in a more or 
less pit-like depression. 

Head 4.2 in body ; depth 4.4 ; D. 8 ; A. 7 ; scales 7-53-8 ; teeth 4-4 
or 1, 4-4, 0. Body stoutish, moderately compressed, the ante- 
dorsal region becoming swollen and prominent in the adult. Snout 
moderately decurved. Scales deep, rather small and crowded an- 
teriorly ; maxillary not reaching to opposite the front of eye. In- 
testine very long and wound around the air bladder. Color brown- 
ish, with a brassy luster above, the scales more or less mottled 
with dark; a dusky vertical bar behind the opercle; dorsal and 
anal fins each with a dusky crossbar about halfway up ; the rest of 
the fin, olivaceous in females, fiery red in the males in the spring, 
the iris orange in males. Extremely variable. The young very 
different in appearance from the old males. Length 6 to 8 inches. 

17. CARP 

CYPRINUS CARPIO Linnaeus 

(Plates 10, 11, and 12) 

During the seining operations of 1899-1900 not a single Carp 
was taken in the lake and we have no specimens of this species in 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 341 

the collection made at the lake. So far as known, no Carp has yet 
been taken out of the body of the lake itself, but as they have been 
taken in the marshes at both the Outlet and Inlet regions, they are 
in all probability present in the lake. They have never been noted 
splashing about in shallow water of the lakes as they usually do 
when abundant. The Carp made its first appearance in the region 
on the night of July 1, 1902. At about 2 o'clock that night Mr. S. 
S. Chadwick heard several big fishes floundering about in Green's 
marsh. He and Mr. E. Hatton took a lantern and tried to see 
them. There appeared to be a good many large fishes splashing 
among the grass and bushes, and sometimes their dorsal fins could 
be seen projecting above the water. The fins indicated quite large 
fish. In the afternoon of July 2 two men took a boat and rowed 
all over Green's marsh, but saw nothing. The fish had either re- 
turned to Lost Lake or were hidden in the grass or bushes. Late 
the same evening a large fish was seen at the lower end of the tile 
under the railroad. It swam down the ditch among the grass. 
The next day several large fish were seen in the marsh, and one 
was shot which proved to be a Carp 22 inches long, and weighing 
just 5 pounds. Another much larger one was seen. Part of the 
Carp which was shot was fried, and those who partook of it re- 
ported it pretty fair eating. 

On December 30, 1905, some large fish thought to be these, 
were seen through clear ice in the Outlet about a mile below the 
lakes. 

So far as known the Carp first appeared here in considerable 
numbers about May 13, 1905. The following extract from a letter 
from Mr. S. S. Chadwick, June 4, 1905, describes the Carp situation 
at that time: "Water was very high and Carp came out in the 
field west of me [Green's marsh]. Mr. Green came up to my 
place Friday, May 12, and said that the Carp were plentiful out 
in the pasture. I went and got 9. The next morning I got up 
at 4:30, took a 4-tined fork, crossed the road, and opened up on 
them. At 5 Mrs. Chadwick brought out a washtub and I put in 
11 Carp that filled it. The largest, 32 inches long, weighed 19 
pounds. In the two mornings I killed 21 Carp. I gave 15 to my 
neighbors and skinned the other 6, rolled them in paper and put 
them on ice. We had fish for 8 days, split the large one and made 
cut chops out of it, 1 rib to the piece, enough for an order, and I 
will say this for the Carp, the 5 to 8 pound ones are perhaps bet- 
ter than the larger ones. Flesh sweet and much better than the 
large-mouth black bass. I was surprised, indeed; so were my 
guests. Mrs. C. fried them and every one pronounced them fine. 



342 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

There were from 150 to 200 Carp taken out of that field and the 
Outlet between the two bridges. In Harvey Norris's field south 
of his house, one 16-pounder and 20 or more smaller were caught." 

In 1907, late in June, many Carp were seen in Green's marsh. 
One man shot two and speared five others, and many others were 
taken. The largest obtained this year that we have any record 
of weighed 8 pounds. 

In the autumn of 1907, a trip was taken by boat from Lake 
Maxinkuckee down the Outlet to the Tippecanoe River. No sign 
of Carp was seen either in Lost Lake or in the Outlet. It is some- 
what surprising that this fish, so much in evidence in the flats in 
the high water of spring, should appear to be wholly absent during 
the rest of the year. 

In October, 1913, a party from Wisconsin came to Lake Maxin- 
kuckee prepared to "rid the lake of the carp." They were equipped 
with a seine several hundred yards long and all the necessary boats, 
winches and all other needful paraphernalia and authority, includ- 
ing a permit and moral support from the State Fish and Game 
Commission. On October 20, one haul was made in Aubeenaubee 
Bay; result, about 1,000 bass, but not one Carp! The next day 
Lost Lake was seined with only slightly better success, the catch 
consisting of an immense number of straw bass (some weighing 
about seven pounds each), a great many bluegills, a few dog- 
fish, a few redhorse, two striped suckers, a lot of miscellaneous 
species, and three Carp! 

From which it appears that the Carp is not, as yet, very com- 
mon in Lake Maxinkuckee. 

About the lake, as in other places throughout the country, there 
is a good deal of prejudice against the Carp, which has no founda- 
tion in fact. They are supposed to devour the eggs of other fishes, 
but very few eggs have ever been reported as having been found 
in their stomachs.* They are supposed to drive away other fishes, 
but almost any of our spiny-rayed fishes could probably drive away 
the Carp. They are omnivorous, living on vegetable food, and al- 
most anything else small enough to take into their mouths. The 
young furnish a large amount of food to carnivorous fishes, such 
as bass and perch. 

In the winter of 1903 Carp were observed in great numbers in 
lagoons in Jackson Park, Chicago; the fishes swarmed up to air- 
holes by the thousands and many people caught them in their 
bare hands. 

* Leon J. Cole examined the stomach contents of 33 carp critically and many others less 
carefully and found only 3 fish eggs. 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 343 

Carp are usually caught by net, as they are not, as a rule, ready 
biters at the hook. Small ones are, however, frequently caught on 
the hook along the upper Mississippi. The favorite bait is the 
dough ball, or a bit of potato. They will, however, also take the 
angleworm and are sometimes caught on set-lines baited with 
angleworms. As a game-fish the Carp is not to be despised; in- 
deed, in some regions it is held in high esteem and eagerly sought 
by local anglers. It is really quite gamy, and a 4 to 10 pound 
Carp is able to make a fight that will delight even the most expert 
angler. 

The Carp is very productive, the number of eggs reported for 
4- to 25-pound fish ranging from 100,OQO to more than 2,000,000. 
Dr. Cole found that the eggs of a 17-pound Carp weighed 27 per 
cent of the entire weight of the fish. 

The Carp makes no nest but simply leaves the eggs scattered 
about on the vegetation in shallow water and gives no further at- 
tention to them. 

As a food-fish in American waters the Carp has undoubtedly 
come to stay. The annual catch now amounts to many million 
pounds, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Body robust, compressed, resembling that of the buffalo-fish. 
Mouth moderate, anterior, with 4 long barbels. Snout blunt, 
rounded; D. Ill, 20, the first spine strongly serrated; A. iii, 5; 
teeth, I, I, 3-3, I, I; scales normally 5-38-5, but sometimes few 
and large, scattered (mirror carp) or absent (leather carp) ; many 
variations present, due to domestication. Habitat, fresh waters 
of Asia; introduced into Europe and America as a food-fish. 

18. BLUNT-NOSED MINNOW 

PIMEPHALES NOTATUS (Rafinesque) 

This little fish is found from Quebec to Delaware, Arkansas and 
the Dakotas. It is generally abundant in small streams. 

In Lake Maxinkuckee it is a very common and well-known fish. 
In our seining operations many specimens were obtained, the num- 
ber taken at each haul varying from 1 to 30. The species was rep- 
resented in 79 out of 612 hauls and by 268 specimens. They are 
most frequently met with where the water is shallow and the bot- 
tom of mixed sand and gravel covered sparsely with vegetation. 
During the spring and summer they are usually found singly or 
only a few together, but later they bunch up and in the fall and 
winter they are found in considerable schools. These schools are 
usually found near shore, particularly under or about the piers. 



344 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

On bright sunny days they may be seen swimming along in shallow 
water and feeding upon entomostraca and other plankton elements 
at the surface. Even after ice has formed these schools may be 
seen. On November 14 and 27 many were found frozen in pools 
along shore, 59 being taken from one pool. 

The breeding season of this minnow is early in June. On June 
6 several nests were found in shallow water near the south shore 
of Outlet Bay. On June 8 more were found. They were invari- 
ably found under small pieces of boards or other flat objects lying 
on the bottom. Eight nests were found under one long board and 
two are often seen under one small piece of board. Upon lifting 
the board a rather broad but shallow burrow or depression is found 
under it, and usually a small fish is seen swimming anxiously back 
and forth in the burrow. The eggs are found attached to the 
under side of the board in a single compact layer. They are pink- 
ish white or transparent pinkish in color and about 17 to the inch 




Blunt-nosed Minnow (Pimephales notutus) 

in size. The eggs in some of the nests were evidently fresh, while 
those of other nests examined on the same date showed eye-spots 
and light wiggling motions. Several of these nests were examined 
again on June 16 and the parent fish were still present. 

Crawfishes apparently feed to some extent on the eggs of these 
fishes. One or more were seen under nearly every board which 
contained a nest, and the eggs disappeared before ready to hatch. 

As a bait minnow this species is one of the most desirable, 
perhaps the best of those found in the lake. All except the largest 
are too small for trolling, but for deep-water fishing it is excellent. 
It is very tough and lives well in all kinds of water and at all 
depths. It is a good fighter and very active on the hook. It may 
be used at any season and is good for wall-eyed pike, bass and 
perch, and all other game fishes of the lake except the bluegill. 

The Blunt-nosed Minnow is the only species of the genus found 
in the lake. It may be readily known from the following descrip- 
tion: 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 345 

Head 4.3 in body ; depth 4.6 ; eye 3.4 in head ; snout 3.6 ; dorsal 
I, 8 ; anal 7 ; scales 6-41 to 45-4 ; teeth 4-4. 

Body rather elongate, not much elevated, only moderately com- 
pressed; head rather short, the snout blunt and convex; top of 
head depressed, cheeks vertical; mouth small, inferior, horizontal. 
Fins small, the dorsal moderate, the first ray distinct and spine- 
like in the male, slender in the female; anal fin small, caudal fin 
short. Scales moderate, deep, closely imbricated, 23 rows in front 
of dorsal ; eye small. 

Color, back olivaceous; sides bluish silvery, belly white; nose 
bluish; a black spot on the dorsal fin in front near the base; a 
dusky blotch at base of caudal fin ; fins often reddish. 

Comparative measurements were taken of 150 examples of this 
species. These specimens ranged in length from 1.5 to 3 inches, 
the aveage being 2 inches. 

19. COMMON CHUB 

SEMOTILUS ATROMACULATUS (Mitchill) 

At Lake Maxinkuckee this fish is confined practically to the 
small tributary streams. . Numerous specimens varying in length 
from 1 to 9 or 10 inches were obtained in each of the inlets, per- 
haps most numerously in Aubeenaubee Creek; and a few were ob- 
tained in the Outlet. In all of these little streams it pushes well 
toward the head, and good-sized examples may be found where the 
stream is but a few inches deep. Their favorite place, however, 
is in the deeper, more quiet pools of these small streams. Though 
they can endure a relatively high temperature and water which is 
not very pure, they are often so crowded in these pools that the 
water becomes poorly aerated and quite impure, and the fish be- 
comes infested by various sorts of psorosperms and other para- 
sites. These, however, rarely seem to prove fatal, and when the 
fish are removed to favorable surroundings they speedily recover. 

The Common Chub reaches a length of 8 to 10 inches and is 
one of the fishes quite sure to be found on the small boy's string. 
It is one of the most voracious of the minnows and the sum total of 
sport which it brings to the youth of the land is no doubt quite 
as great as that which better fish bring to these same boys when 
no longer young. But while the mature angler no longer seeks the 
festive chub for its own sake, he nevertheless finds it a very useful 
fish, for when he would land the wall-eyed pike, great pike, or 
muskallunge, he finds no better bait than this same Chub ; the larger 
ones for these species and smaller ones for black bass. The Chub 



346 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

is a hardy bait, active on the hook and attractive to the game 
fishes just named. 

The principal food of the Chub consists of insect larvae, aquatic 
insects, worms and small crustaceans. 

Head 3.75 to 4 ; depth 4.75 ; eye 7.5 ; snout 3 ; interorbital 2.4 ; 
D. 8; A. 8; scales 9-57-5, about 40 before the dorsal; teeth 2, 
5-4, 2. 

Body stout, not much compressed, the dorsal outline arched 
somewhat in front of dorsal, the body tapering backward from a 
point considerably in front of dorsal, so that the base of that fin 
is quite oblique; head large, bluntly conic, broad and rounded 
above; snout broad; mouth broad, oblique, lower jaw somewhat 
included, the upper lip entirely below level of pupil; maxillary 




Common Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) 

barely reaching front of orbit; maxillary barbel small, sometimes 
not evident; eye small; scales small, greatly reduced and crowded 
anteriorly; lateral line strongly decurved. 

Color, dusky bluish above, side with a vague dusky band, quite 
black in the young, but almost or entirely disappearing with age; 
belly whitish, rosy in breeding males ; dorsal fin with a large black 
spot on base of anterior rays, bordered with red in the adult male ; 
a dusky vertebral line ; scales everywhere black at base and dusky 
on edges ; a broad black bar on shoulder behind opercular opening ; 
males in spring with the snout coarsely tuberculate ; young with a 
small black spot at base of caudal. The Chub varies somewhat 
in the number of scales, northern specimens having an increased 
number. Our specimens have from 57 to 60. The number of 
fin-rays is also large in our specimens, one having D. 8 ; A. 9, and 
another D. 9 ; A. 9. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 347 
20. ROACH 

ABRAMIS CRYSOLEUCAS (Mitchill) 

(Plate 13) 

The Roach, known also as the Golden Shiner or Bream, is a 
common fish from Nova Scotia and Maine to the Dakotas and south 
to Texas, on both sides of the Alleghenies, and is usually abundant 
in weedy ponds and sluggish streams. It is not abundant in Lake 
Maxinkuckee ; specimens were obtained in only 7 hauls of the seine 
and of these 6 were made in Culver Inlet, and one in the outlet 
below Lost Lake. A few were seen, along with calico bass and 
bluegills under the Merchant pier, near Culver, Nov. 15, 1906. In 
all, 59 specimens, ranging from 1 to 5f inches, were taken. It is 
a handsome, hardy fish, and would make a very attractive aquarium 
fish. It is sometimes used, along with other minnows, for bait. 

This species reaches a maximum length of about a foot and may 
be known from other minnows inhabiting this lake by the greatly 
compressed body, the small mouth, the large anal fin and the 
greatly decurved lateral line. 

Head 4.5 ; depth 3.5 ; eye 4 ; snout 4 ; maxillary 4.3 ; mandible 3 ; 
interorbital 2.6 ; caudal peduncle 2 ; D. I, 8 ; A. I, 12 ; scales 11-51-3. 

Body elongate ovate, strongly compressed; head small and 
short, moderately pointed; snout short, pointed; eye moderate, in 
axis of body; mouth small, oblique, maxillary not reaching eye; 
jaws subequal. Fins moderate; origin of dorsal behind insertion 
of ventrals and a little nearer base of caudal than tip of snout; 
first dorsal ray longest, 1.2 in head; last ray about length of 
first; base of dorsal 1.75 in longest ray; free edge of anal con- 
cave, the first rays longest, about 1.2 in longest dorsal; last anal 
ray about 3 in first, base of anal equal to longest ray; caudal 
widely forked, the notch rounded, the lower lobe slightly longer, 
'greater than head, the upper scarcely equal to head; pectoral 
small, short, 1.3 in head, not reaching insertion of ventrals; ven- 
trals shorter than pectoral, reaching f way to anal; scales rather 
small, not very firm, and not closely imbricated ; lateral line com- 
plete, strongly decurved. 

Color, clear greenish above ; side silvery, with bright golden re- 
flections ; fins yellow-greenish, the tips of the lower fins sometimes 
somewhat orange in breeding males. 



348 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 
21. BLACK-STRIPED MINNOW 

NOTROPIS BIFRENATUS (Cope) 

Up to 10 or 11 years ago, this handsome little minnow was 
known only as a rather uncommon fish in streams along the coast 
from Massachusetts to Maryland. In 1898, Dr. W. C. Kendall of 
the Bureau of Fisheries, obtained a good number in a bay near 
the mouth of Songo River, at Sebago Lake, Maine. At Lake Max- 
inkuckee, 5 specimens of this species have been found, 2, each about 
1| in. long, in Lost Lake Aug. 25, 1900, a third about an inch 
long of which the date has been lost, another example 1^ inches 
long was taken in Aubeenaubee Creek near ^ the mouth November 
15, 1904, and the fifth, If inches long, in Lost Lake, Dec. 24, 1904. 
These specimens agree perfectly with those obtained at Sebago 
Lake, Maine, by Dr. Kendall, except that ours have a slightly larger 
eye and a slightly larger mouth. 

The Black-striped Minnow very closely resembles the young of 
the chub sucker, from which it can be distinguished by the struc- 
ture of the mouth. It can be at once distinguished from any other 
of the minnows of the lake by its intense contrastive markings. 
It differs from Notropis cayuga, which it resembles more closely 
than any other minnow of the region, in the larger mouth, black 
lower jaw, stouter body, and much blacker lateral band. The 
black lateral band in bifrenatus is solid and continuous, that in 
cayuga is made up of a series of black vertical bars, somewhat 
lunate in the anterior part of the body, separated by less black, sil- 
very interspaces. 

Head 4.2 in length ; depth 4.2 ; eye 3 in head ; D. 8 ; A. 7 ; scales 
5-36-3 ; 13 scales before dorsal ; teeth 4-4. Body with both dorsal 
and ventral outlines somewhat arched; the caudal peduncle some- 
what contracted. Head moderate, the muzzle very obtuse. Mouth 
oblique, the jaws about equal; upper lip opposite lower part of. 
pupil. Eye large, greater in diameter than length of snout ; pores 
of lateral line developed on only a few of the anterior scales. 

Straw-colored, the scales brown-edged above; a shining black 
band from snout through eye to caudal, including edge of lower 
jaw; an orange band above this on the snout; regions below the 
black band silvery. Length 1-J to 2 inches. 

On account of its rarity, this minnow is not generally known to 
the anglers of the vicinity. Its small size would probably prevent 
its being used as a bait minnow, though its attractive colors might 
make it a good lure. 



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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 349 
22. CAYUGA MINNOW 

NOTROPIS CAYUGA Mek 

(Plate 14) 

The Cayuga Minnow is a rather common fish in lakes, ponds and 
streams from Cayuga Lake and northern New York, westward to 
Assiniboia, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas. It is 
an insignificant little fish, usually too small to be used for bait, and 
chiefly useful as food for other fishes. It is generally overlooked 
by minnow seiners and anglers, and is usually known only from 
regions where systematic collecting has been done; its small size 
and modest colors enable it to elude common observation. 

It does not appear to be common in Lake Maxinkuckee proper ; 
our only record is of 5 specimens taken July 7, 1900. It appears, 
however, to be quite abundant in Lost Lake. On July 29, 1899, 
19 specimens were obtained there, and the species appeared to be 
exceedingly abundant at that place during the late autumn of 1907. 
Late in October and during the first week of November of that 
year, it swarmed in myriads in the shallow water along the shore. 
On November 5, 1907, more than a bushel were taken in one haul 
with a 12-foot seine dragged through a space not exceeding about 
50 square feet of water, near the Bardsley cottage. Of these about 
a gallon were saved and found to consist of 1,907 of this species, 
48 Notropis heterodon, 25 Pimephales notatus, 7 Abramis cryso- 
leucas and 4 Notropis blennius. The stomachs of a number of the 
Cayuga minnows taken in this haul were examined and found 
to contain various kinds of entomostraca and several different 
sorts of diatoms; among the entomostraca were Diaptomus, Bos- 
mina and Daphnia; among the diatoms were species of Navicula, 
Pleurosigma and Cymatopleura. It was thought at first that these 
came from the stomachs of the waterfleas, but these were quite 
free from them. One filament of Spyrogyra and one of Lyngbya, 
1 observed were probably taken by accident. At that time the entire 
east shore of Lost Lake from the Bardsley cottage southward was 
a mass of these small minnows, so uniformly abundant and 
crowded that it was practically impossible to observe any segrega- 
tion into schools. 

Our specimens differ somewhat from the descriptions of typical 
N. cayuga in having the lower jaw subequal or included, and not 
projecting. In this respect they resemble N. ano genus, from which 
they differ, however, in having the lateral line incomplete. The 
chin usually has a few minute punctulations, but would be called 



350 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

pale in comparison with that of N. heterodon. The following is a 
description of a typical specimen : 

Head 4.1 in length; depth 5.1; eye 3 in head; snout 3; D. 8; 
A. 8 ; teeth 4-4 ; scales 5-36-4, -14 before dorsal ; lateral line usually 
quite incomplete. Body rather slender, moderately compressed, 
heaviest forward; caudal peduncle long and slender; head rather 
broad; snout short, bluntly rounded; mouth small, maxillary not 
nearly reaching eye, the lower jaw usually included or little pro- 
jecting; eye large; fins moderate, origin of dorsal slightly behind 
insertion of ventrals; caudal rather deeply forked, the inner rays 
scarcely exceeding half length of outer ones. 

Color, pale yellowish or straw-color above, whitish below; back 
and two rows of scales on each side with a border of dark stippling 
about each side ; middle of side with a broad plumbeous band over- 
laid with black arranged in short vertical masses separated by sil- 
very interspaces which are less heavily punctate with black, this 
black band extending on to base of caudal fin and through eye 
around snout. Length 1 to 2.5 inches. 





Variable-toothed Minnow (Notropis heterodon) 

23. VARIABLE-TOOTHED MINNOW 

NOTROPIS HETERODON (Cope) 

The Variable-toothed Minnow is rather common from New 
York to Michigan and Kansas. Like its near relative, the Cayuga 
minnow, it is a rather insignificant little fish, so much like a host 
of relatives that it is not generally distinguished from the great 
mass of "minnows" by most people. It can be distinguished from 
the Cayuga minnow, which it closely resembles, by the larger 
mouth and bit of black on the chin. The young of this species have 
a broad black band on the side, and quite closely resemble the young 
of the chub sucker (Erimyzon sucetta). They are not so deep, 
however, and have a differently shaped mouth. 









n 



o 



Z 
X 

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Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 351 

Our collection contains 111 specimens, ranging from 1.12 to 
2.5 inches in length, 34 of which were obtained in Lake Maxin- 
kuckee, 75 in Lost Lake, 1 in Aubeenaubee Creek and 1 in Culver 
Inlet. 

Head 4 in length; depth 4; eye 3 in head; snout equal to eye; 
D. 8 ; A. 8 ; scales 5-36-3, the lateral line extending about half the 
length of the body; teeth 4-4 (sometimes 2, 4-4, 2) often crenate. 
Body moderately stout, the back somewhat elevated; head rather 
pointed, the muzzle acuminate; mouth rather oblique, lower jaw 
projecting; upper lip opposite upper rim of pupil; maxillary ex- 
tending to opposite front rim of orbit; thirteen scales in front of 
dorsal. 

Color: Back golden olivaceous; top of head black, snout paler, 
yellowish ; middle of side with a broad, black, zigzag line beginning 
often as a black spot at base of caudal and running along middle 
of side through eye and around snout ; tip of lower jaw black ; lower 
half of side and under parts silvery. In mature examples there is 
a steel-blue wash along lateral line, and the whole body has a pale 
golden tinge ; a small dark spot on back at origin of dorsal. 

24. STRAW-COLORED MINNOW 

NOTROPIS BLENNIUS (Girard) 

(Plate 15) 

The Straw-colored Minnow is generally abundant in small 
streams from Ohio and Michigan to Tennessee, Dakota and Kansas, 
and southward to Texas. At Lake Maxinkuckee it is very abund- 
ant. During the seining operations of 1899-1900, 499 examples or 
more were taken. Throughout the summer individuals of this 
species seem to be pretty well distributed in the lake from the 
shore to some distance out; with the coming of winter, however, 
they crowd together and are frequently seen in immense schools 
along the shore, sometimes alone, and sometimes associated with 
skipjacks and blunt-nosed minnows. A sudden cooling of the 
water in autumn appears to benumb them and other small fishes 
and they are frequently found washed upon shore where they 
perish. This particularly happens if there is a storm with high 
waves about the time of a rapid lowering of water temperature. 
When the first skirt of ice is formed along shore they are some- 
times found frozen on top of the ice as if they had jumped up 
there to escape some larger fish, or had been blown there in the 
spray. 

The Straw-colored Minnow is a rather delicate fish and cannot 

2317618 



352 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

stand severe cold. On November 30, 1900, a number of these, with 
graybacks and other fishes, were found in a pool by Farrar's where 
they had washed up during a storm. The pool was frozen almost 
solid. The graybacks revived after being thawed out but the 
Straw-colored Minnows were all dead, many of them having 
actually burst asunder in the process of freezing. 

Throughout the whole winter of 1900-1901 and during the fall 
and early winter of 1904, these minnows were seen quite fre- 
quently, in various situations. They congregated in great num- 
bers under the first clear ice, appearing to crowd up as close to the 
shore as possible, and they seemed to be enjoying the sunlight 
shining through the ice. Whenever a hole was cut through the 
ice near shore, they could be seen, apparently attracted by the light 
and air. They also lurked about dark sheltering places such as 
piers, and congregated in great schools about the steamboats dur- 
ing the winter. They also sometimes crowded about the Outlet in 
company with skipjacks. When they are associated with skipjacks, 
the latter are usually nearer the surface of the water, while the 
straw-colored minnows are more or less the bottom part of the 
school. On November 1, 1904, a good many of these were noticed 
with thousands of skipjacks near Long Point. When disturbed, if 
under a pier, the skipjacks moved out into deeper water, while 
the straw-colored minnows moved nearer shore. In the early 
winter of 1904 they were seen crowding under pieces of boards 
and sticks which lay on the bottom near shore. Those under 
boards appeared to be dazed when the board was suddenly removed, 
and were easily caught. When out in open schools, however, these 
fish are quite alert, and rather more difficult to catch with the 
dipnet than the skipjack. 

In the spring of 1901 they were seen quite frequently, and, 
though not in dense schools as in the autumn, were still often 
abundant along shore as late as June 25. 

This fish appears to subsist chiefly on animal food, and occa- 
sionally on algse. An example 1.19 inches long contained a good 
number of Bosmina, one Daphnia and remains of insect larvae. 
Of a number examined October 7, 1904, several were empty, 2 con- 
tained entomostraca and several contained Anabsena flos-aquse. 
A lot were caught at the depot pier the next day; most of these 
were empty, but several contained Anabsena. On December 7, 
1904, five were examined of which 2 were empty but the other 
three contained insect larvae. One examined May 22 contained a 
few mature insects, others examined June 15 contained a few in- 
sect fragments, but little else. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 353 

The Straw-colored Minnow spawns early in June ; several speci- 
mens examined June 6 were found to contain ripe eggs. Another 
collected May 22 contained numerous immature eggs. An example 
2} inches long caught at Long Point June 2, was examined. The 
egg-mass was thick club-shaped, somewhat sharper behind, ap- 
parently occupying all the body cavity behind the liver and closely 
pressed against the air-bladder, almost surrounding it. The in- 
testine was inconspicuous. The egg-mass was 19 mm. (nearly an 
inch) long and 7 mm. (a third of an inch) in diameter. The in- 
dividual eggs were small, pale in color, 305 in number and measur- 
ing 33 to the inch. They were probably "nearly mature. Besides 
these there were many immature eggs. 

This little minnow is used for bait only when better ones are 
not available. It is too small and tender to prove entirely satis- 
factory. Its abundance, however, and the difficulty which anglers 
coming to Lake Maxinkuckee frequently experience in obtaining 
larger minnows, result in the use of a good many of this species for 
bait. For rock bass, crappie and yellow perch it proves pretty at- 
tractive and effective. 

It is also doubtless of much importance as food for other fishes 
of the lake. At night, when the bass, rock bass, perch, walleyed 
pike and other species come in near shore to feed, the Straw-col- 
ored Minnow is one of the species preyed upon most persistently. 
Many doubtless fall a prey to the waterdogs which creep up among 
them when crowded in schools near shore in late autumn. 

Head 4 ; depth 5 ; eye large, 3 in head. Scales 5-36 (32 to 38) -4 ; 
teeth 4-4. Body moderately stout, little compressed; head rather 
broad, with rounded angles; mouth small, inferior, horizontal; 
snout very obtuse; 15 rows of scales in front of dorsal; dorsal low, 
its longest ray f head. 

Back greenish-olive, scales dusted, darkest on edges, resulting 
in cross-hatching ; a dark blotch on back in front of dorsal ; median 
line on back behind dorsal fin black, not reaching caudal fin ; top of 
head darkish; side usually pale, silvery, a faint line of dark 
specks along middle of side, with a series of larger black specks 
along lateral line ; under parts pale ; an indistinct dark spot usually 
present at base of caudal fin ; fins all plain. Length 2 to 3 inches. 
Of 161 examples measured the longest was 2.63, the shortest 1.25 
inches and the average 1.7 inches in total length. 



354 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

25. SPOT-TAIL MINNOW 

i 

NOTROPIS HUDSONIUS (DeWitt Clinton) 

The Spot-tail Minnow is a species of wide distribution. It is 
found from Vermont westward to the Dakotas and southward to 
the Carolinas. It is abundant throughout the Great Lakes region 
and is not rare in certain waters east of the Alleghenies. In Lake 
Ontario it is particularly abundant. It probably occurs in all the 
interior lakes of New York draining into Lake Ontario and is very 
abundant in Lake Chautauqua. In Bass Lake and some others of 
the small northern Indiana lakes it is quite common. At Lake 
Maxinkuckee, however, it appears to be rare. The only record of 
its occurrence there is that of a few specimens seined September 
20, 1899. 




Spot-tailed Minnow (Notropis hudsonius) 

Like most species of wide distribution this minnow has many 
vernacular names, among those in most general use being Shiner, 
Spot-tail minnow, Spawneater and Hudsonian minnow. In Chau- 
tauqua Lake it is called Cisco. How this name of a species of 
whitefish ever got transferred to this little minnow is not easy to 
understand. 

The Shiner reaches a length of 3 to 6 inches and is an attractive 
little fish. As a bait-minnow it is highly esteemed. On Lake On- 
tario and the St. Lawrence River it is regarded as the best live bait 
for bass. At Chautauqua Lake large examples are popular musk- 
allunge bait. In northern Indiana it is a good general purpose 
bait minnow, although not abundant enough in many places to 
be well known. The smaller ones are excellent for yellow perch, 
those of medium size are ^X)od for bass, and the larger ones for 
walleyed pike and pickerel. Its bright silvery color makes it an 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 355 

attractive bait, and it is active and vigorous on the hook, swimming 
clear of vegetation and at a good distance above the bottom if 
used in deep water. It is not the most hardy of minnows; its 
scales rub off rather easily, thus giving a chance for attacks by 
the fungus Saprolegnia in the live-box. But in the minnow bucket 
or on the hook it lives fairly well and is, withal, a pretty satis- 
factory bait minnow. 

It may usually be readily known from the following description, 
the black caudal spot being the most distinctive character mark: 

Head 4.75 in body; depth 4; eye 3 in head; D. 8; A. 8; scales 
5-39-4 ; teeth, 1, 4-4, or 1, or 2. Body elongate, considerably com- 
pressed in the adult; head quite short, muzzle blunt, decurved, 
shorter than the very large eye ; mouth moderate, nearly horizontal, 
the jaws nearly equal, the maxillary reaching nearly to the eye; 
lateral line nearly straight, slightly decurved anteriorly; 18 scales 
before dorsal; pectoral not reaching ventrals, the latter not to 
vent. Coloration very pale, with usually a dusky or black spot at 
base of caudal, especially in the young; side with a broad, silvery 
band, which is sometimes dusky. Length 4 to 6 inches. 

26. SILVER-FIN 

NOTROPIS WHIPPLH (Girard) 

This handsome minnow is generally common in clear streams 
from central New York to Minnesota, northern Alabama and 
Arkansas, and is very abundant in the Ohio Valley. It is a stream 
fish and not at all abundant in the lake, only about 41 specimens 
having been secured. These were obtained along the east side of 
Long Point from July 17 to 20, and on August 23, 1899, and a few 
more were seined in front of the Fish Commission station on the 
evening of Sept. 20. 

It is preferably, a fish of the larger, clearer creeks and rivers, 
delighting in the rush and swirl of the waters on the riffles where 
it feeds on the insect larvse, small crustaceans and other small life 
among the stones or adhering to the Potamogetons and other 
aquatic plants which grow in such places. It is a trim, active 
minnow, and one of the most handsome of the family. Like most 
other minnows used as bait it has several common names ; shiner, 
blueback, flat minnow, silver-fin, and hornyhead being among those 
most often heard, the last being applied to breeding males. 

This species evidently spawns in the lake toward the end of 
July; of those obtained July 18, many were full of spawn and 
ripe; of 2 females examined, one contained 686 eggs, .03 of an 



356 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



inch in diameter, and another contained 745 eggs which ran 30 
to the inch. 

As a bait minnow the Silver-fin is not without value. It is 
very active when on the hook ; and this, with its bright silvery color- 
ation, should make it attractive to black bass. It is hardy and 
lives well in the live-box, minnow bucket, and on the hook. The 
smaller ones are good bait for perch and rock bass, the largest ones 
for walleyed pike. 

Head 4-i in body; depth 4 in adult males; females and young 
more slender, 4| to 5; eye small, 4^ to 4| in head; snout 3 to 3; 
maxillary 3 to 3f ; mandible 3^ to 4 ; D. 8 ; A. 8 or 9 ; scales 5-38 
to 40-3; teeth 1, 4-4, 1, the edges more or less distinctly serrate. 
Body moderately elongate, somewhat compressed, the dorsal and 
ventral outlines regularly and gently arched; head rather long, 





Silver-fin (Notropis whipplii) 



triangular, the snout pointed; mouth rather small, quite oblique, 
the lower jaw received within the upper when the mouth is closed; 
maxillary not reaching orbit; eye small, in axis of body; caudal 
peduncle rather long and compressed. Fins moderate, origin of 
dorsal midway between tip of snout and base of caudal and over 
base of ventrals ; origin of anal posterior to base of last dorsal ray ; 
free edge of dorsal straight, the longest rays 1.2 in head ; free edge 
of anal somewhat concave in the depressed fin, more nearly straight 
when the fin is expanded, the longest ray 1.25 in head; pectoral 
slender, slightly falcate, 1.3 in head; ventrals short, barely reach- 
ing anal, 1.4 in head; caudal broadly forked, the notch rounded, the 
lobes equal, 1 in head ; scales firm, closely imbricated, much deeper 
than long, not crowded anteriorly ; top of head of male in breeding 
season covered with prominent tubercles. 

Color of male leaden silvery, brightest and with bluish luster 
on middle of side ; back darker, inclining to olivaceous ; underparts 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 357 

silvery; cheek and opercles silvery, with faint brownish dustings; 
caudal peduncle with an ill-defined plumbeous spot posteriorly; 
dorsal fin dusky anteriorly, the rays white ; last 3 interradial mem- 
branes satiny-black, especially that between last 2 rays but one; 
caudal pale, dusky on edges; anal and ventrals satiny-white; pec- 
toral pale, with faint lemon wash in richly colored males; female 
less brilliant than the male, the side more plumbeous. Length of 
specimens described 3 to 4 inches. 

The Silver- fin can be readily distinguished from any other min- 
now of the lake by the elongate dark spot' on the posterior part of 
the dorsal fin. 

27. SHINER 

NOTROPIS CORNUTUS (Mitchill) 

(Plate 16) 

The Shiner or Red-fin is distributed through the entire region 
east of the Rocky Mountains, excepting the South Atlantic States 
and Texas, and is almost everywhere the most abundant fish in 
small streams. 

Although usually a creek fish it is not uncommon in Lake 
Maxinkuckee; during the seining operations, 688 specimens were 
secured. The greatest number obtained in one haul was 208. It 
was frequently seen during the spring of 1901, usually in the Out- 
let under the wagon or railroad bridge or between them. On April 
19, 1901, a fisherman, fishing from the pier by the Ice-houses, 
caught an 8-inch example. On September 30, 1907, on a trip down 
the Outlet, good schools of these fish, some of large size, were seen. 

The Shiner is one of the handsomest and best known of the 
minnows. It reaches a length of 8 to 10 inches and, with the ex- 
ception of the species of Semotilus and Hybopsis, is one of the larg- 
est species in the Eastern States. While it prefers the smaller 
streams it may also be found in lakes and rivers as well. In small 
brooks and in quiet places in creeks and rivers the young may be 
found in myriads. The adults are vigorous, active fish frequenting 
the rapids and swifter parts of the streams. 

This fish takes the worm-baited hook with avidity and is 
the minnow most frequently seen on the small boy's string. The 
large individuals possess considerable game qualities often agree- 
able to boys of larger growth. Although attaining some size and 
sometimes used as food, it is not of much value for that purpose, 
as the flesh is soft and spoils very soon after death; hence the 
name Rot-gut or Rot-gut minnow often heard applied to it in 
southern Ohio, Indiana and southward. 



358 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

As a bait minnow, the Shiner is one of the best and most 
popular. At Maxinkuckee it is one of the species most often used. 
Owing to its general distribution and abundance. in northern In- 
diana it is easy to obtain examples of any desired size up to 6 or 
7 inches, for which reason this species is used for all sorts of bait 
fishing at the lake. Those 3 to 5 inches long are regarded as 
among the very best lures for large-mouth black bass, and those 
2 to 24 inches long fov yellow perch and crappie. It is a fine 
trolling minnow when the water is not too warm ; when the water 
is above 70 they are apt to suffer and die too readily. 

Head 4j in body; depth 3j, varying much with age; eye 4 to 5; 
D. 8 ; A. 9 ; scales 6-41-3 ; teeth 2, 4-4, 2, with rather narrow grind- 
ing surface. Body elongate in the young, in the adult short, com- 
pressed, with the anterior dorsal region much swollen and gibbous ; 
head rather heavy, compressed, rounded between the eyes, the 
snout bluntish; mouth moderate, nearly horizontal, the jaws nearly 
equal, the lower somewhat included; eye moderate; maxillary 
scarcely reaching front of eye, the premaxillaries below the level 
of the eye. Scales always deeper than long on the sides, becoming 
extremely deep in the adult; lateral line decurved. Dorsal moder- 
ate, inserted directly over ventrals in young, thrown somewhat 
backward in adult by the growth of the nuchal region; pectorals 
barely or not reaching ventrals, the latter about to vent ; region in 
front of dorsal typically with about 23 scales, the number ranging 
from 15 to 40. Coloration, dark steel blue above, the scales with 
dusky edges, the bases also dusky; a gilt line along the back and 
one along each side, these distinct only when the fish is in the 
water; belly and lower part of the sides silvery, bright rosy in 
spring males ; dorsal fin somewhat dusky ; other fins plain ; the 
lower fins all rosy in spring males ; head dark above ; a dark shade 
behind scapula ; lower jaw and region in front of dorsal to tip of 
snout covered with small tubercles in spring males; female and 
young fishes are plain olivaceous above and silvery below. 

28. RED-NOSED MINNOW 

NOTROPIS RUBRIFRONS (Cope) 

This dainty little minnow is a common species from Vermont 
and western Pennsylvania to Michigan, Kansas, and Kentucky. It 
is by preference an inhabitant of the larger, clearer streams, 
though it is also found in small rivers and creeks. It delights to 
dwell on the riffles and in the swifter water. Sometimes it is 
found in large schools swimming near the surface in the deeper, 




COMMON SHINER, Notropis cornutus (Mitchill) 




BLACKFIN, Notropis umbratilis atripes (Jordan) 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 359 

quiet pools or in still eddies near shore. At such times it can be 
caught in great numbers in the minnow seine. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee it is apparently a very rare species. Our 
collections contain but a single specimen; this is a good typical 
example 2;! inches long, obtained in Aubeenaubee Creek, near its 
mouth, April 27, 1901. The fact that only this one specimen was 
obtained suggests that the species is not really native to the lake 
and that the example caught was a bait minnow escaped from some 
live-bait bucket. 

The Red-nosed Minnow attains a length of 2 to 2.5 inches, 
scarcely large enough to be used much as a bait minnow, although 
it is not infrequently seen in the angler's minnow pail. Its bright 
silvery color and its activity make up in a measure for what it 
lacks in size. For yellow perch and the smaller bass it is a very 
satisfactory live bait, and several on one hook have proved attract- 
ive to the walleyed pike. 

Head 4 in length ; depth 6 ; eye 4.7 in head ; snout 3.1 ; dorsal 
9; anal 10; scales 7-47-4, teeth 2, 4-4, 2. Body long and slender, 
considerably compressed; dorsal and ventral outlines but slightly 
arched; head rather long, snout pointed; mouth moderate, some- 
what oblique, the maxillary reaching vertical at front of orbit, the 
lower jaw projecting; scales firm; lateral line complete, somewhat 
decurved. 

Color, pale lemon above, the edges of the scales with fine dark 
punctulations ; side bright silvery, somewhat metallic blue above; 
sides of head silvery, more red in breeding season; under parts 
straw-yellow. 

29. RED-FIN 

NOTROPIS UMBRATILIS (Girard) 

(Plate 16) 

This is an exceedingly variable minnow, widespread in distribu- 
tion, its range extending from Minnesota to western New York, 
North Carolina, Alabama and Texas. It is represented in differ- 
ent regions by well marked subspecies and is usually abundant in 
small clear streams. It is not common in the lake, only 22 speci- 
mens having been secured, 12 in Aubeenaubee Bay and 10 just 
east of the Culver Military Academy pier on July 21, 1899. 

Head 4| in body ; depth 4 to 4i ; eye 3 to 4 in head ; D. 7 ; A. 11 ; 
scales 9-40 to 52-3; teeth 2, 4-4, 2. Body compressed; the caudal 
peduncle long ; head long, conic, rather pointed ; mouth large, mod- 
erately oblique, the premaxillary on level of pupil, the maxillary 
extending to opposite eye; lower jaw somewhat projecting; eye 



360 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

moderate, about equal.to muzzle ; scales closely imbricated, crowded 
anteriorly, about 30 before dorsal. Dorsal fin high, inserted about 
midway between ventrals and anal ; pectorals not reaching ventrals, 
the latter to vent; caudal fin long. Coloration, dark steel blue 
above, pale or silvery below; a more or less evident black spot at 
base of dorsal in front ; the fins otherwise all plain ; males with the 
anterior dorsal region and the head profusely covered with small 
whitish tubercles, the belly and lower fins being of a bright brick 
red in the spring; females very pale olive, sometimes almost color- 
less. Length 3^ inches. 

The subspecies represented in the lake is lythrurus, which has 
the body moderately elongate, the depth 4^ in length, the females 
nearly 5 ; eye large, about 3| in head ; scales 9-47-3 ; dorsal with a 
conspicuous black spot in front, rest of the fin mostly pale; no 
anal spot. 




Cavern-jawed Minnow (Ericymba buccata) 



30. CAVERN-JAWED MINNOW 

ERICYMBA BUCCATA Cope 

This interesting little minnow, which appears never to have re- 
ceived any distinctive vernacular name, is found from Pennsyl- 
vania westward to Michigan and Kansas and south to Florida. In 
some streams, notably in central Indiana, it is abundant. It is a 
stream fish, rarely, if ever, occurring in lakes. We have not found 
it in Lake Maxinkuckee proper, but we have one specimen taken by 
us September 11, 1906, in the outlet below Lost Lake near the site 
of the old mill. It is known to occur in the Tippecanoe River at 
Belong. We have also found it in the minnow buckets of anglers 
at the lake. 

It may be readily known from any other minnow of the United 
States by the cavernous structure of the head which shows par- 
ticularly in the lower jaw which appears to be made up of a series 
of rectangular cavities or compartments. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 361 

Head 4 ; depth 5 ; eye large, 4 in head ; dorsal 8 ; anal 8 ; scales 
5-33-3 ; teeth 1, 4-4, 0. Body fusiform, rather elongate, little com- 
pressed, the back not elevated; head rather long, somewhat de- 
pressed above, with broad and prominent muzzle; mouth rather 
small, horizontal, subinferior, the lower jaw considerably shorter 
than upper ; upper lip below level of pupil ; maxillary not reaching 
to eye; dentary bones dilated, the mucous channels conspicuous; 
suborbital very broad, silvery, with an elevated longitudinal ridge 
and conspicuous cross lines; opercle smajl; fins small, dorsal over 
ventrals; scales moderate; lateral line nearly straight; breast scale- 
less ; 15 large scales before dorsal. Color olivaceous, rather pale ; 
sides bright silvery with bluish reflections; a dark dorsal streak, 
conspicuous posteriorly; fins plain; males without tubercles or 
bright colors. Length 3 to 5 inches. 




Black-nosed Dace (Rhinichthys atronasus) 

31. BLACK-NOSED DACE 

RHINICHTHYS ATRONASUS (Mitchill) 

The Black-nosed Dace is a very abundant fish in clear brooks 
and mountain streams from New England to Minnesota, northern 
Alabama and Virginia. It is extremely variable in different parts 
of its range. 

It is not common about Lake Maxinkuckee ; no specimens were 
taken in the lake itself, and only 19 in all were taken in the region. 
Of these, one was taken in Aubeenaubee Creek and the remaining 
18 in Culver Inlet. 

As a bait minnow this species possesses some value, particularly 
for bass and walleyed pike. It is unusually hardy and lives well 
on the hook as well as in the minnow bucket and live-box. It is 
also extremely vigorous and active. Its dull colors, however, ren- 
der it less attractive than it otherwise would be. 



362 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Head 4 in body; depth 4; eye H in snout, 4 in head. D. 7; 
A. 7; lateral line 64; teeth 2, 4-4, 2. Body moderately elongate, 
little compressed ; head moderate, rather broad and flattish above ; 
snout moderate; mouth small, horizontal, sub-terminal, the lower 
jaw included; barbel minitte but probably always present; upper 
lip on level of lower part of pupil, maxillary not reaching nearly 
to eye, eye small, nearly median; fins rather small; dorsal fin well 
back, its insertion about midway between nostril and base of 
caudal; scales quite small, somewhat embedded. Color, blackish 
above, some of the scales irregularly darker; a black band 
passing from snout through eye and along side of body; a paler 
streak below this; belly silvery; males in spring with the lateral 
band and the lower fins and sometimes the whole body, bright 
crimson; males in late summer with the lateral band scarlet or 
orange, the red color growing faint later in the season. Length 
3 inches. 

The specimens obtained varied in length from 1.06 to 2.55 
inches. They differ in several respects both from the description 
of the typical spscies and from the subspecies lunatus, in the range 
of which the Lake Maxinkuckee region is included. The head 
varies from 3f to 4, the depth from 4 to 5, eye from 3^ to 4, 
usually 4, snout from 3 to 3, usually 3, scales 10 or 11 above lateral 
line, from 60 to 67, usually 60, in lateral line, usually 7 below. 
One example had scales over only of the body. In all examples 
except one, the dorsal had 8 rays instead of 7. 

32. RIVER CHUB 

HYBOPSIS KENTUCKIENSIS (Rafinesque) 

The River Chub is a species of wide distribution; from New 
England and Pennsylvania its range extends westward to Wyoming 
and southward on both sides of the Alleghenies to Alabama. It 
is nearly everywhere abundant in the larger streams, but it does 
not by preference so often frequent smaller streams or lakes. Like 
all other familiar species of wide distribution it is favored with 
many common names, among which may be mentioned hornyhead, 
jerker, river chub, common chub, horned chub, Indian chub, and 
red-tail chub. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee where the streams are all small, the river 
chub is not common. The only specimens (3 in number) obtained 
by us were seined in Aubeenaubee Creek. They range in length 
from 3.25 to 6 inches. 

Like all other members of the family the Hornyhead spawns in 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 363 

the spring, in northern Indiana in May and June. It builds a 
considerable nest of relatively fine gravel, usually on a gravel bar 
where the water is comparatively swift. 

The food of the River Chub consists chiefly of worms, insect 
larvae, small crustaceans, and small fishes. As a game fish it is of 
some importance, especially to the small boy with whom all is fish 
that comes to his net. It attains a length of 9 or 10 inches, a size 
which appeals to the young angler who, with worm-baited hook, is 
usually quite sure to meet with gratifying success with this fish. 
It takes the hook greedily and fights vigorously and with the proper 
spirit. It is never known to give up and sulk as some fishes do but 
always continues the fight to the last. 




River Chub (Hybopsis kentuckicnsis) 

As a bait minnow, the River Chub is one of the best known and 
most highly esteemed. It is par excellence the bait minnow for 
all kinds of American freshwater game fishes. Hornyheads of 
small size, say 2 to 3 inches in length, can not be excelled for 
crappie, calico bass, rock bass and medium-sized large-mouth and 
small-mouth bass. Those of somewhat larger size can not be sur- 
passed for the larger bass and wall-eyed pike; while for him who 
desires to capture large pickerel, great northern pike, or the wily 
muskallunge, an 8 or 10 inch River Chub is just the lure to use. 

The Hornyhead is unusually tenacious of life, and when on the 
hook is exceedingly active, fighting with a vigor, viciousness and 
persistency which justly entitle it to rank with the game fishes. 

An expert angler, speaking of this minnow, says it is especially 
fine for trolling. The best sizes for Maxinkuckee are those from 
2 to 4 inches long. It is tough and wily and will endure much pun- 
ishment in the water. Its good qualities are its toughness and ac- 
tivity on the hook. It is a fine bait for wall-eyed pike and both 
species of black bass. A dozen river chubs of assorted sizes are 
worth double that number of any other species. 



364 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Another feature which particularly commends this minnow in 
the upper Mississippi Valley is the ease with which a supply can 
be captured. Not only can they be secured in the usual way with 
the minnow seine, but they also readily enter the minnow trap, and 
in the absence of other means, a sufficient supply can often be taken 
by means of a small hook baited with grub or angleworm. 

Head 4 in length; depth 4-| ; D. 8; A. 7; scales 6-41-4; teeth 
1, 4-4, 1, or 1, 4-4, 0, sometimes 4-4. Body rather robust, little 
elevated, not much compressed ; head large, rather broadly rounded 
above; the snout conical, bluntish; mouth rather large, subtermi- 
nal, little oblique, the lower jaw somewhat the shorter; upper lip 
rather below level of eye; maxillary not reaching to front of eye^ 
eye small, median, high up ; barbel well developed ; suborbitals very 
narrow; preorbital large; fins moderate; the dorsal rather pos- 
terior, slightly behind insertion of ventrals; caudal broad, little 
forked. Scales large, not crowded anteriorly, 18 rows in front 
of dorsal. Lateral line somewhat decurved. Color, bluish-olive; 
sides with bright green and coppery reflections; a curved dusky 
bar behind opercle ; scales above with dark borders ; belly pale, but 
not silvery, rosy in spring males; fins all pale orange, without 
black spot; males in spring with a crimson spot on each side of 
head; adults with the top of the head swollen, forming a sort of 
crest, which is sometimes a third of an inch higher than level of the 
neck and is covered with large tubercles ; young with a dark caudal 
spot. Length 6 to 9 inches. 

33. COMMON EEL 

ANGUILLA ROSTRATA Le Sueur 

The Common Eel is an abundant and well-known fish all along 
our Atlantic coast from Maine to Mexico. From the ocean it as- 
cends all rivers south of Canada and east of the Rocky Mountains, 
and is resident throughout the Mississippi Valley. It does not ap- 
pear to be common in Indiana and is not well known to Indiana 
anglers generally. At Lake Maxinkuckee it seems to be rather 
uncommon, although it is occasionally caught on set-lines at night, 
especially during the spring. Only a few examples were actually 
seen. On August 19, 1899, Mr. Thomas Large found floating far 
out in the lake an Eel 43 inches long and weighing 6^ pounds. On 
May 15, 1901, one 22 inches long was caught on a set-line in Out- 
let Bay, during the night. Besides these, reports were heard of 
several having been caught about the same time. About the last 
of June, 1907, Mr. S. S. Chadwick got a very large Eel at his pier. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 365 

He saw it under his pier 2 or 3 different mornings, then shot it. It 
had been crippled some way and had a wound on the belly 3 or 4 
inches long. The fish was at least 40 inches in length. There 
seemed to be a general impression about the lake that they were 
rather common and could be obtained in numbers by any one who 
took trouble to fish for them, but the logic by which this conclu- 
sion was reached ("there must be a good many eels in the lake, be- 
cause nobody has ever taken many out") .is not particularly con- 
vincing. No eels were ever seen in the Outlet, although it was 
watched pretty closely for migratory fishes. Lampreys were oc- 
casionally taken in the Outlet by fishers with minnow seines and 
were usually thought to be young eels. The eelskin is in good local 
repute as a remedy for rheumatism and sprains, the dried skin 
being placed over the affected parts as a bandage. 




Common Eel (Anguilla rostrata) 



Nothing was observed at the lake concerning the habits of the 
Eel. They are said to be carnivorous and voracious and very fond 
of crawfishes. Specimens kept in the aquariums at the Bureau 
of Fisheries are affected by fish lice more than any other fishes 
except the toad fishes. 

The Eel can be distinguished at once from the lamprey by the 
presence of jaws and fins, the single gill-opening and embedded 
scales. It could not be confounded with any other species of fish 
in the lake. 

Body elongate, compressed behind, covered with embedded 
scales which are linear in form and placed obliquely, some at right 
angles to others; lateral line well developed; head long, conical, 
moderately pointed; the rather small eye well forward and over 
the angle of the mouth ; teeth small, subequal, in bands on each jaw 
and a long patch on the vomer ; tongue free at tip ; lips rather full, 
with a free margin behind, attached by a frenum in front; lower 
jaw projecting; gill-openings rather small, slit-like, about as wide 



366 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

as base of pectoral and partly below them; nostrils superior, well 
separated, the anterior with a slight tube; vent close in front of 
anal ; dorsal inserted at some distance from the head, confluent 
with the anal around the tail; pectoral well developed; distance 
from front of dorsal to vent 1.16 to 2 in head; pectoral 2.83 to 
3.4 in head ; head 2 to 2.5 in trunk. Form rather robust. Brown, 
nearly plain, often tinged with yellowish ; paler below, the color 
extremely variable. Length 4 or 5 feet. 

34. MUD MINNOW 

UMBRA LIMI (Kirtland) 

(Plate 17) 

The Mud Minnow is a common fish from Quebec to Minnesota 
and southward to the Ohio valley ; it is especially abundant north- 
ward throughout the Great Lakes region in weedy streams and 
ditches and in the smaller muddy lakes. At Lake Maxinkuckee it 
is fairly abundant in Norris Inlet, Aubeenaubee Creek, Culver 
Inlet, in the Outlet above Lost Lake, and in the small ponds in 
Green's marsh. Specimens were also secured in Lost Lake and its 
outlet. It delights to dwell in small creeks, ditches or ponds where 
the water is cool, the bottom muddy and aquatic vegetation abund- 
ant. There were a good many in a ditch two miles or so west of the 
lake. Mud minnows were frequently seen under the clear ice in the 
Inlet and in the ponds in Green's marsh, and they were quite active 
during the winter. 

Professor Baird says of this species that "A locality which, 
with the water perfectly clear will appear destitute of fish, will 
perhaps yield a number of mudfish on stirring up the mud at the 
bottom and drawing a seine through it. Ditches in the prairies 
of Wisconsin or mere bog-holes, apparently affording lodgment to 
nothing beyond tadpoles may thus be found filled with Umbras." 
The same remarks apply equally well to such places in northern 
Indiana. The little streams, ponds and ditches everywhere are 
apt to have the Mud Minnow as one of their inhabitants. The 
abandoned Wabash and Erie Canal is a favorite place for this fish, 
and old mill-races that have grown full of Myriophyllum, Cera- 
tophyllum and other aquatic plants are sure to be the home of this 
species. 

One of the writers recalls many visits to the old Dillen mill- 
race and the cold, boggy Armstrong pond near Camden, Indiana, 
many years ago, when he had his first experiences with this curi- 
ous fish. The race was literally filled with ditch moss (Philotria 






2 

a 

O 



x 

o 





Lake Maxlnkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 367 

canadensis) and any mass of this vegetation that might be raked 
out was sure to contain one or more mud minnows. They were 
also common in and about the Armstrong pond; they sometimes 
would be found in the mud at the bottom of cow tracks some dis- 
tance from water. 

These are oviparous fishes, the sexes similar, small in size, 
carnivorous in 'their habits, feeding upon small crustaceans, insect 
larvae and the like. One specimen examined contained an Asellus, 
and they are also said to feed to a large extent on the minute 
duckweed, Wolffia. They are extremely tenacious of life and will 
live a long time in the mud in the bottom of a pool which has en- 
tirely dried up. When dug out of the mud and placed in water 
they usually seem normally vigorous and active. They can be kept 
indefinitely in minnow buckets or old rain barrels without change 
of water. 

They are frequently used by anglers as bait for pickerel and 
wall-eyed pike, but they are chiefly valuable on account of their 
great tenacity of life. Anglers who have tried this bait at Lake 
Maxinkuckee, however, have not found them a very killing lure. 

The Mud Minnow is familiar to almost everyone who ever goes 
seining for minnows ; but, as it bears a superficial resemblance to the 
dogfish, Amia calva, the young of which are rarely seen, they are 
usually supposed to be young dogfish. The interesting remarks 
by Charles Halleck regarding the young of the dogfish as bait 
doubtless refer to the Mud Minnow. 

Various anglers at Lake Maxinkuckee to whom specimens of 
the Mud Minnow were shown pronounced them young dogfish. 
The two species are not at all related, however, and may be easily 
distinguished by the much larger dorsal fin of the dogfish, in which 
there are about 48 rays while in the Mud Minnow there are but 15 
dorsal rays. 

Specimens of Mud Minnow examined on April 9, appeared to be 
nearly ripe, and they probably spawn about the middle of April. 
The eggs are 1/20 of an inch in diameter and varied from about 
425 to 450 per individual. 

Head 3.5 to 3.75 in length; depth 4.5 to 4.75; eye 5.5 to 6 in 
head; snout 4.5 to 5; dorsal 15; anal 10; pectoral 14; ventral 6; 
scales about 37,-13; branchiostegals 6. Body oblong, somewhat 
compressed, covered with rather large, cycloid scales; head rather 
short, bluntly conic, little depressed; caudal peduncle deep, com- 
pressed; eye moderate, high up; mouth rather large, slightly ob- 
lique, lower jaw projecting, maxillary reaching vertical of an- 
terior part of pupil ; cheeks, opercles and top of head scaled ; dor- 

2417618 



368 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

sal fin posterior in position; caudal rounded. Color, dark olive- 
green, mottled with darker and coppery or brassy blotches, and 
with about 12 irregular dark crossbars; a dark postocular spot 
and a large dark blotch on opercle ; a broad dark band in front of 
eye; a broad black vertical bar on caudal peduncle at base of tail, 
and a narrow dark band on base of caudal rays ; caudal beautifully 
marked with fine crossbars ; under parts paler, sometimes rosy 
coppery. Length 3 to 5 inches. 

Almost all of the specimens obtained at Lake Maxinkuckee 
were considerably undersized, ranging in length from 1| to 3.55 
inches, only 12 in the 84 individuals examined being 3 inches or 
over in length. The numbers representing the proportions are 
smaller throughout, the head being usually 3^ in length; depth 
ranging from 4^ to 5, usually about 4^; eye 3| to 5i, frequently 
4 ; snout 3-i to 5, usually a little over 4 ; it will thus be observed that 
the Maxinkuckee specimens have a somewhat larger head, greater 
depth, larger eye and longer snout than is given in current de- 
scriptions. 

35. GEASS PIKE 

ESOX VERMICULATUS Le Sueur 

(Plate 5) 

The Grass Pike occurs abundantly throughout the middle and 
upper Mississippi Valley and in streams tributary to Lakes Erie 
and Michigan. It is not known from east of the Alleghenies nor 
from Texas. Throughout most of its range it is generally com- 
mon in all ponds, bayous and small sluggish streams in which there 
is much aquatic vegetation. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee only 86 specimens were secured during 
the seining operations, and the greatest number taken in one haul 
was 17. It is, however, quite a common fish, and it is probable 
that the alacrity with which this fish gets out of the way at the 
first sign of danger accounts for the small number taken. It is 
frequently found basking near shore in shallow weedy places. In 
late autumn they bask in considerable numbers in the neighbor- 
hood of the Outlet. During the latter part of October and the 
first part of November, 1904, considerable numbers of these fishes 
were seen close to the Outlet. On October 28, about 10 were seen, 
and two days after about 40 or 50 were seen at the same place at 
noon. They were also seen in late autumn on various occasions 
basking in the region of the Inlet and along the bayous of the Out- 
let. When basking they usually lie perfectly still, and look so 
much like a stick that they are not seen until an arrowy streak 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 369 

in the water marks where they have dashed from shore. They 
were occasionally seen under the clear ice. In December, 1904, 
they were observed hiding under the ice-fringes along the edge of 
the Outlet. A good many of them about the same time went into 
the lagoons in Green's marsh and some froze there. On one oc- 
casion about a dozen dead ones were seen at that place. As soon 
as the ice melts in spring and the melting snows and early rains 
raise the waters over tht flats and fill the little rills, the grass pikes 
may be seen pushing their way out into even the shallowest places. 
The tiniest rill that runs into the lake is ascended to its very source, 
and it is surprising how far they will manage to wiggle up some 
tiny thread of a brook. They scatter out over the flats and 
bayous, and are common in the ditches. In 1901 the spring run 
began about April 1, and they were frequently seen in shallow 
lagoons and ponds in Green's marsh until April 30. Even earlier 
in the spring before the ice has gone off, they may be seen through 
the* ice in the shallow water of the bayous and along the lake 
shore. And a little later, when open places in the ice begin to ap- 
pear, Grass Pike may often be seen in such places and in open 
places in the ditches. One may sometimes kill them in such situa- 
tions by striking them with a stick. 

Ordinarily the Grass Pike is not sought by anglers; its small 
size and disinclination to take the baited hook preclude its becom- 
ing a game-fish of any importance. It will, however, take the hook 
and is sometimes seen on the small boy's string. The flesh is 
white, firm, flaky, and of delicious flavor. 

Like other species of the genus, the Grass Pike is a voracious 
fish which preys largely on other fishes. An example six inches long 
contained a small straw bass. 

Distomid parasites are often found in its stomach. 

The spring invasion of the shallow, reed-covered places is for 
breeding purposes. A few fish were examined about April 4, and 
the eggs appeared to be nearly mature, about 15 to the inch, and 
one example caught contained about 1,896 eggs. 

Head 3 ; depth 5 to 6 ; eye large, 2^ in snout, about 6 in head. 
Branchiostegals 11 to 13; D. 11 or 12; A. 11 or 12; scales 105. 
Body moderately stout, somewhat compressed; head rather short, 
the eye being exactly in the middle of the head; middle of eye 
nearer tip of chin than to gill-opening ; snout 2 in head ; caudal well 
forked. 

The following are life colors of a female example 10.5 inches 
long captured at Green's marsh, April 4, 1901 : Back olivaceous, 
lighter along median line, bounded on each side by a series of ir- 



370 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

regular darker spots; side olive green, mottled and blotched with 
darker, and with more or less brassy in thin close lines ; opercle and 
cheek greenish, blotched with dark; a broad dark line downward 
from eye; upper part of head dark olivaceous, a narrow paler 
median stripe ; under jaw pale, darker at tip ; lower fins pale red- 
dish ; dorsal and caudal light olivaceous, tip of dorsal blackish, belly 
white. 

36. COMMON PIKE 

ESOX LUCIUS Liniueus 

The Common Pike has a remarkably wide distribution. It is 
the only member of the family found outside of America, and is 
found in the fresh waters of the northern parts of Europe, Asia 
and North America north to Alaska and Siberia; in the eastern 
United States south to New York and the Ohio River; and in 
Europe south to Italy and Greece, and is generally abundant 




Common Pike (Esox lucius) 

throughout its range. It is not at all common in Lake Maxin- 
kuckee. One was obtained some years ago 3 feet long and weigh- 
ing 1(H pounds, and another was caught on July 20, 1900, which 
weighed 3f pounds. It appears to be rather common in waters 
not far distant from the lake. The largest of which we have any 
record was seen at Round Lake, 4 miles west of Bass Lake. It 
weighed 32 pounds and had died trying to swallow a large bass. 
One of the best streams of which we know for pike fishing is the 
Kankakee. In November, 1892, a fisherman caught one there 
weighing 26^ Ibs. On August 4, 1906, one 40 inches long and 
weighing 16 Ibs. was caught in the Yellow River, a branch of the 
Kankakee. 

Head 3^; depth 5; eye 6.^ in head, 3^ in snout; snout 2f in 
head; branchiostegals 14 to 16; D. 16 or 17 (developed rays) ; 
scales 123. Body moderately elongate, the back little elevated; 
head rather long, the eye exactly midway in its length, middle of 
eye midway between tip of chin and gill-opening; cheeks entirely 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 371 

scaly ; lower half of opercles bare. General color bluish, or green- 
ish gray, with many whitish or yellowish spots, which are usually 
smaller than the eye and arranged somewhat in rows ; dorsal, anal 
and caudal fins with roundish or oblong black spots; young with 
the whitish spots coalescing, forming oblique crossbars; a white 
horizontal band bounding the naked part of the opercle ; each scale 
with a grayish V-shaped speck. Length 4 feet. 

37. GRAYBACK 

FUNDULUS DIAPHANUS (Le Sueur) 

(Plate 18) 

Fundulus diaphanus is represented in Lake Maxinkuckee by 
the subspecies menona, the range of which extends from northern 
Ohio to Mississippi. It is a northern fish, not found far south of 
northern Illinois. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee this is .known as the Grayback or Grey- 
back Minnow. It was formerly very abundant, frequently swim- 
ing in considerable schools near shore, especially in late autumn 
after the water had become chilled. They remained rather near 
shore the whole year round, but were not bunched up so much in 
schools during the summer as during the winter. In 1899 and 
1900 these fishes were taken in considerable numbers in the seining 
operations, the total catch amounting to 1,197, and in the autumn of 
1900 great schools were observed near shore. It was quite abund- 
ant during the spring and summer of 1901. Of late years they 
appear to be decreasing in numbers. In 1906 and 1907 they did 
not appear to be nearly so abundant as formerly. This is probably 
due to the fact that this is the most desirable fish in the lake for 
bait, and as it stays near shore, it falls an easy prey to people who 
seine for minnows. In looking over a haul, people usually pick up 
the graybacks first and sort them out quite thoroughly. 

The Grayback is a handsome, somewhat chubby fish. Although 
not strikingly colored the silvery bars make it quite attractive, 
and it is this, combined with its hardiness, that makes it so 
valuable as a bait minnow. It will live under all sorts of condi- 
tions and endure much cold without injury. 

On November 30, 1900, a number of fishes small catfishes, 
straw-colored minnows, etc., were found in a small pool near 
Farrar's. The sand had washed up, cutting the pool off from the 
main lake, and it was frozen almost solid. Most of the fishes, es- 
pecially the straw-colored minnows, were dead; among the fishes 
in the pool were 13 graybacks, all females which, on being thawed 



372 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

out, revived and were lively as ever. The longest measured 2f 
inches in length, and the shortest 1^ inches. In raking up weeds 
through the ice in winter, small graybacks were frequently brought 
up along with Iowa darters, mad toms and crawfishes. 

The Grayback subsists chiefly on small animals; the stomach 
examined contained insect larvae and some entomostraca. The 
stomach of another 2.1 inches long, examined July 3, contained 
several small snails, several small mites, 1 Bosmina and a few 
Cypris. It also contained several distomid parasites. 

On June 24, 1901, a number of this species were observed at 
a boat landing north of Long Point and appeared to be mating. 
They were in pairs, and the male, the paler of the pair, kept swim- 
ming along below the other, see-sawing back and forth and rising 
until their noses touched. He followed her about like a shadow, 
leaving only to chase away other fishes that came near, but always 
returning to her. She occasionally dashed her nose at the base of 
some growing Chara obtaining a mouthful of material, working her 
mouth and allowing sand and pebbles to drop out. On June 27, 
one examined contained large roe. Some were observed spawning 
July 14, 1899. On July 22, 1906, some of these fishes appeared 
to be ripe, but had not yet spawned. On subjecting them to 
slight pressure masses of light yellow eggs oozed out. 

Head 3f in body; depth 5; eye 3^ in head; D. 12; A. 10; B. 
5 ; scales 48-12. Body rather slender, not elevated, compressed 
posteriorly ; head moderate, quite flat above, teeth pointed, curved, 
the outer not much enlarged ; fins not large ; dorsal and anal rather 
low; ventrals scarcely reaching vent in females, somewhat longer 
in the males. General color olivaceous, sides silvery; males with 
about 20 silvery vertical bars, narrower than the dark interspaces ; 
female with 15 to 20 dark transverse bars shorter than the silvery 
bands of the male. Dark bands very distinct, somewhat irregular 
in position ; the back always spotted ; the dark bands often replaced 
by about 16 shining silvery, vertical bands, which are narrower 
than the dark interspaces; the interspaces broadest behind; fins 
plain. Length 3 inches. 

38. TOP-MINNOW 

FUNDULUS DISPAR (Agassiz) 

(Plate 18) 

This little fish is to be found in lakes and sluggish streams from 
northern Ohio to Missouri and south to Mississippi. In many of 
the waters in this area it is not to be found; in others it is quite 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 373 

abundant. It is rather common in Lost Lake and the Outlet, but 
none was found in Lake Maxinkuckee. During the seining opera- 
tions of 1899-1900, 101 specimens were secured, the greatest num- 
ber taken in one haul being 25. 

This is a very prettily marked little fish, the fine stripes of the 
female, and the combination of bars and stripes on the male mak- 
ing the species one of the most handsome fishes of the lake. The 
contrast in markings of the different sexes is quite striking, and 
makes a pair of these fishes especially interesting ; they hardly look 
like the same species. 

The characteristic bars of the male seem to be assumed quite 
early in life, although this seems to differ considerably in different 
individuals; one specimen 1$ inches long showed the bars quite 
plainly, while others If inches long showed them rather faintly. 
The shortest specimen obtained was about an inch long, and the 
longest 2J inches. These fishes prefer shallow waters, and usually 
swim about the surface two or three together, and not in great 
schools. The dark patches over the eyes of these fishes remind 
one somewhat of the markings on the head of the wood frog. 

Head 3.75 in body; depth 3.5; D. 7; A. 9; scales 35-10; body 
short and deep, much compressed ; head short and very broad, the 
flat interorbital space being of its length, and barely twice the 
diameter of the eye; the; distance between the eyes above greater 
than the distance between them below ; snout broadly rounded ; fins 
moderate; dorsal much smaller than anal; outer series of teeth 
somewhat enlarged. Coloration, pale olive, bluish in life; a very 
distinct brownish line along the edges of each row of scales, ap- 
pearing wavy or serrate, as it follows the scales; about 10 of 
these longitudinal stripes present ; males with the lines interrupted, 
appearing as a series of dots, and further marked by about 9 dark 
crossbars ; adults with a black blotch below the eye, sometimes con- 
fluent with it. Oviduct free from anal. Length 2\ inches. 

39. SPOTTED TOP-MINNOW 

FUNDULUS NOTATUS (Raflnesque) 

This pretty little fish is quite common in ponds and canals from 
Michigan to Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. It is usually seen 
swimming about, singly, in pairs or small schools, at the surface of 
the water. It does not appear to be common in Lake Maxinkuckee. 
The only specimen in the collection is an example \\ inches long, 
caught in the Culver Academy lagoon, April 4, 1901. It is not 
rare in Lost Lake, however ; individuals were often seen swimming 



374 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

along on the surface in shallow water near shore. The Top-min- 
now is a tantalizing little fish; it looks like the easiest thing in 
the world to catch one by closing the hands together under it and 
gently lifting it out of the water as it swims unconcernedly along. 
It generally manages to escape somehow, and the experiment can 
be tried time and again on the same fish. 

On July 23, 1906, a good many of these fishes exceedingly vari- 
ous in size, some quite small, some medium sized, and some full 
grown, were seen together in the shallow water among the weeds of 
Lost Lake. They had apparently spawned and hatched before this 
time. A good many of these fishes were seen in Bass Lake on 
August 14, 1906, and they were very abundant at Twin Lakes 
when visited August 31, 1906. 

The Top-minnow can be recognized in the water by the trans- 
lucent spot on the head, along with its habit of swimming about 
slowly at the surface. 

Head 4 ; depth 4.5 ; eye large, less than snout, about 3 in head. 
D. 9 ; A. 11 ; scales 34-11. Body rather slender, compressed be- 
hind; head low, depressed, and rather elongate; the snout some- 
what produced, the lower jaw scarcely projecting; interorbital 
space broad, its width about half length of head ; fins moderate, the 
dorsal and anal elevated in the males; teeth in a broad band, the 
outer series considerably enlarged and canine like. Coloration, 
brownish olive, with a broad dark, purplish-black lateral band run- 
ning from tip of snout through eye to base of caudal, darker in 
males than in females ; young specimens have the edges of the band 
serrated; a few series of small black dots along the sides of the 
back; dorsal, caudal and anal fins dotted with black; top of head 
with a conspicuous translucent spot in life; concentric striae on 
scales strong. Length 2 to 3^ inches. 

40. BROOK STICKLEBACK 

EUCALIA INCONSTANS (Kirtland) 

(Plate 17) 

The Brook Stickleback is found in small creeks and lakes from 
New York westward to Kansas, northward to Saskatchewan, and 
southward to central Ohio and Illinois, the southernmost record 
being Decatur County, Indiana. It is abundant in the Great Lakes 
region. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee it does not appear to be rare. Through- 
out the summer, however, they appear to stay in rather deep water 
in the lake. Only one specimen was taken in the net during the 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 375 

seining operations. Specimens could almost always be obtained 
however, any time of year by dredging in rather deep water for 
them, in which case they would become entangled in the long water- 
weeds among which they appear to dwell. Specimens were ob- 
tained by dredging up Vallisneria at the Sugarloaf bar in water 
from 13 to 16 feet, and by dredging at the Kettlehole. The best 
place for them, however, was the Weedpatch, where by dredging 
up the long Nitella from a depth of 18 to 23 feet, specimens could 
almost always be brought up. They were raked up in weeds from 
the same region during the winter. 

In the winter they appear to come near shore, and stay among 
the weeds in shallow water. During the winter of 1904 a good 
number of specimens were raked up in weeds near shore, both in 
Outlet Bay and in the Inlet region, along with Iowa darters, young 
bluegills, mad toms and the like. 

During the autumn of 1900, some of these fishes were caught 
and kept in jars as aquarium fish. They lived throughout the win- 
ter and proved very interesting; they fed eagerly on the red 
Chironomus larvae raked up in mud. They also fed on Cladocera 
and Copepods taken in the towing net, darting after them and 
swallowing them with great avidity. It was hoped they would 
nest and spawn in the jars used as aquariums, but with the ap- 
pearance of warm weather they became restless and finally died 
(May 15), the water having evidently become too hot for them. 

The Stickleback is carnivorous, subsisting mainly on small ani- 
mals of the lake. A full grown example obtained June 27, 1901, 
contained insect larvae and Entomostraca ; a half-grown one cap- 
tured the same time, contained Copepods. Of those examined in De- 
cember, one 1.81 inches long containef a small beach flea, Cyclops, 
Daphnia, Bosmina and insect larvae; one 1 inches long con- 
tained Cyclops, Daphnia and beach fleas; one 1.69 inches long con- 
tained insect larvae and Cladocera; one 1.94 inches long contained 
2 beach fleas, some Ostracods, Cyclops, water fleas (Daphnia) and 
insect larvae; another If inches long contained Cyclops, and an- 
other of the same length contained 1 Ostracod and 2 Daphnias. 

This little fish with its elegant form, slender caudal peduncle, 
and handsome speckled coloration, is one of the prettiest fishes of 
the lake. 

Notwithstanding the fact that the Stickleback is a very spiny 
object, it is sometimes eaten by other fishes. One was found in the 
stomach of a yellow perch in June, 1901, and in the summer of 1906 
a small straw bass 1^ inches long was found dead with a Stickle- 
back lodged in its mouth. 



376 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Sticklebacks are occasionally found dead along shore. On May 
22, 1901, sixteen examples were found dead drifted up in a pile 
of drift near Murray's. This was the largest number obtained 
at one time, and appeared to indicate either an epidemic or some 
crisis connected with the breeding season. One of the specimens 
of the lot was examined and contained a good number of medium- 
sized yellow eggs. 

41. SKIPJACK 

LABIDESTHES SICCULUS (Cope) 

(Plate 19) 

This graceful little fish is widely distributed in ponds and slug- 
gish streams from Lake Ontario and southern Michigan to Iowa, 
Florida and Texas. At Lake Maxinkuckee it is, with the possible 
exception of the straw-colored minnow, the most . abundant fish. 
During the summer these fish are pretty well distributed 
throughout the surface waters of the lake, where they can fre- 
quently be seen jumping out of the water in low horizontal curves, 
a whole school sometimes jumping at the same time and forming a 
very attractive spectacle. Usually they appear to be jumping to 
escape some enemy beneath, but sometimes seem to be jumping 
for mere sport. On July 31, 1899, a school of very small fry were 
seen at the surface near the buoy in 85 feet of water, and on Sep- 
tember 21 several schools were seen far out in the lake. 

During the seining operations, most of which were carried on 
during the summer when these fishes are not especially crowded 
near shore, great numbers were caught and thrown back without 
counting. Record was kept of 1,206 specimens captured, and on 
July 17 over 500 young were taken at one haul. 

The skipjacks swim near the surface, and a few can be seen 
along shore almost any day the year round, and people seining for 
minnows during the summer usually get a few of these fishes every 
haul. With the coming of cold weather in autumn, especially after 
the water begins to get chilled, they come near shore first in 
the evenings, and their presence is manifested by a great 
deal of lisping. On September 10 and 11, 1906, much of this 
characteristic sound was heard near shore, and the towing-net was 
taken out on the pier and an attempt was made to collect the 
surface plankton found there at the time to discover if any par- 
ticular abundance of plankton was related to the habits of these 
fishes. The gentle dipping of the net sounded somewhat like the 
lisping of the skipjacks, and they gathered around, apparently 
either to satisfy their curiosity as to the cause of the noise, or in 



5= 



hi 





n 




Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 377 

the hopes of finding better feeding grounds. A few were caught 
in the towing-net, and the stomachs found to contain Entomostraca. 
They also appeared to be attracted, or at least undisturbed, by 
the light of a lantern held close to the water. Single individuals 
would lie perfectly still poised in the water almost precisely like 
pickerel or the gar-pike, disappearing with a sudden dart, prob- 
ably after prey. Later in the year they come up along shore in 
great numbers and remain there most of the day, sometimes alone, 
sometimes in company with various species of minnows, especially 
the straw-colored minnow, Notropis blennius. ' When they are with 
the straw-colored minnow, the latter usually form the lower layer 
of the school, while the skipjacks form the upper part near the 
surface. On November 11, 1900, in 2 hauls along shore with a 
15-foot seine about 2 gallons of these fishes, most of which ap- 
peared to be adults, were taken, and they appeared to be equally 
numerous on various other occasions. When the fishes thus 
crowded along the shore, are approached, they will make for deeper 
water, heading in one direction, and swimming with rapid lateral 
flexions of the posterior part of the body. If suddenly frightened, 
however, they scatter in every direction. They appear to remain 
near shore all winter, as they can be seen in great schools under 
the clear ice during the winter, and are seen along shore in large 
numbers in spring. They are sometimes seen in considerable 
schools in the Outlet near the wagon or railroad bridge in the 
winter. They are often seen running in schools and jumping out 
of the water as if pursued by some enemy. On September 12, 
1907, a black bass about a foot long was observed to come up 
nearly to the shore for them. In the winter of 1901 a grebe 
(Podilymbus podiceps) was seen swimming along under water 
near shore, and a number of small fishes, probably these, were seen 
jumping out of the water ahead. The Skipjack is perhaps the 
most persecuted fish in the lake, and it is a wonder how they keep 
up their numbers, feeding at the surface in large conspicuous 
schools as they do. They are attacked by the pike, bass, and other 
carnivorous fishes, as well as by the helldiver from below, and 
darted at by the terns, gulls and kingfishers and other birds of 
prey from above, so that they are somewhat in such desperate 
plight as the ancient Britons whom the barbarians drove down into 
the sea, and the sea threw back on land. They certainly serve a 
useful purpose in furnishing much food to fishes of the lake. 

The stomach of a black tern examined August 14, 1900, con- 
tained 19 young of this species. They appear to escape the water- 
dog. During the winter, because of their activity, or the fact that 



378 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

they stay near the surface, occasionally they, like other small 
fishes, fall victims to cold, as the water, on chilling, benumbs them 
somewhat, and rough water in Autumn is likely to wash some of 
them ashore. 

The Skipjack probably spawns during the latter part of June 
and through July. On June 13, 1901, some were examined and 
found to contain eggs which were clear, of a yellowish cast, and 
about 1/27 inch in diameter. On the next day 3 or 4 were seen 
coming up the Outlet in arrowy dashes. They seemed to be mat- 
ing, 2 pairs were seen swimming about together a good deal, and 
they chased each other considerably. 

In the seining operations of 1899, frequent mention is made of 
getting many, mostly young, (they may have been young of the 
year before) about July 8 to 31. On July 20, 1906, a few of these 
fishes used for bait had not yet spawned ; they were so ripe that 
the eggs extruded while placing them on the hook. Two days 
after this they were seen sporting about as if ready to mate. 
. No use is made of the Skipjack at the lake. Perch and red-eye 
will bite at them, but they die too easily to be used as bait for game 
fishes. It is quite probable that its flesh would prove to be well- 
flavored and firm, as many of its larger relatives, which are found 
usually near the coast in temperate and tropical seas, are famous 
for their excellence. Its small size, however, has prevented any 
attempt to use it for food. Of 200 examples measured, the longest 
(2) were 3.25 in. long. The shortest was 2.25 inches long, and 
the average 2.67. They are, moreover, quite slender fishes. 

Their food consists chiefly of insects and Entomostraca. One 
caught September 9, 1906, contained Bosmina and Diaptomus; 2 
captured September 10, mature insects and quite large masses of 
Bosmina; 2 others contained several mature insects, and several 
Daphnias. One contained a small parasitic round worm ; 4 caught 
October 20, contained large insects and Copepods, and one exam- 
ined June 26, contained insect larvse. The Skipjack is also abund- 
ant in Lost Lake and in Culver Inlet. It is a particularly hand- 
some fish in the water, the changeable colors glowing opal and 
enhanced by the transparency of the body. 

Head 4|; depth 6; eye 3-J-; D. IV-1, 11; A. I, 23; scales 75. 
Body elongate, very slender, compressed; head long, flattened 
above, narrow below; snout slender, conic; premaxillaries broad 
posteriorly, very protractile, produced forward; snout longer than 
the large eye. Edge of upper jaws strongly concave; teeth very 
slender, mostly in one series, forming a narrow band in front; 
scales small, thin, with entire edges; spinous dorsal very small; 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 379 

soft dorsal short; anal fin long; caudal forked; pectorals moder- 
ate; first dorsal inserted somewhat behind the vent. Pale olive 
green, translucent; lateral silvery band very distinct, scarcely 
broader than the pupil, bounded above by a dark line ; back dotted 
with black. In the black waters of the lowland swamps, the sil- 
very is underlaid with black. Length 3i in. 

42. CRAPPIE 

POMOXIS ANNULARIS Rafinesque 

(Plate 20) 

The Crappie occurs throughout the Great Lakes region, west to 
Nebraska and Kansas and south throughout the lowlands of the 
Mississippi Valley to Texas. It is rather rare northward, but in 
the lower Mississippi basin and the coastal region of Texas, it is 
generally abundant. It prefers the sluggish waters of ponds, 
bayous, lagoons, and lowland streams. It attains a length of about 
a foot, and a pound in weight. Examples weighing 3 or 4 pounds 
have been reported in the south, but such weights must be very 
unusual. The examples of this species obtained in the north rarely 
weigh over three-quarters of a pound. 

The true Crappie is very rare in Lake Maxinkuckee. During 
the summer and fall of 1899 when we were doing our most thor- 
ough collecting of the fishes of this lake, a few specimens of the 
Crappie were obtained. These were all young fish 1 to 3 years old 
and were seined in shallow water. No specimens were seen in 
1900. A great many of the fish which the anglers call "crappie" 
were examined but they all proved to be the calico bass (Pomoxis 
sparoides) . The 2 species are entirely distinct, though difficult to 
distinguish except by an examination of their technical characters. 
The most evident and most reliable differential character is found 
in the number of dorsal spines. The dorsal fin in the Crappie has 
5 or 6 sharp spines, while the calico bass has 7 or 8. In the 
Crappie the anal fin is usually plain and the anterior profile is 
strongly curved, while in the calico bass the anal fin is strongly re- 
ticulated or marbled, and the anterior profile is more nearly 
straight. The calico bass is also a deeper fish than the Crappie, 
its depth being half its length, while that of the Crappie is only 
f its length. 

Within the last 11 years the United States Fish Commission 
has planted in this lake 3,200 so-called "Crappie" but it is prob- 
able that the majority of these were really calico bass. 1 But as 

1 See p. 280. 



380 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

they all came from the ponds along the lower Illinois River it is 
likely many of them were crappies. 

In habits the Crappie does not differ greatly from the calico 
bass. It is more southern in its distribution, a fact doubtless de- 
termined largely by its ability to thrive in warmer water than the 
other species; and intimately associated with this is its apparent 
preference for shallow water and mud bottom, 'conditions nearly 
everywhere found in the overflow ponds, lagoons, lakes and bayous 
of the lower Mississippi Valley. Among the small lakes of north- 
ern Indiana, the Crappie is more numerous in the shallow, warmer 
ones (such as Bruce, Fletcher, Bass and Eagle) than in those of 
greater depth and colder water. 

Very little seems to be known regarding the game or food 
qualities of this species as distinguished from those of the calico 
bass. Its habits being essentially the same, it probably does not 
differ greatly in other respects. Owing to the warmer water in 
which it is usually found it is apt to be somewhat less gamy and 
may not be as delicately flavored. 

In different parts of its habitat it bears different vernacular 
names. In the Ohio Valley it is called Bachelor; in Illinois, Indi- 
ana, West Virginia and Kentucky it is the Newlight, Campbellite or 
Lamplighter, names given to it by the irreverent during the great 
Campbellite movement in the Ohio Valley in the early part of the 
Nineteenth Century ; in the Southern States it is called Sac - a' - 
lait and Chinquapin Perch. Other local names are Tin-mouth, 
Paper-mouth, Bridge Perch, Goggle-eye, Speckled Perch, Shad, and 
John Demon. Most of these names are also applied to the calico 
bass. The only place where we have heard the name "John 
Demon" was at a small lake in northeastern Indiana, and the 
species meant was more likely the calico bass than the Crappie. 

Among the Louisiana anglers, especially about Lake Pont- 
chartrain, the Crappie is a prime favorite, for it will take a min- 
now bait as promptly as a black bass. It is not very pugnacious, 
however, and will not fight as long as the bass, and it is more 
easily frightened, requiring greater caution on the part of the 
angler. 

A correspondent of the American Angler 2 describes the fishing 
in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Angling is carried on from little flat- 
bottomed skiffs and from sail-boats, with bait minnows, worms 
or pieces of fish. In 5 hours 2 men caught 57 bass and 82 crap- 
pies. Trolling is a favorite mode of fishing among the people who 
live near the lake, who, using 2 lines with spoon bait or "whirl", 

2 American Angler, II, 87. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 381 

and fishing from a sail-boat, frequently take 200 or more Crappie 
in a day, besides occasional pickerel, perch, and bass. Two men 
fishing for pleasure, took, in June, 1882, in the course of 3 days, a 
thousand crappies, weighing from 4 to 24 ounces each. Of course 
any two men who can be satisfied to destroy fish in that way, and 
who find pleasure in it, are game hogs of the most conscienceless 
kind. 

Another correspondent of the same journal writes entertain- 
ingly concerning Crappie fishing near St. Louis. "Our Crappie, 
the greatest pan-fish of the West, is highly esteemed by us for 
the table. We have seen a monster crappie this spring, weighing 
over 3 pounds, taken at Murdock Club Lake, near St. Louis, on 
the Illinois side. We consider one of U to 2 pounds a large one. 
They are taken about logs and fallen tree-tops, on the water's edge, 
in our rivers and sloughs. They are greedy fellows, but as soon as 
hooked, step right into the boat without a struggle for liberty. 

"A gentlemen of this place, a member of one of our old French 
families, who turned the scale at about 300 pounds, was noted for 
his success in crappie fishing. He would have his large flat towed 
to a tree ; when tied to a limb, he would settle himself for the day, 
on a pillow, placed in a large split-bottom chair. Hauling his 
live-box and minnow-pail alongside, he would bait 2 hooks attached 
to a strong line, using a weak snell, so that in case the hook should 
foul, he could break it loose. He used a float and short, stout 
bamboo rod and, shaking the bushes a little, 'to stir up the fish', 
would select an opening and carefully drop in the minnow, 2 feet 
below the surface, pass the ends of the rods through rings in the 
side of the boat, light his pipe, and wait for something to happen. 
It was not long, and after the fun began, it was the same monot- 
onous lifting out of fish, and dropping them into the live-box all 
the day long, and was continued on the next, until he had brought 
to creel over three hundred. 

"I have always associated in my mind the crappie, and the love 
of ease and quiet of our old French inhabitants. Nothing could 
more truly represent contentment and ease than the picture of this 
simple-minded old gentlemen on his annual crappie fish at King's 
Lake." 

Head 3; depth 2^; eye 4; D. V or VI, 15; A. VI, 18; scales 
7-36 to 48-14, 4 or 5 rows on cheek ; body rather short, greatly com- 
pressed; head long, the profile strongly curved owing to the pro- 
jecting snout, depressed occipital region, and very prominent 
thickened antedorsal region ; mouth very wide. Color, silvery-olive, 
mottled with dark green, the dark markings chiefly on the upper 



382 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

part of the body and having a tendency to form narrow vertical 
bars; dorsal and caudal fins marked with green; anal fin pale, 
nearly plain ; fins very high, but lower than in the calico bass. 

43. CALICO BASS 

POMOXIS SPAROIDES (Lacepede) 

(Plates 21 and 23) 

This fish is found through the Great Lakes region and south to 
New Jersey and Texas. Among the Great Lakes and throughout 
the upper Mississippi Valley it is an abundant and well-known 
species. As to choice of habitat, it prefers lakes, ponds, bayous and 
sluggish lowland streams. At Lake Maxinkuckee it is quite com- 
mon, and is frequently seen and caught. Although a relatively 
shallow water fish it does not frequent the shore very much except 
on special occasions, but seems to inhabit the zone of 8 to 14 feet 
of water. For this reason only a few (12 or 13 specimens) were 
taken during the seining operation. It sometimes basks near the 
surface in relatively deep water. On April 29, 1901, a great num- 
ber of fishes were noted splashing in the region of the deepest 
water of the lake. The fishes would be lying on the side and go 
under with a splash when the boat came near. On cautiously ap- 
proaching the school it was possible to get close enough to recog- 
nize the species, and it proved to be the Calico Bass. 

In Lake Maxinkuckee it is far more abundant than the Crappie, 
Pomoxis annularis. It is, however, usually mistaken for that 
species and called "Crappie" by most of the anglers who know it 
from this and other lakes of northern Indiana. There are a few 
who are able to distinguish the 2 species, and they usually speak 
of this as the Strawberry Bass, Paper-mouth or Tin-mouth. The 
first of these three names has reference, of course, to the color of 
the fish; "Paper-mouth" was doubtless given because of the great 
ease with which the mouth tears, releasing the hook and allowing 
the fish to escape ; and the name "Tin-mouth" has reference to the 
thinness as well as the color of the jaws. Occasionally a visiting 
angler will speak of this fish as the "Silver Bass", or sometimes 
as the "Campbellite". 

As a game-fish the Calico Bass does not hold a high rank, 
though there are many anglers who find that catching it is full of 
pleasure and satisfaction and not without excitement. It is a fish 
which can be caught any month in the year; in the early spring 
shortly after the ice goes off, it, along with other sunfishes, bites 
well from piers, and a number were caught near the Ice-houses 



60 




Plate 23 




CALICO BASS (Pomoxi* sjiaroidcs) 




ROCK BASS (Amhli>i>lit<-N riii>nttrit) 

These photographs were taken from life at Lake Maxinkuckee by A. Radcliffe Dugmore for Jordan and Ever- 
mann's "American Food and Game Fishes," published by Doubleday, Page and Company. 
2517618 



384 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

about the end of April. Very good fishing is also had in October. 
We have records of good catches made on October 18 and 30, and 
on November 3, 4, 7 and 9 ; also in January, February, June, Aug- 
ust and September. The largest catch of which we have a note 
was made late in October or early in November, 1894, and con- 
sisted of 42 pounds, representing not fewer than 100 fish. It is 
fair to say that this catch was made by a party of several persons. 

It is said that the Calico Bass will bite readily at spawning 
time, but that only the males will do so. They will take a worm, 
small minnow, or a piece of fish. In the winter and late fall they 
bite readily at a small minnow, such as the straw-colored minnow 
(Notropis blennius), the blunt-nosed minnow (Pimephales no- 
tatus) or the skipjack (Labidesthes sicculus) . 

This fish will take not only a small live minnow, but it will 
take a dead minnow, a worm, a piece of fish or a grub. It is often 
taken with a small trolling spoon and we have occasionally taken 
it with a small artificial fly. And we recall one instance when it 
was taken in Lost Lake on the Harris floating meadow-frog. 

Ordinarily during the summer months not many of this species 
are caught, but in September they begin to bite more freely, and 
by October, one who seeks them in their proper haunts is quite 
sure to meet with reasonable success. The species is usually taken 
by still fishing, though at times it may be gotten by trolling. Dur- 
ing the summer months it frequents the deeper parts of the lake, 
coming on to the edges of the bars and into shallow water near 
shore in the night. In September and early October it remains 
about the edges of the bars where the water is 8 to 20 feet deep. 
Late in October it generally moves down into deeper water until 
the lake freezes over. It can most readily be taken at a depth of 
from 30 to 40 feet. The largest October catches that we recall 
were at a depth of 40 feet. About the middle of November, 1906, 
a great school of this species, averaging about 6 inches in length, 
collected under the Merchants pier at Culver. They presented a 
beautiful spectacle shining up through the water like a great flock 
of guinea fowl. When the lake freezes over, the Calico Bass leaves 
the deeper water and comes out upon the bars where the water is 
6 to 25 feet deep. Its favorite haunts are the small channels be- 
tween the bars, leaving more shallow ridges between. The cool- 
ing of the temperature has a markedly paralyzing effect upon them. 
When first seen under clear ice they attempt to swim away, but in 
a cramped fashion. They are unable to swim faster than one can 
walk and,. instead of warming up and becoming more active, they 
soon become exhausted, give up trying to swim and lie on their 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 385 

side among the weeds and appear to be actually panting. It is 
in the shallow channels that they are caught when fishing through 
the ice. 

In fishing for Calico Bass one must be careful not to select too 
large a hook. For this lake the best size is No. 1 or No. 2 hook, 
and a hook with a long barb has advantages, as it is not so easily 
thrown out when the mouth tears, which it is very apt to do on 
account of its extreme tenderness. 

While it is true that this fish will take several' kinds of bait, 
it takes some of them only rarely or reluctantly. As already 
stated, it has been taken with the fly, and in Lost Lake with the 
artificial frog, but for lakes like Maxinkuckee such lures are not 
recommended. Trolling with a small spoon late in the evening or 
in the early fall is usually fairly successful. They will also now 
and then take a small live minnow that is being slowly trolled, but 
they are best taken by still fishing, and the best bait is a small min- 
now, the more silvery species, such as the Straw-colored minnow 
(Notropis blennius) , the Red-nosed minnow (N. rubrifrons) or the 
satin fin (N. ivhipplii) being preferred. A small minnow should 
be selected, and 2 very small ones put upon the same hook will often 
prove quite attractive. 

Sometimes the Calico Bass is a greedy biter, taking the hook 
much as does the straw bass, but after a short quick run it is 
apt to drop the bait unless it is well hooked. Usually it bites less 
vigorously than the straw bass, and does not make much of a 
fight until it is brought near the surface, when it turns upon its 
side and flaps quite vigorously until brought to net; and it should 
be mentioned that the landing net is an essential with this fish ; for, 
owing to its delicate mouth it is not safe to attempt to lift it 
out of the water by the hook. 

As a pan-fish the Calico Bass is far superior to the rock bass 
but not equal to the bluegill or yellow perch. Its flesh is white, 
flaky and firm, but rather coarser than that of the bluegill ; it is, 
however, sweet, and is, by most persons who are familiar with it, 
highly esteemed. 

The following, written by Professor Jared Potter Kirtland more 
than half a century ago, though placing somewhat too high an es- 
timate upon the food value of this fish, is a reliable and interesting 
account of its habits. 

"The 'Grass Bass' has not hitherto been deemed worthy of con- 
sideration by fish culturists ; yet, from a long acquaintance with its 
merits, I hesitate not to pronounce it the fish for the millions. It 
is a native of our western rivers and lakes, where it usually resorts 



386 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

to deep and sluggish waters; yet in several instances, where it 
has found its way into cold and rapid streams, and even small sized 
brooks, by means of the constructing of canals or by the hand of 
man, it has adapted itself to the change, and in 2 or 3 years stocked 
to overflowing these new locations. As a pan-fish for the table it 
is surpassed by few other freshwater species. For endurance and 
rapidity of increase it is unequaled 

"The Grass Bass is perfectly adapted to stocking ponds. It 
will thrive without care in very small ponds of sufficient depth. It 
will in nowise interfere with the cultivation of any number of 
species, large or small, in the same waters. It will live harmoni- 
ously with all others, and while its structure and disposition re- 
strain it from attacking any other but very small fry, its formid- 
able armature of spinous rays in the dorsal and abdominal fins 
will guard it against the voracious pike." 

The operations of the United States Fish Commission and those 
of some of the state commissions have considerably extended its 
range by its introduction into waters which it did not previously 
inhabit. 

Its spawning time is usually during .the last half of June, though 
some individuals may begin spawning a little earlier and occasion- 
ally the spawning season will be prolonged into July. The place 
selected is on the tops and near the edges of the bars in 8 to 10 
feet of water or shallower. The particular place selected is apt to 
be on a small ridge in a clean patch .of sand surrounded by short 
Chara which abounds on most of the bars at these depths. It is 
known to spawn in considerable numbers on the bars off Long 
Point and it probably spawns on all such bars in the lake. The 
nest is usually somewhat circular in form and is about 8 or 9 
inches in diameter. The nest is composed usually of coarse sand 
and fine gravel, with occasionally a few dead shells of Vivipara 
contectoides. So far as observed the nests are not very close to 
each other, but are usually separated by a distance of 5 or 6 feet, 
thus giving each nest or pair of fish from 6 to 8 square feet of 
space. 

We have not, as yet, been able to make any satisfactory obser- 
vations as to the number of eggs which this species lays or the 
period of incubation, nor are we aware that these facts have been 
determined by any one. 

The Calico Bass reaches an average size of f pound in the lake 
and rarely exceeds 1^ pounds . in weight. One 12 inches long 
weighed 1 lb.' 1^ oz., and one 10^ inches long weighed 94 oz. The 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 387 

greater number measured were 10, 11 and 12 inches long. Most 
of the stomachs examined were empty; one contained many flies. 

Like the bluegill, the Calico Bass dies in considerable numbers 
in the spring. 

Head 3 ; depth 2 ; eye 4 ; snout 4$ ; D. VII or VIII, 15 ; A. VI, 
17 or 18 ; scales 6-40 to 45-15, 6 rows on the cheek. 

Body oblong, elevated, and much compressed; head long, its 
profile not so strongly double-curved as in the Crappie proper, the 
projection of the snout and the antedorsal region and the depres- 
sion over the eye being less marked; mouth smaller than in the 
Crappie, the maxillary reaching about to the posterior edge of 
pupil, the mandible shorter than the pectoral ; fins very high, anal 
higher than dorsal, its height 4 to 5 times in length of body. 

Color, silvery-olive mottled with clear olive-green, the dark 
mottlings gathered in small irregular bunches and covering the 
whole body; vertical fins with dark olive vermiculations surround- 
ing pale spots ; anal marked like the dorsal ; dusky opercular spot. 

The Calico Bass and the Crappie resemble each other very 
closely and are not always differentiated by anglers and fishermen. 
They are, however, perfectly distinct and may be easily distin- 
guished by means of the number of dorsal spines, the Crappie 
having only 5 or 6 while the Calico Bass has 7 or 8. The differ- 
ences in coloration, particularly of the anal fin, is also an important 
diagnostic character. 

44. ROCK BASS 

AMBLOPLITES RUPESTRIS (Rafinesque) 

(Plates 22 and 23) 

The Rock Bass is one of our best known and most familiar 
fishes. Every angler in the upper Mississippi Valley began an 
intimate acquaintance with it during his boyhood days when a 
water-beech or iron-wood pole, a cotton line, a limerick hook and 
a can of fish-worms were all the outfit the boy found necessary to 
insure a goodly string of "red-eyes" and "pumpkinseeds". From 
Vermont to Manitoba, and southward west of the Alleghenies to 
Louisiana and Texas, this fish is found; "rock bass" in the north, 
"goggle-eye" in the south, and "red-eye" with the boys wherever 
he is known. This fish is found in all sorts of waters ; it is abund- 
ant in all the Great Lakes and their tributary streams. In the 
small lakes of the upper Mississippi Valley states it is one of the 
most common species, and in the rivers, creeks and smaller streams 
it is equally common. It prefers clear, cool water and is therefore 



388 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

not so abundant in sluggish lowland streams and bayous, or in 
the shallow, warmer lakes. 

In Lake Maxinkuckee it is abundant and well known. People 
living about the lake, and most of the anglers who visit it, know 
this fish as the "goggle-eye" or "red-eye". The name "rock bass" 
is not so often heard and is used chiefly by those who speak by the 
book or who are from further north. 

As a game fish the Rock Bass is, in most places, regarded with 
considerable favor, though at this lake it is usually regarded 
merely as a good fish to get when all the gamier species fail. It 
is a fish which can be captured at almost any time and with any 
sort of bait. They begin biting in the early spring as soon as the 
ice goes off, and can be taken at any time until the ice forms 
again ; indeed, it is often taken through the ice. Perhaps August 
is usually one of the best months. They bit phenomenally in the 
latter part of April and the first half of May in 1901. In 1899, not 
many were taken in July, but during August many fine catches 
were made. Any one who cared to fish for redeyes seldom failed to 
get a good number. In 1900, perhaps the largest catches were 
made in August, but July fishing met with better success than in 
the previous year. 

In the spring of 1901, from about April 28 to the middle of 
May, they bit ^ almost everywhere in shallow water. One of the 
favorite places was off the Ice-houses, and here a considerable num- 
ber of men, women and boys congregated with long cane poles 
and pulled out Rock Bass almost continuously. On April 28, 7 
boys who had been fishing only a little time had 79, and the fish- 
ing continued in that manner for some time. These Rock Bass 
also bit well in various other places in the lake. Two men camping 
near Murray's and fishing from boats got considerable numbers. 
A favorite fishing place for them was the rock pile off Lakeview 
Hotel. The fishes hid among the crannies in the rocks and bit 
eagerly at worms. Most of those got here were rather small. A 
number were caught on set-lines about the same time. 

The Rock Bass can be taken on any kind of bait. Perhaps 
the most attractive baits are small minnows, white grubs and 
angleworms, all of which are best used in still-fishing. Grass- 
hoppers, pieces of mussel, pieces of fish, in fact, almost any ani- 
mal substance, will prove effective. Trolling with live minnow, 
phantom minnow or spoon at times proves very successful, and they 
have been taken on the artificial fly and the artificial frog. 

It is a voracious fish and will bite viciously even when its stom- 
ach is filled with crawfishes or other food. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 389 

Though not one of the greatest of game-fishes, it nevertheless 
holds a respectable rank in that category. Its manner of taking 
the hook is full of energy, and the fight which it begins has in it 
the promise of better things, but it soon wholly or partially sub- 
sides and does not renew the fight until brought near the surface 
of the water, when it fights very prettily until landed. 

Using light tackle and casting with the fly, the Rock Bass will 
afford the angler a great deal of genuine sport. 

It can be taken at any time of day, and there are records of some 
very good catches made late at night and others early in the 
morning. 

Although the Rock Bass is pretty generally distributed through- 
out the lake, it is usually found in greatest numbers about the 
patches of Potamogeton in 5 to 15 feet of water, and in water some- 
what more shallow than the bluegill frequents. In our seining 
operations we usually found young Rock Bass in considerable num- 
bers. The largest number taken at any one haul was 38. The 
great majority were young-of-the-year, and were found in greatest 
numbers in and about the patches of Scirpus and Eleocharis and 
also among the depauperate Chara and Naias flexilis. Young Rock 
Bass were also frequently raked up in winter near shore among 
weeds. 

The Rock Bass in this lake reaches a length of about 12 or 13 
inches and a weight of a little less than one pound. The great 
majority of those caught weigh i pound or less; occasionally one 
of f of a pound is taken and still more rarely one weighing 14 
or 15 ounces. The following are the measures and weights of in- 
dividuals taken at various times: 11 inches, 13 oz. ; 10 inches, 
10* oz. ; 8 in. 6 1 oz. ; 8^ in. 8i oz. ; 9 in. 8-] oz. ; 9] in. 9i oz. 

The Rock Bass is a voracious feeder, and may usually be found 
pretty well gorged with crawfishes, shells, insect larvaa, and occa- 
sionally minnows. Its diet differs with age and somewhat with the 
season. 

Small examples 1.56 to 3.06 inches long raked up with 
Chara near the Inlet in December, 1904, nearly all contained insect 
larvae During the spring of 1901 the chief food of this, as well 
as of bluegills, was a species of Asellus which was very abundant 
in the Chara at that time. Beetles, minnows and a few leeches and 
crawfishes were also found in the stomachs examined then. Most 
of the large ones examined during the summer of 1906 contained 
crawfishes. One contained a mad torn, a spine of which had pene- 
trated the walls of the stomach. 

The Rock Bass is afflicted with parasites, perhaps to a greater 



390 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

extent than any other species of this lake. Parasitic Copepods 
were abundant on the gills. Late in autumn the gills were fre- 
quently well crowded with small free-swimming Copepods. Disto- 
mids and Acanthocephali were frequently found in the stomachs, 
and leeches were frequently found attached in the axils of the 
fins. 

The Rock Bass is one of the earliest spawners. They begin 
about the middle of May and are usually done by June 15. They 
come out into shallow water and make the nest among the rushes, 
or by a stick, chunk, stake, rock or any similar object. The nest 
resembles that of the calico bass, being made in clean coarse sand 
or fine gravel, and 8 or 9 inches in diameter. The eggs of the 
rock bass are about the size of small shot, and are very numerous. 

The young Rock Bass is a quite handsome fish, the sides being 
beautifully mottled and clouded with irregular patches of brown. 
As it grows older the color markings become dark lines along the 
rows of scales and it becomes much less attractive. 

The young seem to grow quite rapidly. Young of the year 
taken July 18, average 1.15 inches in total length. 

Cold water has considerable influence in benumbing these fishes. 
Some large examples seen in shallow water near shore seemed to 
have lost the power of coordination ; they had a tendency to swim 
on their sides. 

As to the edible qualities of the Rock Bass, not much can be 
said in its favor. In cold running streams or waters where better 
fish are not common it will pass as a fairly good pan-fish, but in 
a lake like Maxinkuckee where so many better fish are found, it 
is not held in high esteem. Its flesh is white and flaky, but rather 
soft and insipid and sometimes tastes of mud. Next to the war- 
mouth it is the poorest of the food-fishes of this lake. 

Head 2.75 in length; depth 2 to 2.5; eye 3.5 to 4.5; snout 4; 
maxillary 2.3; D. XI, 10; A. VI, 10; scales about 6-39-12, 6 to 
8 rows on cheek ; gillrakers 7 to 10 ; creca 7 ; vertebra? 14 -|- 18 ; 
body oblong, moderately compressed; head large, profile in adult 
somewhat depressed above the eyes; mouth large, the maxillary 
reaching middle of pupil ; gillrakers developed only on lower part 
of arch ; preopercle serrate near its angle. 

Color, olive-green, conspicuously tinged with brassy, and with 
much dark mottling; the young irregularly barred and blotched 
with black and with very little brassy, the adult with a dark spot 
on each scale, these forming interrupted black stripes; a black 
opercular spot ; dark mottlings on the soft dorsal, caudal and anal ; 
eye more or less red. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 391 

The following are life color notes made on an example 8 inches 
long, caught at the Weedpatch September 12, 1907 : 

Back light olive mottled with darker; side olivaceous above, 
more brassy below, the olive of middle of side in 9 broken bars; 
belly white, dusted with brassy; breast and under part of head 
finely speckled with dusky ; opercle dark ; side of head brassy with 
a darker bar downward from eye; dorsal, anal and caudal oliva- 
ceous yellow, the dorsal and anal spotted with darker ; ventral pale 
lemon, the tip of the first ray and all of last ray white; pectoral 
pale lemon. 

45. WARMOUTH 

CHJENOBRYTTUS GULOSUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes) 

(Plate 24a) 

The Warmouth is found throughout the eastern United States 
in suitable waters, chiefly west and south of the Alleghenies, from 
the Great Lakes, Iowa and Kansas, south to Florida and Texas. It 
is a fish of the warmer, shallower lakes, and the sluggish lowland 
streams, ponds and bayous. In the small shallow lakes with mud 
bottom and abundant vegetation, particularly among the spatter- 
dock, Potamogetons and lily-pads, the Warmouth abounds. We 
know it from lakes such as those in northern Indiana, Illinois and 
Iowa, southward in the overflow ponds along the lower Wabash, 
Ohio and Mississippi, to the bayous and shallow lakes of Missis- 
sippi, Louisiana and Texas. It is not a common fish in Lake Max- 
inkuckee ; this lake is too clean and there is not enough mud bottom. 

In seining entirely around the lake between July 4 and July 
27, 293 hauls were made, in only 3 of which were Warmouth taken. 
One of these was in the Outlet just above the railroad bridge where 
6 were gotten. The other two hauls were between the Outlet and 
the Ice-houses, and only one Warmouth was gotten in each. A few 
were seined in Culver Inlet. Occasionally one is caught on a hook, 
but not often. Two or 3 were caught in the summer among the 
Potamogetons off the Gravelpit and 2 or 3 in Outlet Bay ; and each 
winter a few are taken through the ice at these 2 places, minnows 
being the bait used. We have a record of only 6 or 8 so taken in 
the winter of 1899-1900. Although the Warmouth is uncommon 
in Lake Maxinkuckee it is rather abundant in Lost Lake, into which 
Lake Maxinkuckee empties. It is particularly abundant in the 
channel connecting the two lakes where from one to 10 were 
caught at each haul with a 15-foot seine. It loves to bask in the 
dense weeds along the edge of the lake, and it can be sometimes 
raked out in a bunch of tangled vegetation. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 393 

This fish is not well-known to many of the anglers who come 
to Lake Maxinkuckee. Only those who wet a line occasionally in 
Lost Lake or who fish through the ice there are apt to know much 
about it. Knowledge of it is therefore practically limited to the 
local fishermen who call it "Indian Fish" or "Mud Bass". 

Its game qualities are not unlike those of the rock bass. It is 
most easily taken with a live minnow and it bites with considerable 
energy. It fights vigorously, after the manner of the rock bass. 

As a food-fish the Warmouth is inferior even to the rock bass, 
though when caught in the winter its flesh is firm and sweet and 
entirely devoid of the flavor of mud which it may possess in sum- 
mer. If it could be kept in clear, cold water its flesh would doubt- 
less lose all its objectionable qualities. 

The Warmouth, with its rich coppery color, is easily distin- 
guished from the other fishes of the lake. It resembles the rock 
bass more than any other fish of the lake, and can be distinguished 
by the following description: 

Head 2 to 2f ; depth 2 to 2 ; eye 4 to 4 ; snout 4 to 41 ; D. X, 
9 or 10 ; A. Ill, 8 or 9 ; scales 6-40 to 46-11 or 12, about 40 pores, and 
6 to 8 rows on cheek; gillrakers 8 or 9 besides rudiments. Body 
shaped very much as in the rock bass; head and mouth large, 
maxillary reaching posterior edge of orbit ; opercular spot about as 
large as eye; dorsal spines low, the longest equal to distance from 
tip of snout to middle of eye ; pectoral not reaching anal fin ; ven- 
trals reaching anus. 

Color, dark olive-green, or sometimes rich brick-red and brassy, 
clouded with darker, usually with red, blue and brassy; a dusky 
spot on each scale; ventral fins mottled with dusky; a faint spot 
on last rays of dorsal bordered by paler; 3 oblique dusky or red- 
dish bars radiating from eye; belly yellowish or brassy. Length 
8 to 10 inches. 

46. BLUE-SPOTTED SUNFISH; GREEN SUNFISH 

APOMOTIS CYANELLUS (Rafinesque) 

(Plate 24) 

This beautiful little sunfish is found wholly west of the Alle- 
ghenies and from the Great Lakes to Mexico; it is usually abund- 
ant in all suitable waters from central Ohio and Indiana to the 
Rio Grande. It is not often found in lakes or large streams but 
in the smaller streams, brooks and ponds it is an abundant and 
well-known little fish. 

It is very rare in Lake Maxinkuckee, and the statement by 



394 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Evermann and Jenkins in "Notes on Indiana fishes"* that it is 
"very common" in Lake Maxinkuckee appears to be no longer the 
case; only a few individuals were obtained in the two seasons de- 
voted to the study of that lake, and not exceeding 6 or 8 were 
seen in Lost Lake. It is probably the rarest member of the fam- 
ily in these waters. On September 11, 1906, two examples, each 
about 2.5 inches long were seined in the Outlet of Lost Lake near 
the old mill-site. These are the only specimens recently obtained 
by us. 

The Blue-spotted Sunfish does not attain a greater length than 
6 or 8 inches and a weight of 4 or 5 ounces, but it is a sprightly 
little fish and excellent for the pan. Like the pumpkin-seed, it is, 
where common, a favorite with the small boy. It takes readily a 
hook baited with grub or angleworm, and would make a vicious 
fight for liberty if it were only larger. 

A specimen at hand from Bruce Lake is quite different from 
the specimens of Lepomis and Eupomotis in the collection. It is 
characterized by the large number of scales, the large number of 
rows of scales on the cheek, the low fins and a conspicuous black 
spot on the posterior base of the dorsal and anal fins. 

Head 3; depth 2$; D. X, 11; A. Ill, 9; scales small, 6 or 7-45 
to 55-16, 40 to 48 pores, 8 rows on cheek; gillrakers moderate, 
X -f- 13. Body rather elongate, moderately compressed, becoming 
stouter with age; head large, the snout projecting; mouth quite 
large, maxillary broad and flat, reaching middle of eye; a small 
supplemental maxillary above; lower jaw projecting; dorsal spines 
quite low; pectoral short, not reaching anal, 1| in head; ventrals 
not reaching vent. 

Color variable, the prevailing shade green, with strong brassy 
luster on sides which becomes nearly yellow below; each scale 
usually with a sky-blue spot and more or less of gilt edging, form- 
ing pale lateral streaks, dusky or obscure vertical bars often pre- 
sent and the sides sprinkled with dark dots; vertical fins marked 
with blue or green, the anal edged with pale orange in front; 
usually a conspicuous black spot on posterior base of dorsal and 
anal fins, these often obsolete; iris red; cheek with narrow blue 
stripes; opercular spot smaller than eye, broadly margined with 
bronze, the black confined to the hard or bony part of the opercle, 
a character which readily distinguishes this from all other species 
of sunfishes. 



* Proc. U. S. N. M. XI, 55. 



w 
w 

Z 
en 

G 
Z 




Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 395 
47. LONG-EARED SUNFISH 

LEPOMIS MEGALOTIS (Rafineaque) 

This is another of the small sunfishes that abound in all suit- 
able waters in the Mississippi Valley and southwestward. From 
Minnesota and northern Ohio it ranges southward to Florida, 
Arkansas and Texas. 

It is subject to great variation and has been described as new 
no fewer than 14 times. Although it occurs in lakes and large 
streams, it most delights in the smaller creeks and brooks. In 
Lake Maxinkuckee it is more common than the blue-spotted sunfish, 
but it is not by any means abundant, only a few examples having 
been obtained by us. In Lost Lake, however, it is more numerous 
and was frequently taken in the seine. 




Long-eared Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) 

In these waters it does not seem to reach a greater length than 
5 or 6 inches and a weight of 2 or 3 ounces. It is, however, a 
sweet pan-fish, and in game qualities it is not particularly different 
from the green-spotted sunfish and the pumpkin-seed. 

Head 3 (without flap) ; depth about 2, varying with age; eye 
3 to 4; D. X, 10 to 12; A. Ill, 8 to 10; scales 5-36 to 45-14, 31 
to 40 pores, about 5 rows on cheek ; gillrakers X + 8 or 9 ; pectoral 
1 : \ to li in head. Body short, deep, and compressed, the back very 
strongly arched in the adult, the profile steep, usually forming an 
angle above the eyes; mouth small and oblique, the premaxillary 
rather below the eye, the maxillary reaching middle of eye; gill- 



396 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

rakers very short and soft, weaker than in any other species; 
dorsal spines very low, the longest little longer than snout, 3 in 
head; opercular flap in the adult very long and broad, with a broad 
or narrow pale blue or red margin, the flap half or more longer 
than the eye in the adult, much shorter in the young, its develop- 
ment subject to much variation. 

Color, brilliant blue and orange, the back chiefly bluish; belly 
entirely orange, the orange on the sides in spots, the blue in wavy, 
vertical streaks ; lips blue ; cheek orange, with bright blue stripes ; 
blue stripes before eye; soft parts of vertical fins with the rays 
blue and the membranes orange ; ventrals dusky ; iris red. 

One of our most brightly colored freshwater fishes; extremely 
variable, the young often elliptical in form, and the size at which 
the characteristic ear-flap is developed varies greatly with differ- 
ent individuals. 

As compared with the other sunfishes of the lake, most of our 
specimens are characterized by having the ventral fins very dark, 
almost black, and, although this feature is probably not enough 
to identify them with certainty, it is very helpful in making up a 
preliminary assortment of species. 

48. BLUEGILL 

LEPOMIS PALLIDUS (Mitchill) 

(Plates 25 and 26) 

The Bluegill is one of the most abundant and widely distributed 
of the sunfishes. It is known from the Great Lakes southward 
throughout the Mississippi Valley and to Florida and the Rio 
Grande. It is found in New York and Pennsylvania, the Caro- 
linas, .and west to Minnesota and Kansas. It occurs in quiet 
streams, but is, above all, the sunfish of the lakes, whether large 
or small, though it is decidedly more abundant in the smaller ones. 
It is very common in all the lakes of northern Indiana and of all 
:the food fishes found in Lake Maxinkuckee, it is, next to the yel- 
low perch, certainly the most abundant species. 

In our seining operations along the shores we found it exceed- 
ingly abundant. In seining around the lake in July and August 
we sometimes used a 45-foot seine, but usually a 25-foot one, and 
occasionally one only 15 feet long. In covering the entire peri- 
meter of the lake the seine was hauled about 612 times, and the 
Bluegill was the most abundant species caught. The total num- 
ber caught exceeded 12,000. Occasionally a haul would be made 
without taking any bluegills but usually there were from a few up 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 397 

to many in each haul ; several hauls contained several hundred each, 
the largest number being 419. Most of those caught in this way 
were 1 or 2 years old; not many young-of-the-year were taken 
and not many adults. A good many 3 years old were taken, but 
by far the most abundant were those 1 and 2 years old. It is 
scarcely necessary to state that only a few of these fish were re- 
tained for specimens and that practically the entire catch was in- 
variably returned to the lake. 

The young-of-the-year are found in great abundance in shallow 
water near shore but, except when the smallest seine was used, 
they would pass through the meshes and we were thus unable to de- 
termine their number. 

In Lost Lake the Bluegill seems equally abundant. More than 
2,000 were caught in 100 hauls with a 25-foot seine. At Lake 
Maxinkuckee this fish is known almost exclusively as the "Blue- 
gill"; Blue Bream, Blue Sunfish, Copper-nosed Bream, Dollardee, 
and the various other vernacular names by which it is known in 
other localities are never heard there. 

In this lake the bluegills spawn during the last half of June, 
their spawning beds being usually located on shallow bars where 
the water is 4 to 8 feet deep. They clean off the rubbish from a 
circular area 6 inches to a foot in diameter and, like the pumpkin- 
seed, will defend the nest with much bravery. 

The Bluegill is the "gamest fish for its weight in .the lake", 
so says one of the most observant and successful of the anglers 
who come to Maxinkuckee ; and not many who have had experience 
with the large individuals in the clear, cold waters of this lake will 
be disposed to question the estimate. 

In the first place, the bluegills of Lake Maxinkuckee are un- 
usually large; they reach a length of 12 to 14 inches, a weight of 
a pound, and are broader than one's hand. Even their average 
size at this lake is from a half to three-quarters of a pound, while 
in Bass Lake, 10 miles west of Maxinkuckee, they do not average 
more than 2 or 3 ounces. Then the water of Maxinkuckee seems 
conducive to a high development of game qualities, not only in 
the Bluegill, but in all other fishes the temperature, clearness, 
depth, and quality and quantity of food all seem most favorable. 

This fish can be taken at any time in the year. Excellent 
catches can be made early in the spring, but during July and 
August the largest catches are probably made, it being no unusual 
occurrence in those months for two men in one boat to take 75 to 
100 pounds in an afternoon. It bites well during the entire fall, 
also, though it is not fished for so assiduously after grasshoppers 



Plate 25 




BLUEGILL SUNFISH (Lepomis pallidus) 




RED-EARED SUNFISH (Eupomotis heros) 

These photographs were taken from life at Lake Maxinkuckee by A. Radcliffe Dugmore for Jordan and Ever- 
mann's "American Food and Game Fishes," published by Doubleday, Page and Company. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 399 

begin to fail. And in the winter time the Bluegill is taken in con- 
siderable numbers fishing through the ice. 

The Bluegill can be taken with almost any kind of lure. Angle- 
worms are probably the best, though grasshoppers are nearly as 
good. White grubs, small minnows and pieces of fish or clam are 
all good. The senior author has taken it also on small craw- 
fish, with the fly, on the trolling spoon and with a small buck-tail. 

It may be taken either by still-fishing or by trolling. The most 
popular method at Lake Maxinkuckee seems to be to fish from an 
anchored boat, using two long cane poles projecting over the stern 
at a divergent angle. A cork or float is placed upon each line, its 
position being determined by the depth of water, the hook being 
made to hang about a foot above the bottom. More expert or 
skilled anglers will use a rod and reel but will probably not catch 
any more fish. 

The Bluegill can be caught in various places, as from the piers 
and elsewhere in shallow water near shore, from in and about the 
bulrush patches in water 2 to 5 feet deep, from the Vallisneria 
beds, or from the tops and slopes of the deeper bars where the 
various species of Potamogeton abound. Probably the best places 
are on the edges of bars where there are good growths of Pota- 
mogeton amplifolius. The most noted place in the lake for blue- 
gills is the well-known "Weedpatch". Other good places are in 
the Potamogeton patches off the Gravelpit, off the Ice-houses, 
and at the Sugarloaf . 

The Bluegill is a dainty biter, taking the hook slowly and de- 
liberately, sucking it in rather than biting it. Not until after the 
bait has been sucked in and the fish starts away with it is the 
angler aware of what is going on; but when once securely hooked 
then the fight really begins, to continue without cessation or abate- 
ment of energy until the fish is landed. The Bluegill rarely jumps 
out of the water as does the black bass, but by turning his side 
toward the angler he is able to offer a resistance which makes the 
sport very fascinating. 

Excepting the yellow perch, there is no other species in the lake 
which is equal to the Bluegill as a pan-fish. The flesh is firm and 
flaky and possesses a flavor of which one does not soon tire, and 
the size of the fish is the ideal one for a pan-fish. 

As to feeding habits, the Bluegill appears to be by all means 
the most omnivorous fish of the lake. Its dietary never offers in- 
deed such a violent juxtaposition of unrelated materials as ex- 
hibited by the shark, bowfin or goat; and does not so much re- 
mind one of a world's museum or valley of Hinnom as a biological 

2617618 



400 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

epitome of the lake. One is not likely to find as great an assort- 
ment of food articles in its stomach as in a shark's; but there is 
to be found in its stomach at various times bits of almost every- 
thing found in the lake. Morover, it is not generally in the habit 
of mixing its food, but generally feeds chiefly on one thing now 
and another at another time. It is choicy, indeed, after a fashion 
as to the quality of its food, insisting that what it eats be fresh 
and wholesome, but cheerfully eating whatever is set before it and 
asking no questions for conscience sake. This suggests that it 
would be as easy fish to rear, not easy in the sense that it would 
thrive in any place planted, but so far as food is concerned it 
would thrive in small, well-kept ponds, not demanding wide range 
or special crops of food. 

A large number of stomachs were examined; more, probably 
than of all the other species of the lake put together, and the re- 
cital of the contents of different individuals one by one, while valu- 
able as a matter of record, would be tedious reading. It will 
suffice to say here that the food of younger individuals appears to 
be mainly of an animal nature, consisting of various entomostraca, 
such as Cypris, waterfleas, Cyclops, Bosmina and various insect 
larvse. The adult fishes eat also various mollusks, such as Physa 
and operculate mollusks, Sphserium and Pisidium. Among other 
occasional elements of their food are water mites, beetles and 
caddis cases with the larva?. During the spring of 1901, they, 
along with the other sunfishes, seemed to feed almost exclusively on 
the common isopod of the lake, Asellus. On August 12, 1906, the 
stomachs of 21 specimens examined were all gorged with the tender 
tips of weeds, either one of the narrow-leaved Potamogetons or 
Heteranthera ; they seemed to be wholly vegetarians at the time. 
Strangely enough, and much to the Bluegill's credit, we do not find 
among our records ol the numerous stomachs examined, mention 
of a single f?sh. 

So far as our examinations go, the Bluegill is quite free from 
animal parasites; its freedom from intestinal parasites is prob- 
ably due in part to its abstinence from eating other fishes; carni- 
vorous fishes in general appear to be more subject to such affec- 
tions than others. 

In spite of these advantages, however, the Bluegill is one of the 
most delicate fishes of the lake and succumbs quickly to various 
maladies. During the winter of 1900-1901, these fishes massed 
in immense numbers in Culver Inlet and most of the winter through 
could be seen packing that stream almost as close as they could 
be crowded. The reason of their crowding into this particular 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 401 

spot was in all probability because of the warmer temperature of 
the water there. For some reason, partly perhaps because of sub- 
aqueous springs, and possibly because of exhaust pipes from the 
heating plant of the Military Academy, the water there was always 
several degrees warmer than that of the lake, and did not freeze 
at all. 

It is barely possible that the bluegills which crowded into this 
inlet were unhealthy individuals, and had chosen the warmer 
waters out of a general sensation of discomfort or exceptional sen- 
sitiveness to cold ; it was noted that all about the edge of the lake 
where springs ran in and raised the temperature of the water, 
that fishes which usually appeared more or less sick crowded 
about ; at any rate, Saprolegnia soon broke out among the crowded 
fishes and in a short time wrought great havoc, and before long, 
fishes could be found dead and in all stages of disease. The fungus 
attacked especially the tail and eyes. 

Even healthy bluegills exhibit in a marked degree the paralyz- 
ing influence of cold water. While cold water appears to benumb 
all fishes more or less, the greater number are able to swim away 
with reasonable speed when frightened. On December 21, 1904, 
some bluegills, as fine and large as are usually seen at the lake, were 
observed through the thin ice in Lake Maxinkuckee. Some simply 
stuck their heads down into the Chara and tried to hide; others 
tried to dart away, but appeared very numb, and moved with diffi- 
culty. If chased they soon tired, often showing their sides upward, 
and one soon lay down on its side and refused to move, although 
attempts of all sorts to frighten it were made on the ice above. 

During the early spring the young bluegills of the year before, 
flock in rather large schools along shore. From April 26 to May 
18 they wiere seen almost every day. The young frequently hide 
among Chara and weeds near shore in shallow water during the 
winter, and are among the most common fishes raked up with 
weeds through the ice. 

The Bluegill affords perhaps more sport and food to resident 
anglers about the lake than any other species. It bites all the year 
round, and is sometimes even taken on the set-line. One of the 
best times to fish for it is during the early spring, when large 
catches can be made fishing from piers with the ordinary bamboo 
pole and cork bob. The crowd of anglers who lined the shore by 
the Ice-houses from about the middle to the end of April, 1901, got 
goodly numbers of these fishes. On April 16, one fisherman caught 
54; on April 18, another got 23. In general, catches of from 25 
to 40 in a day or less seemed rather common about this time. 



402 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Later in the season they were generally caught from boats and fre- 
quently bit freely. About the end of August, 1903, one fisherman 
made a catch of 85, on worms. The next two days 2 men caught 
56, and a few days after, they caught 42 in one day. Quite good 
catches were made late in September, 1906. 

In addition to the Saprolegnia, there is a periodical occurrence 
every spring of some sort of malady which causes great morta'lity 
among this species. In the spring of 1901, this contagion broke 
out about May 19 and 20, when 16 of these fishes were found dead 
along shore between Knapp's and Farrar's. On May 24, 26 ex- 
amples, all of good size, were found dead on the shore of Outlet Bay. 
On May 31, 40 large ones were found dead in a little strip on the 
southwest shore of the lake. On June 4, 34 of good size were 
found between the Fish Commission pier and Long Point, and on 
June 5, 73 dead ones were found on the north side of the lake be- 
tween the old Vandalia pumping station and Lakeview Hotel. No 
certain cause could be discovered that would explain the deaths. 
The smaller fishes seemed exempt. There was a general impres- 
sion among the dwellers about the lake that it was due to gorging 
on the great number of May-flies which appeared about that time. 

The bluegills begin nesting early in June. Several nesting 
fishes were found in Lost Lake June 8, and they were quite dark in 
color. Their dark coloration may have been due to an abundance 
of pigment characteristic of the mating season, or to the dark 
waters of the lake; fishes of Lost Lake usually being considerably 
darker than those of the same species in Lake Maxinkuckee. 

The nests were very close together, the rims nearly touching, 
and were found in black bottom in shallow water (4 or 5 feet) in 
rushes southwest of the Bardsley cottage. They were shallow, 
bowl-shaped depressions about a foot in diameter. They usually 
contained several small gasteropod shells and often a larger mussel 
shell, in the bottom. They were quite conspicuous. On June 12, 
four days after the nests were first observed, a visit was paid to the 
nests. The boat was anchored over a particularly large fine nest. 
The fish were very shy and on the first approach of the boat left 
in numbers. After some time they returned. The nest over which 
the boat was anchored contained a very large dark mass full of 
moving lively bright points the eggs well advanced toward hatch- 
ing. The parent Bluegill, a large fine one, came and stayed on 
the nest, moving its tail and fins. It would make dashes at and 
chase away the other bluegills which seemed to have nothing to do 
but visit ; they seemed inquisitive. No such dark mass was found 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 403 

in any other nest, and it was thought that they were empty or 
deserted. A closer investigation revealed a sort of granular bot- 
tom, consisting of the eggs covered over by some silt raised by 
the current caused by the parent's fanning. On account of their 
being covered with silt the eggs were very inconspicuous. There 
was a constant restless watchfulness on the part of the parent fish. 
The bluegills did not look much worn by the labor of nest building, 
though some of the caudal fins were frayed. Eupomotus gibbosus 
nested with the bluegills, and elsewhere by itself nearer shore. 

On June 15, several bluegills about 10 inches in length greatly 
distended with roe, washed up dead in front of the Fish Commis- 
sion cottage. The eggs had a higher specific gravity than water, 
were very numerous, clear in color, and 21 to the inch. 

The Bluegill apparently bites while guarding the eggs and 
young, and can be caught off the nest. This matter however re- 
quires further investigation. 

Head about 3J, without flap; depth 2 to 2]; eye 4 in head with- 
out flap; snout 4; maxillary 3; D. X, 11 or 12; A. Ill, 10 to 12; 
scales 7-46-14, about 44 pores, 5 rows on cheek. 

Body short, deep and compressed, the young slender, the adult 
more nearly orbicular; caudal peduncle rather slender, its "least 
depth 2 in head ; head not large, the projecting snout usually form- 
ing an angle above the eye; mouth quite small, oblique, the jaws 
about equal, maxillary not reaching eye ; gillrakers moderately long, 
nearly round, bent slightly downward; dorsal spines strong and 
high, the longest about half head, usually longer than snout and 
eye; ventral fins reaching origin of anal; pectorals pointed, longer 
than head, reaching origin of anal; opercular flaps very short in 
the young, rather long and broad in the adult. 

Color, rich greenish-olive on back, becoming paler on sides; 
belly sometimes coppery or brassy; top of head dark greenish; 
opercle and cheek bluish ; opercular flap rich velvety black, without 
pale border, a small whitish spot near its base above; side some- 
times with 3 or 4 more or less distinct broad darker greenish 
crossbars; fins all greenish, the pectoral palest, reddish at base; 
a large dark blotch near base of last rays of dorsal, and usually 
a similar blotch on anal; anal membranes darkish, a slight rosy 
wash along base of fin. 



404 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 
49. RED-EARED SUNFISH 

EUPOMOTIS HEROS (Baird & Girard) 

(Plate 25) 

The Red-eared Sunfish is found from northern Indiana to Flor- 
ida and the Rio Grande. It is an inhabitant of lowland streams 
and ponds. Although usually regarded as rare, it is not especially 
uncommon at Lake Maxinkuckee. Among the fishermen in gen- 
eral it is probably confused with the other sunfishes, although one 
of the fishermen of the lake pointed one out as "Green Sunfish" a 
name generally applied to Apomotis cyanellus where that species 
is well known. During the seining operations about the lake, in 
the 612 hauls, 75 specimens were taken, the maximum number 
in 1 haul being 8. Specimens were taken in 29 of the hauls. The 
shortest specimen obtained was 2.25 inches long, from which they 
varied in length to about 10 inches. 

The habits of this species do not differ greatly from those of 
other members of the genus. Its food consists of worms, larvae, 
small crustaceans, small mollusks and the like. Its parasitic ene- 
mies do not appear to be many. Only one example was examined 
with parasites; these were found in the region of the vent and 
resembled Gordius. 

The spawning season of this sunfish is in May and June. 

Little distinctive can be said as to its game qualities ; they are 
essentially the same as those of the common pumpkinseed. It takes 
the hook readily if baited with angleworm, grub or cut bait. 
It takes hold cautiously but dashes away promptly and fights well 
for so small a fish. It is a delicious pan-fish. 

Our specimens disagree in some respects from current descrip- 
tions of E. her OB; the maxillary does not reach fully to the eye, 
the longest dorsal spine does not reach to the posterior border of 
the pupil, and the pectoral does not reach beyond the middle of the 
anal. 

The following is a description of one of our specimens : 

Head 3 in length ; depth 2.3 ; eye 4.5 in head ; snout 3.25 ; max- 
illary 3.3 ; mandible 2.6 ; preorbital 6.2 ; interorbital 3.25 ; dorsal X, 
11, the spines very stout, the longest, (6th) 2.5 in head, longest 
ray 1.8 in head; base of dorsal 2.25 in "length, its base extending 
over 25 rows of scales; anal III, 11, the spines, especially the third, 
very stout and much longer than the others, 2.5 in head ; longest 
anal ray 2 in head ; pectoral long, rather narrow and sharp, reach- 
ing somewhat beyond origin of anal, and contained 1.1 times in 
head; ventral rather acutely rounded, its stout spine 2.8 in head, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 405 

the length of the entire fin 1.6 in head, its tip reaching halfway 
between vent and origin of anal; caudal lobes 1.5 in head; scales 
6-41-11, with 38 pores in the lateral line; scales on the cheek 
large, in 4 rows ; membrane of dorsal and anal scaled at base. 

Color in alcohol, brownish, of a nearly uniform tint all over the 
body, except the black opercular spot, the diameter of which is con- 
tained 1.2 times in the diameter of the eye; color in Jife pale olive- 
greenish, mottled with darker; cheek bluish but without lines; flap 
blue-black, with a red posterior border, silvery anteriorly above and 
below; some lemon wash. 

50.' COMMON SUNFISH 

EUPOMOTIS GIBBOSUS (Linmeus) 

This handsome little fish, also frequently known as the Pump- 
kin-seed and Butter-belly, is one of our best known fishes and is 
found in clear brooks and ponds from Maine westward to the 
Great Lakes and southward east of the Alleghenies to Florida. In 
the Mississippi Valley it is found only in the northern portion, 
being fairly abundant in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and north- 
ward, but it is said to be rare south of Virginia. At Lake Maxin- 
kuckee it is fairly common ; out of the 612 hauls made during the 
seining operations in and about the lake, one or more examples 
were taken in each of 144 hauls ; 860 specimens in all were secured ; 
the greatest number taken in one haul being 100. 

It is found in both lakes, also in the short stream connecting 
them. Favorite places which they frequent are the chutes and 
piers at the Ice-houses, Outlet Bay and the Outlet about the bridges, 
and under the piers at the numerous cottages. In such places as 
these they may be seen, sometimes in considerable numbers, resting 
quietly near some piling or other protection. Exceptionally fine 
examples are sometimes caught at the Weedpatch, the Flatiron 
and the Sugarloaf. 

The Pumpkin-seed is one of the first, if not the very first, fish 
that the average country boy in the Eastern States and the Upper 
Mississippi Valley learns by name, and the ceremony of initiation 
into the art of angling usually consists in landing a Pumpkin-seed 
from a brook. It is one of those fishes which does not require a 
complete angler's outfit and an exhaustive study of bait. A pin- 
hook, a piece of string, any sort of pole, and a fishworm, are all 
that is necessary. 

Although fairly abundant at Maxinkuckee and possessing some 
attractive qualities as a game-fish, the Pumpkin-seed is apparently 



406 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

not caught in any considerable numbers by those who go a-angling. 
A few are taken about the piers by children and other amateur 
anglers, and one now and then by anglers who are fishing for larger 
game. The greatest number and the finest examples are doubtless 
caught by the long cane pole fisherman. The favorite places are 
about the various bars where the bluegills congregate. 

They usually bite quite well during April and May. From 
April 16 to May 3, 1901, several people were fishing almost daily 
at the Ice-house piers, and many good Pumpkin-seeds were taken. 
One fisherman caught 26 on April 16, and 16 on the next day. On 
April 24, a small boy fishing from a boat took 10. 




Pumpkin-seed Sunfish (Eupomotis gibbosus) 

Although the Pumpkin-seed reaches maturity at a small size in 
Lake Maxinkuckee, good-sized examples are often taken. Per- 
haps 6 to 8 inches is the usual size, but larger examples are some- 
times taken. A fine male 7.5 inches long weighed 5.75 ounces. 

Those caught in Lost Lake were very dark, almost black in 
color, due doubtless to the dark color of the water and the bottom 
of that lake. All the fishes of whatever species from that lake 
seem in general to have a darker color .than those of the same spe- 
cies from Lake Maxinkuckee. 

The Pumpkin-seed is preeminently a boy's fish. It takes the 
hook readily, and promptly begins a fight which bears much re- 
semblance to the way a small dog handles a rat ; its movements are 
rapid, erratic, and uneven, at times quite vigorous, then again life- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 407 

less as if the fight were given up. Any sort of small bait will 
answer but there is nothing else so good as the common angle- 
worm. 

As a pan-fish the Pumpkin-seed has no superior, and the mature 
roe nicely browned is a tidbit that is not easily excelled. 

The food of the Pumpkin-seed is nearly the same as that of the 
other sunfishes. During the spring of 1901, the principal food 
was Asellus the common isopod crustacean of the- lake. They 
fed pretty largely also on small thin-shelled snails. Some con- 
tained minnows and darters. The stomach of one 7.5 inches long 
and weighing 5.75 oz. caught at the Weedpatch September 12, 
1907, contained two leeches, fragments of Physa, a thin operculum 
of some snail and one Pisidium. An example 2.5 inches long 
caught August 3, 1906, contained what seemed to be fragments of 
a freshwater sponge, the sponge spicules being abundant ; another 
2.75 inches long contained insect larvae, 2 ostracods (Cypris) and 
1 water mite; another 3 inches long contained the opercle of a 
snail and a very small crawfish. Among other food elements (in 
early spring of 1901) were dragon-fly larva?, minnows and one 
darter. 

This species begins nesting early in June and continues nesting 
throughout the summer. Several nests were found in Lost Lake 
June 12. They were first found near the shore south of the 
Bardsley cottage and later others were found among those of the 
bluegills at the north end of the lake. Those near the shore were 
shallow, bowl-shaped affairs, worn out of the fibrous turfy bottom 
and containing no shells, pebbles or anything foreign or trans- 
ported. They contained great numbers of small clear eggs which 
appeared to stick fast to the fibres projecting from the bottom of 
the nest. The fish behaves much as the bluegill, fanning the water 
over the eggs with its fins, and chasing away intruders. They are 
braver than the bluegill, do not nest so closely together, and do not 
flee at the approach of a boat. 

Somewhat later, nests were found in the Outlet, just west of the 
railroad bridge and in Lake Maxinkuckee. On June 23, two small 
nests with the parent fish on were noted in the Outlet, and nests 
were still noted in July in the big lake. In these latter locations 
the nest consisted of a bowl-shaped depression scooped out of 
the sand. 

On account of its bravery while on the nest, the breeding habits 
of this fish can be studied to good advantage. On July 7, 1901, 
the actions of the parent fish at a nest at the head of the Outlet 



408 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

were observed for some time. The young were quite minute, 
transparent objects, the eyes being the most conspicuous part of 
them. They hugged the bottom quite closely, but were pretty 
active. Now and then one of them appeared to take a notion to 
leave the nest, and would swim up toward the surface. Quick as 
a flash the parent fish would snap it up, and it appeared at first 
glance as if it were devouring its young, but it was soon discovered 
that each time it had taken in a young fish it immediately went 
down to the bottom of the nest, head downward, and spat the 
young out into the nest near the ground. 

In 1906, numerous nests were seen in shallow water near Chad- 
wick's pier, with the parent fishes guarding, and two individuals 
were seen mating. 

The nesting fishes appeared to be remarkably small ; specimens 
only 2.5 inches in length were fully mature. 

Young of this species were frequently caught while seining for 
minnows along shore. On June 19, 1901, examples 1.5 inches 
long were caught, probably young of the previous year. 

Head 3 to 3.25 in length; depth 1.75 to 2; eye 4 to 4.5 in head; 
snout 4.5; D. X, 10 to 12 ; A. Ill, 10 or 11 ; scales 6-40 to 47, pores 
35 to 45, 4 rows on cheek; body short and deep, compressed, the 
profile steep, convex, usually an angle above the eye; head rather 
small ; mouth small, oblique, the maxillary scarcely reaching verti- 
cal with front of eye; dorsal spines rather high, the longest 2 to 
2.5 in head, as long as eye and snout, the soft rays higher; pec- 
toral long, as long as head ; scales large ; gillrakers short and soft, 
smaller than in any other sunfish except Lepomis megalotis, X -|- 8 
to 10 ; pharyngeal teeth all bluntly rounded, paved, the bones very 
broad, somewhat concave. One of the most brilliant of our fresh- 
water fishes, the colors somewhat variable. The following are 
color notes taken from a specimen 7.5 inches long (male) and 
weighing 5.75 ounces, caught at the Weedpatch September 12, 
1907: 

Back and upper part of sides with 8 vertical bars of dark blue 
green alternating with the same number of lighter golden bars; 
bars of each set, especially the latter, with scattered old-gold spots ; 
cheek brassy or golden, with about 6 irregular pale blue oblique 
bars; opercle jet-black, edged with blood-red; belly rich orange or 
brassy; caudal and dorsal dusky with some iridescent green; anal 
pale wine; ventrals pale orange; pectoral pale; colors exceedingly 
brilliant. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 409 

51. SMALL-MOUTHED BLACK BASS 

MICROPTERUS DOLOMIEU Lacepede 

(Plates 27 and 28) 

The Black Bass is found in most suitable waters from Lake 
Champlain westward to Manitoba and southward on both sides 
of the mountains from James River, Virginia, to South Carolina, 
and from the Great Lakes to northern Mississippi and Arkansas. 
It has been planted in many places where it was not native, both 
in this country, and in England, France and Germany, and has 
usually thriven wherever planted. It is a fish of clear running 
streams and of the clearer, colder lakes. In the southern part of 
its range it is confined to cool flowing streams, but in the north 
it is equally abundant in streams and in the larger, cooler lakes. It 
is absent, however, from many of the smaller, shallower lakes, 
such as Bass, Fletcher, Cicott, Manitou, and others in northern 
Indiana. 

In Lake Maxinkuckee it is a very abundant fish. In the sein- 
ing operations of 1899-1900, 1,127 specimens were taken, the maxi- 
mum number secured in one haul being 62. In the summer of 
1906, the young of this and the straw bass were phenomenally 
abundant ; and people seining for minnows along shore were usually 
troubled by getting large numbers of young black bass and noth- 
ing else. While seining for minnows near Murray's over a hun- 
dred examples of this species were taken in two hauls. 

Some idea of the rate of growth can be obtained from the fol- 
lowing data: Numerous young of this species measured July 18 
and 19, ranged in total length from 1.3 to 2.8 inches, the usual size 
being 2 to 2.25 inches. Others examined August 1, measured 1.7 
to 2.7 inches, the usual size being about 2.3 inches. All these were 
probably hatched toward the first of June, as we have a number 
of fry, just hatched, taken from a nest June 1, 1901. They are 
each about one-third of an inch in length. 

This is the fish most sought after by anglers who visit the lake. 
It can be caught almost the whole year round, and minnows are 
the best year-round bait. The best fishing, however, is early in 
August, and again in October and November. During the sum- 
mer they are usually caught in rather shallow water. The best 
way to fish for them in August and early September is to use grass- 
hoppers for bait, casting or trolling with a light oil line. In Oc- 
tober and November, the best method is to troll with a live minnow, 
fishing deep by means of a heavy sinker. It is about the only 




ii 



a g 
^ a 



o _a; 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 411 

kind of black bass caught in July and August, the large-mouth 
not coming until September. Besides grasshoppers and minnows 
the spoon, spinner and fly are occasionally used. Rarely the craw- 
fish makes a good bait. Generally one does not anchor, but trolls 
slowly with 75 to 100 feet of line out. Sometimes however, good 
catches are made while still-fishing. Sometimes they are caught 
through the ice; in the spring of 1901, just as the ice was going 
off there were 2 or 3 days when this was the principal fish caught ; 
generally, however, it was the straw bass that was taken in winter. 
The usual weight of this fish as got in the lake is from 2 to 
2.5 pounds; 3-pounders are occasional, and the maximum size 
seems to be about 5 pounds. There is a record of an angler hav- 
ing caught one which weighed 7 pounds (April 7, 1900) , but the 
fish may have been wrongly identified. A large number were 
measured, and a good number were measured and weighed. The 
following table gives the lengths and weights of 21 specimens of 
this species: 



Length 


Circumference 


Weight 






9.25 ounces 






8.75 ounces 






10.5 ounces 






1 pound 1 ounce 






13 ounces 






1 pound 3.5 ounces 


13 25 inches 




1 pound 6.25 ounces 






1 pound 6.75 ounces 






1 pound 7.25 ounces 






2 pounds 






1 pound 15 ounces 






1 pound 15 ounces 


15 5 inches 




1 pound 15 ounces 






1 pound 12.5 ounces 


15.25 inches 




1 pound 11.75 ounces 


17 inches 




2 pounds 8 ounces 


17.5 inches 




3 po :n 'a 


18.75 inches 
18.5 inches 


12 inches 


4 pounds 
3 pounds 2 ounces 


19 inches 
20 inches 


12 inches 


4 pounds 8 ounces 
3 pounds (very lean* 









The Black Bass exhibits some variations in color, though not so 
marked or striking as the straw bass. Some examples are irregu- 
larly spotted. A marked variation is brownish rather than green- 
ish, with reddish eyes. Some of the fishermen speak of these as 
the "red-eyed bass". 

By far the greater number of stomachs examined contained 
crawfishes, and the indications are that these form the chief food 



Plate 28 




SMALL-MOUTH BLACK BASS (Micropterus dolomieu) 




SMALL-MOUTH BLACK BASS (Microyterua dolomieu) 

The same individual fish as above, showing the interesting changes in color markings occurring within a brief 
time. Photographed at Lake Maxinkuckee by A. Radcliffe Dugmore for use in Jordan and. Evermann's "American 
Food and Game Fishes," published by Doubleday, Page and Company. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 413 

of this species. Crawfishes, however, do not make very good bait 
as a usual thing. A few examples contained Vivipara contectoides. 

The Black Bass begins spawning about the middle of May. 
The nest consists of a bowl-shaped depression in sandy or gravelly 
bottom. Most of those seen were in about 6 feet of water. The 
fish appear to bite rather well while preparing the nests and per- 
haps also while watching the nests. A fisherman was seen May 16 
who reported that he had gotten 6 on the east side where they were 
preparing their nests. A few were caught during the nesting 
season and many were reported taken off the nests, but the reports 
could not be verified. 

Besides being more gamy, the flesh of this fish is regarded as 
quite superior to that of the straw bass. 

Head 2.5 to 3.5 ; depth 2.75 to 3 ; eye 5 to 6.5 ; D. X, 13 to 15 ; 
A. Ill, 10 to 12; scales 11-72 to 85-25, 67 to 78 pores, about 17 
rows on cheek. Body ovate-fusiform, becoming deeper with age; 
mouth large, but smaller than in the large-mouthed black bass; 
maxillary ending considerably in front of posterior border of orbit, 
except in very old examples ; scales on cheek minute, those on body 
small ; dorsal fin deeply notched, but less so than in the other spec- 
ies, the ninth spine being about half as long as the fifth, and not 
much shorter than the tenth ; soft dorsal and anal each scaly at the 
base. General coloration, dull golden green, with bronze luster 
often blotched with darker, especially on head; young with darker 
spots along the sides, which tend to form short vertical bars, but 
never a dark lateral band; 3 bronze bands radiating from eye 
across cheek and opercle; a dusky spot on point of opercle; belly 
white; caudal fin yellowish at base, then black, with white tips; 
dorsal with bronze spots, its edge dusky. In some waters the 
fin-markings are obsolete, but they are usually conspicuous in the 
young. 

"The little-mouth has little scales, 

There's red in his handsome eye, 
The scales extend on his vertical fins, 
And his forehead is round and high. 

"His forehead is round and high, my boys, 

And he sleeps the winter through; 
He likes the rocks in the summer time 
Micropterus dolomieu." 



414 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

52. STRAW BASS 

MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES (Lacepede) 

(Plates 1 and 29) 

The Large-mouthed Black Bass is everywhere abundant in suit- 
able waters from Canada and the Red River of the North, south- 
ward to Florida, Texas, and even into Mexico. It prefers lakes, 
bayous and other sluggish waters, and in the small lakes of the 
Upper Mississippi Valley it is most abundant in those of moderate 
or shallow depths. It is one of the best known game fishes and re- 
joices in a great number of vernacular names, among which may 
be mentioned bayou bass, slough bass, lake bass, cow bass, large- 
mouth black bass and Oswego bass. In the south it is absurdly 
called trout, green trout, chub and welchman. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee it is very abundant and is the game- 
fish most frequently caught by anglers. It is caught the whole 
year round, and is the principal species taken in ice-fishing. Dur- 
ing the seining operations in 1899-1900, 1506 specimens were 
taken, the greatest number secured at one haul being 100. In 
1906, the young of this bass were exceedingly abundant, so much 
so that they crowded along the shores, and made up the larger por- 
tion of catches obtained by fishermen seining for minnows. On 
August 10 of that year people seining along the south shore of 
Outlet Bay with a common minnow seine got 150 young straw 
bass at one haul. 

The Straw Bass is well distributed throughout the lake. Dur- 
ing the summer the large ones are often seen near shore where 
they spend their time over the shallow weedy bars. They are 
also found on various bars out in the lake, the Weedpatch, the 
Flatiron and Sugarloaf, being favorite fishing grounds. With the 
approach of cold weather, after the water has cooled down con- 
siderably, they may often be seen in shallow water not far from 
shore. They come up to shore in considerable numbers at night 
when the weather begins to get cold. There appears to be a slight 
tendency in this fish to migrate down to Lost Lake during the win- 
ter, and to return to the larger lake in the spring, as occasionally 
schools of large fish may be seen usually late at night or early in 
the morning drifting down stream in September and October and 
coming up stream in the spring ; and there are almost always dur- 
ing fall and spring good schools of young bass in the Outlet. This 
migration is relatively unimportant however, when it comes to 
considering the main mass of fish in the lakc v The schools of fish 
in the Outlet are never so large nor continuous as to form what 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 415 

might be called a run ; the movement down the stream in autumn 
is an easy drifting, and the ascent in the spring has nothing in it 
of a purposeful run or migration. Ice-fishing during the winter 
is quite as good or better in Lake Maxinkuckee than in Lost Lake. 
Frequently in Lake Maxinkuckee great schools of large bass may 
be seen through the clear ice, that would cause the angler who has 
fished through relatively fruitless days in the summer-time to 
marvel at their size and abundance. These fish under the ice are 
pretty lively and swim before one at a good rate of speed, in this 
respect differing from many of the sunfishes. 

Although the young Straw Bass are common along the shore 
of the lake during the summer time, they are also distributed all 
over the lake in the upper waters. On September 9, 1906, and on 
a few other occasions, thousands of them were seen far out on the 
lake sporting on the surface, swimming about in circles much like 
whirligig beetles, and with the dorsal fin sticking up out of the 
water. It was supposed that they were feeding on plankton at the 
surface. A towing was made near where they were feeding and 
the lake was found to consist mainly of Daphnias. 

The food of the Straw Bass is quite varied, and so far as exam- 
ined, appears to exhibit a much wider range than that of the black 
bass, changing with the size of the fish and with the season. Of 
5 small ones examined July 23, 1906, one 2-J inches long contained 
one copepod ; one 3 inches long was empty ; one 2- inches contained 
beach fleas; one 2 inches contained Cypris, great numbers of 
Daphnia and one Chironomus larva; and another 2 inches long 
contained entomostraca and a species of alga not identified; one 
1^ inches long taken November 16, 1904, contained insect larvae. 
The young bass of somewhat larger size (about 3 inches long) are 
quite voracious, and frequently eat other fishes. On August 20, 
a small one caught at Long Point had a small skipjack not much 
shorter than itself halfway down. This, however, may have been 
an accident, as in seining where fishes are crowded they may snap 
at each other while gasping. On August 23, a young one was seen 
to dash from shore with a silvery fish, apparently a young blue- 
gill, in its mouth. The fortunate bass was followed by a crowd 
of smaller ones, much as a flock of chickens chase one that has a 
choice morsel. On the next day precisely the same phenomenon 
was observed again. The food of the larger Straw Bass is quite 
as varied as that of the young". Of 3 examples, weighing about 
1} pounds each, examined April 28, 1901, one contained 4 craw- 
fishes, one had 2 darters and 4 crawfishes, and the third contained 
2 crawfishes. Numerous others contained crawfishes, which seem 

2717618 



416 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

to be the most important element of their food. One example con- 
tained several darters ; another 19^ inches long contained the spines 
of another fish; several contained Vivipara contectoides ; one 5 
inches long contained a backswimmer; and another, a medium- 
sized minnow. On August 7, 1906, a fisherman reported finding 
a young musk turtle in the stomach of a straw bass; another ex- 
ample contained a minnow, a johnny darter and several Sphserium 
shells; another contained a grasshopper probably bait; and a 
large bass 19 inches long was found dead on shore with a good- 
sized bluegill lodged crossways in its mouth a victim of its own 
greed. Although the bass bite eagerly in the winter, they appear 
to eat very little then; all the stomachs examined caught by ice- 
fishing being empty except for parasites. 

The Straw Bass is the most abundant game-fish in the lake, 
and one of those most frequently caught. They are considered a 
good deal more loggy than the black bass and the flesh is coarser 
and not so finely flavored. The best season for catching the Straw 
Bass is in May and June, by trolling along the edge of bars; one 
observant fisherman claims that only males are obtained at that 
time. In fishing for the Straw Bass, almost all sorts of methods 
are used except fly-fishing, which is not much in vogue at Lake 
Maxinkuckee. In early summer the fish are caught on bars among 
the weeds in from 3 to 8 feet of water; later in the year they are 
often caught in deeper water; some were caught in 30 to 40 feet 
on October 17. Minnows are the best all-year-round bait gray- 
back and blue-nosed chub, etc., for warmer weather, and shiners 
for cold weather. During late summer and early fall the grass- 
hopper is favorite bait. Bass are also caught on the spoon, spin- 
ner, artificial frog, meat-rind, pork-chunk, etc. A few anglers are 
not ashamed to use the Dowagiac minnow, but the better sportsmen 
regard it as a barbarous device, fit only to be used by a clumsy 
fish-butcher. 

This fish is the species most frequently caught by ice-fishers. 

Just what might be considered a good catch at the lake depends 
upon the circumstances, the fisherman, the methods of fishing, etc. 
With the old methods of ice-fishing where there was no limit to the 
number of hooks, more could be obtained than in summer fishing. 
This varied greatly with the individual, as some men who fished a 
great deal through the ice got very few fish, and for a just com- 
parison it would be necessary to have the records of the same per- 
son fishing both winter and summer, and having ample opportunity 
to fish the whole season through. One of the best ice-fishers got 
21 Large-mouth Bass in one day (January 15, 1901) ; another, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 417 

hardly so good an angler, fishing after the ice had gone, got 13 one 
forenoon. 

The true sportsman who comes to the lake, however, is little 
concerned with the number of fish he catches. He would wish for 
some probability not quite a dead sure certainty that he would 
get a strike from some big gamy bass. He would wish that bass 
so full of maneuvers and tactics as to test his skill to the utmost, 
and make the issue of the battle uncertain. He would like per- 
haps another boat in the distance, but not too near, to help tell the 
story of the fight, and to tell it as a disinterested spectator. And 
if a really big bass is landed, it is perhaps with a twinge of regret 
that he finds it necessary to take the fish along as a proof of his 
veracity instead of turning it loose with the hope that he or some 
one else may meet it again in battle. 

During the autumn the young bass can be caught in the Outlet 
by the crude method of the old long cane pole and worm bait. On 
October 22, a boy was seen fishing from the railroad bridge with 
worms. He had caught 2 Straw Bass each about 5 inches long. 

The Straw Bass begins spawning about the middle of May. 
On May 30, 1901, about a dozen nests were found. They consisted 
of circular depressions filled in with pebbles from about the size 
of a hen's egg down; some of them being finer, others of coarser, 
gravel, and they were from one foot to about 2| feet across in a 
depth of about 6 feet of water. The nests were found off Kreutz- 
berger's, in front of the Palmer house and east of Lakeview hotel, 
also off the stone breakwater near the northeast shore of the lake. 
At the time the nests were found they were filled with little black 
young which looked much like carpet tacks scattered over the bot- 
tom. It is claimed by some of the fishermen about the lake that 
the bass will bite from the nest, and that during the nesting season 
it is easy for one who knows where the nests are to go from one 
to another and catch a number of fish. 

The Straw Bass caught in the lake average from 3 to 3i pounds 
or less. The largest specimen, so far as verified records go, 
weighed 8 pounds. One fisherman in June, 1895, caught an 8- 
pounder which weighed 5J pounds when dressed. Another fish- 
erman, fishing from a pier, caught one weighing 8 pounds and just 
24 inches long; one man claims to have got one of 8f pounds. A 
great many fishes were weighed, and a number were both meas- 
ured and weighed, occasional weights are 5, 5^ and 6^ pounds. 
The following table gives the weights and measurements of a num- 
ber of Straw Bass taken at the lake : 



418 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Length 


Circumference 


Weight 


Length 


Circumference 


Weight 






8 oz 




12 inches 


4 Ib. 8 oz. 






2 Ib 15 oz 






2 Ib. 12X oz. 






female; plump 
12 oz 






3 Ib. lYi oz. 






2 Ib ]4,oz 












1 Ib. 8 oz. 












3 Ibs 












3 Ibs 












4 Ibs 












2 Ibs 












14- 





















The following table taken from Report State Fish Commission- 
ers of Penn., 1897, p. 159, may be of interest for weights and 
measurements of smaller examples: 



Inches 



W'eight of each Fish in Ounces 



51/ 


u 
















6 


1* 


i 
[ 
















fti 


? 


, ?* 


Si, 


9 i 9 , 


2J4 2 


ft, 


2J$. 


7 


3, 


3 


j 3, 


3, 


?U 1 


3, 3, 3 


4, 


2, 2, 2}^. 




4, 


3 


1^, 




^ 4 


4, sy 2 


3 


4, 3^, 4, 3Ji. 


8 


4, 


4 




4, 


4U 


5. 








5, 


5 


53 




i, 5 


5J4 5 


6 




9 


ft, 


t 


51 





7 








gy 2 


7, 


g 


, 7 


7 


8 <) 


7 7 






10 


K 
II 




). 7 
III 


,7 

1 


, 8, J 
10 1 


,8,8, 
0, 9, 9 


7, 
11 


7, 8, 8, 9, 8, 8, 8, 10, 9, 9, 8, 10, 9, 8, 8, 9. 
, 11, 10, 11, 9. 


11 


11 




11 


11 


10 


11, 12 


10 


12, 11, 12, 11, 11, 12. 




12 




1? 


1 


13 


13, 12 

























The Straw Bass reaches a larger size farther south than here. 

Mr. Willard Nye of New Bedford, has given us the following 
note: 

"On or about February 20, 1902, I caught a female Large- 
mouthed Black Bass in the uppermost of a long chain of small 
lakes in Pasco County, Florida. The fish weighed 11-J pounds, 
measured 26^ inches in total length, 21^ in circumference, and 
7^ across the mouth from side to side. The eggs were pretty 
well developed, but not ripe ; the stomach contained one small fish 
too far digested to be identified. The fish was caught trolling with 
a phantom minnow of the blue-back variety, 3| inches long, which 
is the best bait for all sorts of fish in the fresh waters of Florida ; 
even very small bass and sunfish will take this lure." 

The large bass referred to jumped once entirely free from the 
water. Mr. Nye says that he has heard of other bass in Florida 
weighing as much as 12 pounds, but this is the largest he ever saw. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 419 

On another occasion he caught one not much shorter in length 
than this, but weighing only 5 or 6 pounds. 

As to rate of growth in the lake, this is found to vary a good 
deal with individuals in the same waters. The young of the year 
were about 1 inch long on July 5, 1899, and in September and 
October, 1906, the smallest Straw Bass seen were about 2 or 
3 inches long and were supposed to represent the young of the year. 

The Straw Bass about the lake seem to be quite free from 
parasitic copepods. leeches, etc. Internal parasites are not rare. 
During the winter of 1900-1901, nearly all the stomachs examined 
were empty of food but almost all contained a few distomids, one 
lot examined averaging about 8 distomids apiece. The young are 
sometimes afflicted with numerous parasites. Some examined 
July 24, 1906, contained a few distomids; a small one examined 
July 30, had one distomid; and of 3 small examples studied July 
23, all contained parasites; one about 3 inches long, contained the 
usual distomids, the second 2 inches long contained 1 Acanthoceph- 
alus, and another 2^ inches long contained 4 different kinds of in- 
ternal parasites. 

Head 3 to 3 in length; depth 3 to 3] ; eye 5 to 6 in head; D. 
X, 12 or 13 ; A. Ill, 10 or 11 ; scales 7-65 to 70-18, about. 58 to 67 
pores, 10 or 11 rows of scales on cheek. Body ovate-fusiform, 
becoming deeper with age, moderately compressed; head large; 
mouth very wide, the maxillary in adult reaching beyond the eye, 
shorter in the young; scales on body comparatively large; teeth 
sometimes present on tongue; gillrakers longer than gill-fringes; 
dorsal fin very deeply notched, its fifth spine 3{ in head. General 
color, dark green above, sides and below greenish silvery; young 
with a blackish stripe along the side from opercle to middle of 
caudal fin ; 3 oblique dark spots above and below lateral line ; caudal 
fin pale at base, then blackish, and whitish at tip ; belly white. As 
the fish grows older the black lateral stripe breaks up and grows 
paler and the color becomes more and more uniform pale dull 
green, the back being darker. 

53. WALL-EYED PIKE 

STIZOSTEDION VITREUM (Mitchill) 

(Plate 30) 

The Wall-eyed Pike is a species of wide distribution. It is 
found from Lake Champlain westward throughout the Great Lakes 
region and to Assiniboia. It is native also to the small lakes of 
New York and the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, east of the 



420 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

Alleghenies. In the Mississippi Valley it occurs in many of the 
larger streams and small lakes as far south as Georgia and Ala- 
bama. Though found in many streams, it is preferably a fish of 
the lakes, and it reaches its greatest abundance in the Great Lakes, 
particularly in Lake Erie. In different parts of its range it is 
known by different names. Among the Great Lakes it is called 
the Wall-eyed Pike, Yellow Pike, or Dore by the French-Canadians, 
and Pickerel in the places where the true pike (Esox lucius) is 
found. In the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, and in the small 
lakes of northern Indiana, it is known as Salmon or Jack Salmon, 
names absurd and wholly without excuse. Southward in the Mis- 
sissippi Valley it is the Jack. Elsewhere it is called Okow, Blow- 
fish or Green Pike. In fish cultural books it is called Pike-Perch. 

The Wall-eyed Pike is rarely seen in Lake Maxinkuckee, al- 
though it is not uncommon there. During the warmer weather 
they keep in deep water. When the weather first gets cold in the 
fall they come in to shore in some numbers at night, doubtless to 
feed on other fishes. Illegal fishermen who ply their work on dark 
nights and chiefly during the autumn and spring, sometimes get 
these fish. One man claims to have speared a two-bushel sack full 
of these fish early in the spring near the Inlet, where they had 
doubtless come to deposit their spawn. They do not appear to 
stay near shore or in shallow water during the winter, for they 
are not seen through the clear ice, and it is not known whether 
they go in schools like the perch does or not. From the fact that 
only one or a few are usually caught at a time, it would seem that 
they are rather solitary. 

The Wall-eyed Pike is never caught in large numbers; usually 
only 1 or 2 are taken at a time. On October 27, 1900, one man 
caught 4 large ones one forenoon, and on the next day he caught 
3. This would be regarded as exceptionally good luck. On No- 
vember 3, 1900, 2 fishermen fishing together got 5, and on May 26, 
1901, two men fishing together caught 4 in the forenoon and 7 in 
the afternoon; this would be regarded as quite remarkably good 
success. A very good fisherman who visited the lake for a week 
about October 16, 1905, got 10 of this fish in addition to a few 
of other species. Another sportsman who visited the lake had 
taken a particular fancy to this fish, and made it the special object 
of his search. He caught about 21 in 3 weeks and regarded him- 
self as having been quite successful. 

The Wall-eye bites almost any time during the year, but the 
best season is in June and during October and November. They 
are occasionally taken through the ice. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 421 

As to bait and manner of fishing, they take readily to both 
grasshopper or minnow, and are sometimes taken trolling with the 
spoon. They are usually caught slowly trolling with a live min- 
now, the hook being sunk with heavy sinker to a depth of 25 to 
50 feet. They are regarded as one of the most desirable game- 
fishes of the lake. Perhaps one feels a greater pride in having 
landed a good-sized "salmon" than with any other fish, not except- 
ing even the small-mouth black bass. 

In many respects the Wall-eye is one of the most desirable of the 
fishes of the lake. The fact that very few are caught as compared 
with the bass, makes it difficult to compare them with that fish- 
as many who have fished for bass never caught these. They are 
generally regarded by those who catch them as exceedingly gamy, 
making a good fight and affording a great deal of sport. As a 
food fish they are far superior to the bass, approaching their rela- 
tive, the perch, in this regard, and greatly exceeding it in weight. 
They are the largest game fishes in the lake. The average weight 
is 3 to 5 pounds, and they are rareljdteeen under 1 pound in weight. 
They have been reported up to 8^ pounds and there is an account 
given by an old resident of the region of one obtained a good many 
years ago which weighed 11 pounds. 

The Wall-eye does not weigh as heavily for its length as the 
bass ; one 19^ inches long weighed 3 pounds, another 20 inches long 
weighed the same, and one 22 inches long weighed 3 pounds 12 
ounces. We have the lengths of examples 8, 10, 12 up to 19 
inches, measured but not weighed, and of examples from 2 to 6^ 
Ib. weighed but not measured. 

Dr. G. Brown Goode in his "American Fishes" has the follow- 
ing interesting remarks concerning the flavor of the pike-perch. 

"Wherever the pike-perch is known it is very highly prized. In 
the Great Lakes region, S. vitreum ranks next in value to the 
white fish and lake trout." 

He further says, "The flesh is hard, white, flaky and easy of 
digestion, and has a distinctive flavor of its own, which renders 
it especially available for boiling, though often stuffed and baked. 
Its capabilities are equal to those of fresh-caught cod or turbot." 

Concerning its gaminess and method of capture he says : 

"A correspondent of the American Angler wrote sometime ago 
to that journal that he had fished the streams and lakes of south- 
ern Wisconsin for twelve years, and had found no fish which af- 
forded him better sport than the pike-perch. It will take the fly 
as readily as the brook trout or the black bass and while it will not 
fight as long as the bass, it furnishes the fly-fisher with a fair 



422 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

amusement, and as a table fish is infinitely its superior. With a 
light rod, weighing from five to nine ounces, a four-foot leader, and a 
bass-fly, this fish may be readily taken. The angler should whip 
the white foaming water below a dam, on some frosty morning 
using a dark fly or cast upon the same water toward evening with 
a light fly. He will learn that there are new possibilities for him 
in the way of sport with a rod." 

One of the most interesting historical notes concerning the lake 
relates to this fish. A resident of the place writes : 

"As for the salmon (wall-eyed pike) they are a native to Lake 
Maxinkuckee, also to Yellow River, Mr. - tells me he speared 
them in both places 30 years or more ago. Other parties tell me 
the same. I met a Mr. Cobin at Rochester in 1892, and he told 
me that in 1838 or '39, he and Attorney Entline came by our lake 
on a return trip from Illinois, and found a band of Indians camp- 
ing on a hill west of the lake and that the bucks were killing fish 
with clubs and bows and arrows ; that he never saw the like of fish, 
and that the squaws were smoking and drying some for winter 
use." 

The Wall-eye is one of the principal fishes planted in the lake ; 
they have been planted in large numbers on several occasions; on 
May 14, 1902, 10,000,000 fry were planted in the lake. 

A sudden chilling of the water seems to benumb these fishes 
even more than the other fishes of the lake. In the winter of 1900 
(December 10) when the first skirt of thin ice was formed about 
the edge of the lake, a large Wall-eye was seen swimming along 
under the ice on its side. It was easy to kick a hole through the 
ice and take the fish out. It made very little resistance. On No- 
vember 14, 1904, which was about the time the lake began to 
freeze, while rowing to the Weedpatch a fine Wall-eye was seen 
floating belly up. It was able only to flop feebly when lifted into 
the boat. 

The nature of the food of the Wall-eye can be best judged by its 
sharp strong teeth. No other fish in the lake equals it in this 
respect. Nearly all the stomachs examined, however, were empty 
or nearly so; a few contained half digested minnows and some 
contained crawfishes or their remains. One specimen contained 6 
crawfishes. It is claimed that this fish while being brought 
through warmer surface water during the process of capture gets 
sick and disgorges its food. 

Nothing was learned of their spawning habits at the lake. Its 
habits are, however, well known in this respect, as it was one of 
the first fishes experimented upon by American fish culturists. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 423 

The following account of its spawn and spawning habits are 
given in Goode's American Fishes (Revised edition) : 

"The eggs are from 1 to 1 millimeters in diameter and light 
golden yellow in color, and are adhesive like those of the sea-her- 
ring, clinging to stones, roots, and the stalks of water plants where 
they are deposited at a depth of from three to ten feet. They 
begin to spawn when less than a pound in weight, and each female 
deposits from two or three hundred thousand ova. This great 
fertility is serviceable, for no freshwater species is more subject 
to the fatalities incident to the spawning season. After storms 
the shores of lakes are said to be often bordered by windrows of 
the stranded ova of the pike-perch. Dr. Estes well describes the 
destructive inroads of sturgeon, catfish and suckers upon the 
spawning beds in Lake Pepin. He estimates that 'not one-fourth 
of the eggs remain to be hatched.' He quotes Dr. Estes as say- 
ing that 'Just as soon as the lake is well closed over with the ice, 
they leave the deep water and resort to the sand-bars where they 
remain until spring, it seems a fact that they select and take 
possession of the spawning beds fully three months before they 
are needed for use. I have carefully observed this habit for more 
than twenty-five years, and each year's observation is confirmatory. 
In the first place we do not take them on these bars in summer, 
and again two-thirds of all that are taken from the beginning of 
winter to spring are females, proving conclusively that they thus 
early select these bars as spawning grounds. I have often visited 
them as early as May (the spawning season in Lake Pepin is from 
the first to the fifteenth of April or even earlier) but failed to find 
the fish, while, from the closing of the lakes to March, they are 
often found in great numbers/ " 

Dr. Goode further says that "The pike-perches are never taken 
in large numbers for use in commerce except during the spawning 
season, or immediately before it, and like the perch, they are in the 
finest condition when full-roed." 

The Pike-perch is very free from parasitic copepods or fish- 
lice, although a few examples contained Ergasilus on the gills. One 
or two examples seen had leeches attached to the fins. They seem 
to be nearly or wholly free from distomids and Acanthocephali. 
They are, however, subject to infection with tapeworms to a re- 
markable degree, and nearly all of the individuals examined had 
the stomach and intestines swarming with multitudes of these 
parasites. 

Head 3.6 in length; depth about 4.5; eye shorter than snout, 
4.5 in head; D. XII to XVI-19 to 21 ; A. II, 12 to 14; scales 10-110 



424 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

to 132-25, 83 to 95 pores ; body slender, becoming compressed with 
age ; the back somewhat arched ; cheeks and upper surface of head 
nearly naked; dorsal spines high, more than half length of head; 
dorsal fins well separated, the interspace between them greater 
than diameter of eye; the last dorsal spine scarcely erectile; soft 
dorsal nearly as long as spinous dorsal; anal longer than high; 
pyloric creca 3, rather long. Color dark olive, finely mottled with 
brassy, the latter color forming indistinct oblique lines; sides of 
head more or less vermiculated ; lower jaw flesh-colored; belly and 
lower fins pinkish; spinous dorsal with a large jet-black blotch on 
the membrane of the last 2 or 3 spines, otherwise nearly plain ; sec- 
ond dorsal and caudal mottled olive and yellowish ; base of pectoral 
dusky, without distinct black blotch. 

54. YELLOW PERCH 

PERCA FLAVESCENS (Mitchill) 

(Plates 31 and 32) 

The Yellow Perch is found throughout the eastern United 
States, chiefly northward and eastward. It is abundant in the 
Great Lakes and in the larger coastwise streams and lakes from 
Nova Scotia to North Carolina; also in most of the small lakes in 
the upper Mississippi Valley, especially in northern Indiana, Illi- 
nois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. It is also found 
in some of the streams of this region, but is by preference a lake 
fish. It is not known from the Ohio River nor from the lower 
Missouri. In most of the New England lakes and those of New 
York it is an abundant and well-known fish. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee the Yellow Perch is the most abundant 
and best known fish. It is simply called "perch" here, as there 
is no other perch present from which it is necessary to distinguish 
it. The Perch seem to be less abundant and of smaller size than 
formerly. During the seining operations of 1899-1900, the total 
number caught was 4544, one or more examples were caught in 
each of 282 of the 612 hauls, and the greatest number taken in 
one haul was 141. 

Perch are found in abundance in all parts of the lake, though 
they live by preference in the shallower water and about the weedy 
bars. One of the pondweeds (Potamogeton americanus) of the lake 
is known as "perch weed" from the fact that Perch are frequently 
to be found in especial abundance where it grows. 

In rowing about the lake this is the fish most often seen in the 
shallow water, and it is frequently seen in large schools under the 




T 




Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 425 

clear ice. The Perch are quite lively under the ice and dart away 
at a good rate of speed. 

There is no other fish of Lake Maxinkuckee so well known or 
held in such universal favor and esteem as the Yellow Perch. It 
is known to, and appreciated by, every one who comes to the lake, 
from the expert and professional angler to the casual visitor who 
only sees the fishes in the clear shallow water as he saunters along 
the shore. The angler does not disdain it because it will take the 
fly and possesses some qualities of gameness; the amateur likes 
it because it enables him to make good when better fish refuse to 
bite; the novice is pleased with it because he can usually catch 
more of it than he believed it possible for him to catch of any 
species; the women and children are delighted with it because all 
fish are good that come their way and they can catch them from 
the ends of the piers ; it appeals to the farmer-fisherman with the 
long cane pole because it shares with the bluegill the honor of 
making up the bulk of the bushel of fish in the gunny-sack which 
he usually takes home at the end of the day's fishing. It appeals 
to everybody because it will bite when all else fails; because it is 
gamy enough to suit anyone except the most exacting, and be- 
cause there is none more delicious. 

The Perch can be caught almost every day in the year and by 
all manner of bait and methods of fishing. They can be caught 
trolling, still-fishing or casting, and can be taken in great numbers 
through the ice. In the matter of bait, th'ey will take fishworms, 
mussels, minnows, the spoon, the fly, grasshoppers, cut bait, or 
probably anything else offered. The Perch is a fearless fish and 
by letting down a baited hook over the edge of the boat in clear 
water, one can look down and see these fish come up and take the 
bait. They usually take a small minnow with a dash and gulp and 
in such cases are caught deep. If cut bait is used, especially if 
it is large, they come somewhat with a dash and then nibble about 
the edges of the bait, frequently catching hold of it and shaking 
it as a terrier does a rat. In angling with the cork float, the 
characteristic "perch nibble" consisting of a rapid bobbing of the 
cork, separated by short intervals of rest and terminated by a long 
pull when the fish is hooked, is easy to learn and recognize. The 
Perch are usually in schools ; often several perch, especially if they 
are small, can be seen wrestling with the same bait at the same 
time. 

The Yellow Perch is known in various localities by different 
names, such as Yellow Perch, Red Perch, Ringed Perch or Ring 
Perch, and Raccoon Perch. Wherever it is found it is the perch 




g-i 



bd T3 

o 5 
" 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 427 

par excellence. It is one of the most abundant and best known 
of freshwater fishes. Its usual length is 10 to 14 inches and its 
weight | to 2 pounds. Examples of 3 and 4 pounds, however, have 
been recorded. The largest examples of which we have a definite 
record are one of 4} pounds recorded by Dr. Goode, caught in 
Delaware Bay, by Dr. C. C. Abbott, and another reported to us 
by Dr. F. A. Lucas, taken at Morey's Hole, Massachusetts, and 
weighing 3 pounds and 2 oz. The Yellow Perch of Europe seems 
to grow much larger, examples of as great as 8 and 9 pounds hav- 
ing been recorded. The European perch is not so brightly colored 
as ours. 

As a pan-fish we do not know of any better among American 
freshwater fishes. The senior author has experimented with the 
Yellow Perch and several other species, including both species of 
black bass, the bluegill, wall-eyed pike and rock bass, eating each 
for several days in succession, and has found the Yellow Perch 
the sweetest and most delicious of them all. One does not tire of 
it so soon as of the other kinds. Several other persons who tried 
the same experiment reached the same conclusion. In most parts 
of its range it is highly esteemed, and in many places it is of very 
considerable commercial importance. In the Great Lakes, the 
Potomac River and the small lakes in the upper Mississippi Val- 
ley, large quantities are taken, which always find a ready sale. 

The diet of the Perch is exceedingly varied. In late autumn 
when they come near shore they subsist almost entirely on craw- 
fishes, and these form the greater portion of their food the year 
round. They also were found to contain minnows, the larvaB of 
May-flies, dragon-flies and caddis-flies, and quite frequently small 
mollusks of various sorts, such as Physa and Sphaerium. They also 
occasionally contain small worms, young of other fishes such as sun- 
fishes, and one contained a stickleback. One was found dead 
choked on a Johnny darter. 

The Perch of Lake Maxinkuckee seem to be quite free from 
diseases and parasites. One found dying on shore contained what 
appeared to be cysts in the liver; this was the only diseased one 
seen. A large number caught in the fall at the edge of Lake 
Michigan in 1903 were examined, and nearly every one had one or 
more white cyst-like objects imbedded near the eye, probably due 
to Myxosporidia, but no such phenomenon was noted at Lake Max- 
inkuckee. In some other lakes, particularly in New England, New 
York and Wisconsin, the Yellow Perch are frequently infested 
with tapeworms or other parasites which are found in the flesh. 
This condition is most apt to occur in ponds in which the water 



428 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

becomes rather warm and foul in the summer or early fall and in 
which the fish are crowded. The presence of the parasites is 
usually only temporary and need cause no particular annoyance, 
and none whatever, if the parasites escape observation. 

The spawning time of the Yellow Perch is early in the spring, 
soon after the ice has disappeared. The egg-masses are among 
the most remarkable among those of freshwater fishes. The spawn 
is in a single piece or mass, a "much-elongated ribbon-like structure, 
of a semi-transparent light grayish color. One end, corresponding 
to the anterior part of the roe, is larger than the other, and is 
bluntly forked. The spring is very long, but may be compressed 
lengthwise by virtue of an arrangement into regular transverse 
folds like the sides of a bellows or accordion. When deposited the 
eggs are in a loose globular form, and after being fertilized and be- 
coming 'water-hard', their mass rapidly becomes many times larger 
than the fish which laid them. The length of the. strings is from 
2 to more than 7 feet, depending on the size of the fish. One fish 
in an aquarium at Washington deposited a string of eggs 88 inches 
long, 4 inches wide at one end and 2 feet at the other, whose 
weight after fertilization was 41 ounces, while the weight of the 
fish before the escape of the eggs was only 24 ounces. 

A cavity extends the whole length of the egg mass, its walls 
being formed by the delicate membrane in which the eggs are em- 
bedded. The cavity is almost closed, small apertures occurring 
irregularly, which have the appearance of being accidental, but 
may be natural, in order to permit the circulation of water on 
the inside of the mass. 

The egg-string is quite light and resilient or springy, the 
least agitation of the water causing a quivering motion of the 
whole mass. 

The diameter of the egg is 1/13 inch. The quantity can not 
be easily measured, but the number is approximately 28,000 to a 
quart. 

Head 3.25 ; depth 3.25 ; D. XIII to XV, 13 to 15 ; A. II, 7 or 8 ; 
scales 7-74 to 88-17, 54 to 62 with pores ; back highest at origin of 
spinous dorsal, which is more or less behind insertion of pectoral ; 
profile convex from dorsal to occiput, thence concave anteriorly, 
the snout projecting, a little longer than eye; mouth somewhat 
oblique, maxillary not quite reaching opposite middle of orbit ; gill- 
rakers x -(- 15, the longest -J to length of branchial filaments ; 
cheeks closely scaled throughout, the scales imbricated; opercular 
striae and rugosities on top of head well marked; first anal spine 
longer than first dorsal spine; first dorsal spine inserted above 



Lake Maxinkiickee, Physical and Biological Survey 429 

or a little behind base of pectoral ; pseudobranchise quite small. 
Back dark olivaceous; sides golden yellow; belly pale; side with 
6 or 8 broad, dark bars, which extend from the back to below the 
axis of the body; lower fins largely red or orange; upper fins 
olivaceous; the spinous dorsal dusky, usually with a narrow color- 
less triangle behind each spine, and with or without a distinct 
black spot on its anterior or posterior part. 

55. LOG PERCH 

PERCINA CAPRODES (Rafinesque) 

. (Plate 33) 

The Log Perch is abundant almost everywhere in the Great 
Lakes and streams of the south and west from Quebec to Lake 
Superior and Iowa and south to Mississippi and the Rio Grande, 
chiefly in swift gravelly streams of some depth. 

This species, represented by the subspecies zebra or the Mani- 
tou darter, was very abundant in the lake in 1899-1900. In the 
seining operations one or more examples were obtained in 143 out 
of the 612 hauls made 2,310 were obtained altogether, the great- 
est number taken in any single haul being 310. During the prog- 
ress of the work after 1900, however, not so many were obtained. 
They ordinarily remain in shallow water near shore. They are 
often seen during April and the early part of May. The first one 
seen in 1901 was on April 6; this was found dead and was quite 
full of eggs. From this time on till early May these fishes crowded 
up in immense schools at the mouths of the various inlets of the 
lake. Large schools were noted at the mouth of the ditch by Far- 
rar's, at the mouth of Aubeenaubee Creek, and even at the mouth of 
a tile by the depot grounds. When the fish were frightened they 
darted rapidly up stream. On April 11, 1901, 29 were caught with 
a dip-net at the mouth of Aubeenaubee Creek, and were measured. 
The longest was 4.25 inches long and the shortest 3^ inches; the 
greater number were 3f and 3| inches long. The females were 
quite plump, and contained large numbers of eggs. The eggs were 
rather pale in color, about 22 to the inch, and were very numerous ; 
in one case the number of eggs in a single fish was estimated at 
3,172. In darting up the streams they sometimes went with such 
an impetuous rush that some would get stranded on the shore. On 
April 29, a few were seen along the north shore and they were 
abundant where springs entered the lake. Although they are not 
ordinarily seen in small creeks, some were seen in the small creek 
on the north shore of the lake west of the Palmer House on 



430 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

May 3. Quite a number were seen May 17, resting on the top of 
rocks in about 6 feet of water, and they were occasionally seen on 
rocks in the bottom through clear ice during the winter of 1904. A 
few were obtained while seining for minnows along Long Point 
and the Gravelpit in 1906. They are quite active during the win- 
ter, and not torpid as many fishes are. 

This fish subsists chiefly on small animals. Five examples 
from 2.5 to 3.75 inches long, captured August 3, contained the 
remains of insects or insect larvae ; of two 2.25 and 2.75 inches long, 
one contained several Bosminia, 1 Daphnia, Chironomus larvse, and 
a beach flea, the smaller one contained 12 beach fleas. 

The Log Perch is infested to some degree by trematodes which 
form small black spots in the skin, but it is not so susceptible to 
the attacks of these parasites as some of the other darters. 

The Log Perch, although one of the largest of the darters, 
probably never exceeds 9 or 10 inches in length. It is scarcely 
large enough to be of any value as a food-fish. It will occasionally 
take the hook, but its small size precludes the exhibition of any 
considerable game qualities. 

"The Log Perch is the giant of the family*, the most of a fish, 
and therefore the least of a darter. It may be readily known by 
its zebra-like colors. Its hue is pale olive, silvery below, darker 
above. On this ground color are about 15 black vertical bars or 
incomplete rings, alternating with as many shorter bars which 
reach only halfway down the side. The hindmost bar forms a 
mere spot on the base of the tail, and there are many dots and 
speckles on the fins. The body is long and slender, spindle-shaped, 
and firm and wiry to the touch. The head is flat on top and 
tapers into a flat-pointed snout which is squared off at the end like 
the snout of a pig, and this resemblance is heightened by the form 
of the small mouth underneath it. From this pig-like snout has 
come the scientific name caprodes. This is a translation of the 
older name of 'hogfish', which Rafinesque heard applied to it in 
his time and which is still used in the same regions. Percina 
reaches a length of 6 or 8 inches and it may readily be caught on a 
small hook baited with a worm. We often meet an urchin with 
two or three of them strung through the gills on a forked stick 
along with the 'red-eyes', 'stonetoters', 'hornyheads', and other 
'boys' fish'. We find Percina usually in rapid and rather deep 
water. We rarely find them small enough for ordinary aquarium 
purposes ; and the living specimen before us, though wonderfully 
quick and graceful in its movements, has shown little that is note- 
dors* 



Except the rare Percina rex, described after ttv '*: was written. 

\ 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 431 

worthy, save his courage, his fondness for angleworms, and a 
possible disposition to bury himself in the sand. There is some- 
thing in the expression of his face, as he rests on his 'hands and 
feet' on a stone, that is remarkably lizard-like, suggesting the 
Blue-tailed Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)." Jordan and Copeland, 
1876. 

Head 4 to 4.25 in length ; depth 6.5 to 7 ; eye 4.3 in head ; snout 
3; maxillary 3.75; D. XV-14; A. II, 10; scales 9-90-9, the nape 
naked, the middle cf the belly with a row of enlarged stellate scales 
which are finally shed leaving a naked strip; body elongate, com- 
pressed; head long and pointed, depressed and sloping above, the 
interorbital space rather broad and concave; mouth small, quite 
inferior, maxillary not reaching to the front of the eye; cheeks 
naked or with a few rudimentary scales; nape naked; opercles 
scaly; chest naked; fins rather low, pectoral somewhat shorter 
than head; caudal truncate. 

Ground color yellowish, with about fifteen transverse dark 
bands from the back to about the lateral line, these usually alter- 
nating with shorter and fainter ones; a black spot at base of 
caudal ; fins barred. Length 6 to 8 inches. 

56. BLACK-SIDED DARTER 

HADROPTERUS ASPRO (Cope & Jordan) 

(Plate 33) 

The Black-sided Darter is found from the Great Lakes region 
to the middle Missouri, northward to Minnesota and southward 
through Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky to Arkansas, and is es- 
pecially common in the Ohio Valley, and is usually abundant in 
clear gravelly streams. It has not so far been found in Lake Max- 
inkuckee or any of its inlets ; several specimens have, however, been 
taken from the Outlet of Lost Lake. 

In the summer of 1906, one of the fishermen residing near the 
lake spoke of some queer fishes he had seen on several occasions 
while seining in the Outlet, and which he regarded as of no value 
for bait. It was thought from his brief description that the fishes 
mentioned were probably the blob (Coitus ictalops) no specimens 
of which had been obtained in the region. 

The fisherman was therefore accompanied on his next seining 
trip (September 11, 1906) and a number of the fishes were se- 
cured. They proved to be darters of various species ; among them 
were 11 which proved to be the Black-sided Darter. Associated 
with these 11 Black-sided Darters were 7 of its near relative, H. 

2817618 



432 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

scierus. On a later visit to the same place (October 7, 1907), 
two large fine darters were secured, one H. aspro, and the other 
H. scierus. 

The separation of these two species was made with some diffi- 
culty, and the indications are that they intergrade; this indeed 
was suggested long ago by Jordan and Gilbert in their description 
of the subspecies Hadropterus scierus serrula. In nearly all the 
features in which this subspecies differs from the species to which 
it is assigned the smaller scales, the naked breast, and relatively 
weaker serrulations of the opercle it approaches the general type 
of H. aspro. S<? far as descriptions go it would be difficult to say 
whether the subspecies in question belonged to aspro or scierus. 
We have divided our specimens according to the presence or ab- 
sence of stellate processes along the ventral line. This is a vari- 
able feature, as these structures differ both in number and degree 
of development. All other characters separating the species are 
equally or even more variable. The fishes identified as H. scierus 
seem in general to have the gill-openings more broadly united, al- 
though this is not invariably the case. The scales s.eem somewhat 
more regular along the dorsal line in aspro than in scierus. In 
scierus there are frequently small rudimentary scales intercalated 
along the sides of the dorsal fins, breaking up the diagonal series 
and making it difficult to follow them. This does not appear to 
be so pronounced in aspro. 

The distinguishing character of the serrulate preopercle is 
qualified in current 'descriptions by the expression "more or less" 
and is said to vary with age. Our specimens of scierus vary con- 
siderably in this respect. None is so distinctly or closely serrulate 
as in the type; some are almost entire; some rather rough, the 
roughness being rather crenulate than serrulate, and the preopercle 
on one side may be considerably more roughened than that of 
the other side in the same specimen. A pretty constant difference 
between the species is the presence or absence of scales on the 
breast; however, one of our specimens which on account of the 
sum total of other characters we have placed with aspro, has the 
breast scaled ; the mouths of our specimens average about the same 
in both species; they may average somewhat larger in our aspro 
lot ; however, both the largest mouthed and smallest mouthed indi- 
viduals in the collection belong to those identified as aspro. The 
dorsal fins are about equally separated in both species, or rather 
about equally close together there is usually hardly the width of 
a scale between them ; the two specimens which have these fins far- 
thest apart belong to the aspro series. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 433 

"The fine gentleman of the family is the Black-sided Darter 
(Hadropterus aspro) . Him we may know by his colors.* The 
ground hue is a salmon yellow ; the back is regularly and beautifully 
marbled with black in a peculiar and handsome pattern. On the 
sides, from the head to the tail, runs a jet-black band, which is 
widened at intervals into rounded spots which contrast sharply 
with the silvery color of the belly ; or we may say that on each side 
is a chain of confluent round black blotches. Sometimes the fishes 
seem to fade out ; these blotches grow pale and no longer meet, but 
in an instant they may regain their original form and shade. This 
latter change can be induced by the offer of food, and it is of course 
due to muscular action on the scales which cover the darker pig- 
ment. A male in our aquarium underwent almost instantly an en- 
tire change of coloration upon the introduction of a female fish of 
the same species recognized by him as his affinity. Although the 
two have been together for some weeks, the novelty has not yet 
worn off, and although his colors vary much from one hour to 
another, he has never yet quite reverted to his original hues. The 
form of the Black-sided Darter is more graceful than that of 
any other, and his movements have little of that angular jerki- 
ness which characterizes his relatives. The fins of Hadropterus, 
like those of Percina, are long and large, the number of dorsal 
spines being about 14. A notable peculiarity in both species is 
the presence of a row of shields, or enlarged scales, along the 
middle line of the abdomen. These may help to protect that part 
from the friction of the stony bottom. They seem to be shed some- 
times, but when or why this happens we do not know. Hadrop- 
terus delights in clear running water and may be found in most 
streams south and west of New York. It is especially desirable 
for aquaria, being hardier than any other fish as pretty, and 
prettier than any other fish as hardy, -and withal with 'a way of 
his own,' as an Irish laborer, Barney Mullins, once said to us of 
Thoreau." Jordan and Copeland, 1876. 

57. DUSKY DARTER 

HADROPTERUS SCIERUS Swain 

No specimens seen in the lake; found only in Outlet Creek 
below Lost Lake. 

Attention has already been called to the close relationship of 
this species and the preceding, and to the probability that they are 
connected by intermediate forms. This opinion is the result of an 

* This is no longer the case since H. scierus and H. maxinkuckiensis have been described. 



434 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

examination of the type of H. scierus and a comparison of it with 
numerous specimens both of H. aspro and H. scierus. The type of 
H. scierus has faded so that little can be judged concerning its 
colors. It is still in a perfect state of preservation, though some- 
what soft. 

The mouth does not differ greatly in size from those of our 
specimens of both species. The maxillary extends almost to the 
vertical of the anterior of the orbit, and the statement in the 
original description "maxillary not reaching the eye by about the 
width of the pupil", evidently does not refer to the vertical from 
the anterior edge of eye, but to the width of the preorbital. The 
statement that the "spinous dorsal [is] separated from the soft 
dorsal by the length of the snout" is true only if the spinous dorsal 
is supposed to end at the base of the last spine; the mem- 
brane of the spinous dorsal is attached very nearly to the 
origin of the soft dorsal, there being barely more than the width 
of a scale between them. This is well shown in the very good 
figure of Hadropterus scierus in Jordan and Evermann's Fishes 
of North and Middle America. As has been said, the union of the 
gill-membranes is a variable feature. 

The following is a description drawn up from an examination 
of 5 Outlet specimens: 

Head 4 in length; depth 6.1; eye 3.9 to 4.8 in head; snout 3.9 
to 4.6; maxillary 3.5 to 4 in head, almost or wholly reaching to a 
vertical with anterior of eye ; mandible 2.5 to 3 ; interorbital 5.1 
to 5.5, preorbital 7.1 to 9.1; dorsal XI to XIII-11 to 13; scales 6 
to 9-62 to 69-10, 5 to 7 rows of minute scales on cheek; 6 or 7 
larger scales on opercle; 12 to 15 rows of scales before dorsal; no 
row of scales along median dorsal line, but a row along each side ; 
scales small and crowded in front of dorsal, the scales in the lateral 
line somewhat smaller than the other scales of the body, thus break- 
ing the alignment of the diagonal rows; small intercalated scales 
along base of dorsal, breaking up the regularity of the series; 
snout and interorbital space naked ; occiput naked, this portion fre- 
quently transparent so that the outlines of the underlying brain 
can readily be seen; scales rather small, each scale with 2 or 3 
fine concentric lines around the center, the whole margin of the 
scale, about ^ of the way to the center, rough, the roughness con- 
sisting of radiating faintly beaded ridges terminating in small 
stout spines which project from the entire free circumference of 
the scale, the scale somewhat irregularly beaded in front of the 
center ; throat, chin and fin membranes naked ; breast with minute 
embedded scales; one. to 3 large stellate chevron-like scales be- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 435 

tween ventrals; median line of belly between ventrals and vent 
with from a few to 14 stellate projections, these projections vary- 
ing in degree of development and finely granular at base, the 
granulations probably representing the beading of normal scales. 
Distance between dorsals very short, from one to a few scales in 
width; longest dorsal spine (one of the median spines, varying 
in different specimens) 1.8 to 2.2 in head, base of spinous dorsal 
longer than head, 3.75 in length and extending over from 21 to 30 
rows of scales; longest dorsal ray 1.3 to 2.1 in head; base of soft 
dorsal 1.4 to 1.75 in head, covering about 15 rows of scales; pec- 
toral rather acute, with 12 to 15 rays, length 1.2 to 1.4 in head, 
the tip not reaching tips of ventrals ; ventrals 1, 5, acute, spine 3.3 
in head, longest ray 1.4 in head, reaching about ^ way to vent; 
caudal lobes 1.3 to 1.6 in head, the fin slightly emarginate, the 
lobes broadly rounded. 

Color in spirits: Upper part of head to middle of eye dusky, 
rather coarsely punctulate ; upper part of back with black bands of 
uniform width (about 2 scales wide) arranged in regular festoons; 
interspaces whitish or yellowish; under parts whitish, rather re- 
motely punctulate under magnification, the punctulations somewhat 
more crowded along ventral line, especially near the vent, and still 
more so along the base of the anal fin and occasionally in spots 
along the caudal peduncle, causing these portions to be somewhat 
decidedly darker. A black band along middle of side, expanding 
at intervals forming a row of about 7 round confluent blotches, the 
largest of these being about 6 scales in width by the same distance 
along lateral line; dorsals and anal dark at base with irregular 
dusky mottling near margin; pectorals and ventrals somewhat 
dusky; caudal with a marginal and 2 submarginal dusky bands 
parallel with the edge of the fin and separated by similarly shaped 
paler interspaces. 

58. MAXINKUCKEE DARTER 

HADROPTERUS MAXINKUCKIENSIS Evermann 

So far as general appearance and coloration go, the Maxin- 
kuckee Darter very closely resembles H. aspro and H. scierus. 
There are, however, a few diagnostic marks that enable one to 
distinguish it at once. The larger scales, the free gill-membranes, 
the smooth preopercle and the united dorsal fins are all diagnostic 
characters. The large mouth, with the maxillary extending back- 
ward to the vertical of the anterior edge of the pupil, is the most 
striking. In the color pattern, this fish differs from the species 
mentioned in having the caudal irregularly mottled instead of 



436 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

barred. It also has a distinct black line projecting from the eye 
downward across the cheek, a feature sometimes hinted at by ob- 
scure markings in the other species, but never as distinct and 
broad. 

Head 3.75 ; depth 6 ; eye 4 ; snout 4.2 ; maxillary 3.25 ; mandible 
2.75; interorbital 6; pectoral 1.25; ventral 1.3; D. XIV, 13; A. II, 
8; scales 7-61-10. 

Body rather long, slender and subterete ; caudal peduncle some- 
what compressed, its least width one-half its least depth; head 
rather long, snout pointed ; mouth moderately large, oblique, maxil- 
lary reaching past anterior part of eye, lower jaw included; pre- 
maxillaries not protractile ; eye rather large, slightly above axis of 
body; interorbital moderately wide, nearly flat; gill-membranes 
free from each other and from the isthmus ; opercle with a rather 
long flap and stout spine; fins rather large; distance from origin 




Maxinkuckee Darter (Hadropterus inaxinkuckiensis) 

of spinous dorsal to tip of snout slightly greater than base of 
spinous dorsal or nearly twice base of soft dorsal; longest dorsal 
spine 2.25 in head; soft dorsal higher than spinous portion, 2 in 
head, the free edge gently curved; origin of anal under that of 
soft dorsal, its base 2.1 in head; caudal rounded or slightly 
emarginate. 

Scales firm and strongly ctenoid; lateral line complete and 
straight, beginning over opercular spine; top of head and an ob- 
long area on nape naked, space in front of spinous dorsal with 
small embedded scales ; opercle with about 7 rows of scales ; cheek 
with a few small, embedded scales; breast naked, except 2 or 3 
partially embedded scales on median line; one large scale between 
ventrals; belly naked anteriorly, but with about 10 enlarged, stel- 
late scales posteriorly; space between ventrals broad, equal to 
width of base of ventral; preopercle smooth. 

Color essentially the same as in H. scierus; mottled and ver- 




GREEN-SIDED DARTER, D'ipleswn blennioides (Ratinesque) 




JOHNNY DARTER, Boleosoma nigrum (Rafinesque) 




IOWA DARTER, Etheostoma ioi>.'<e (Jordan & Meek) 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 437 

miculated with light and dark brown or blackish, the middle line 
of back with about 9 large roundish dark confluent areas each sur- 
rounded by a wavy whitish line ; middle of side with about 7 large, 
confluent dark spots, the anterior 2 largest and longest, the third 
small, the fourth large and the remaining 3 progressively smaller ; 
under parts yellowish white; top of head dark; a narrow whitish 
line around upper, posterior part of orbit ; a broad black line down- 
ward from eye, much more distinct than in related species; upper 
part of preopercle and nearly whole opercle dark, each dusted on 
lower part; cheek dusted with fine dark specks; an irregular pale 
area at anterior end of lateral line; spinous dorsal ashy, the first 
3 spines black on the middle portion, the other spines dark but 
not so distinctly so, tips of last few spines dark; soft dorsal light 
brownish or grayish, crossed near the base by a series of dark spots 
and above by 2 series of whitish spots; caudal spotted or mottled 
with white and brown, not barred as in related species ; anal white, 
dusted with brownish; ventrals whitish, with fine dark dustings; 
pectoral whitish, yellowish at base, followed by 2 alternating series 
of dusty and whitish spots. 

This species is related to H. scierus, from which it differs 
chiefly in having the dorsal fins united, in having the maxillary 
reaching beyond front of orbit, in the larger scales, the free gill- 
membranes, and in the smooth preopercle. 

Of this species we have but 2 specimens, the type, a specimen 
3.5 inches long, taken in Aubeenaubee Creek about one-half mile 
from the lake, August 4, 1899, and another, the locality label for 
which has been lost, but probably from the same stream. 

59. JOHNNY DARTER 

BOLEOSOMA NIGRUM (Rafinesque) 

(Plate 34) 

This little fish is abundant almost everywhere in the eastern 
United States, and is especially common in small streams among 
gravel and weeds. At Lake Maxinkuckee it is not very abundant ; 
occasional examples are seen lying on the bottom near shore or are 
raked up with weeds. During the seining operations 127 examples 
were obtained. One or more specimens were procured in each of 
45 of the 612 hauls ; the greatest number gotten in one haul being 
12. Occasionally people seining along shore for minnows catch a 
few examples of this species. 

Looked at from above while lying on the bottom, the Johnny 
Darter, with his slender body and spread fins, ready to go at a 



438 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

touch, reminds one of nothing else so much as a drawn arrow. His 
long broad pectoral fins are the tense bow-strings, and at a touch 
he darts through the water like a shot shaft; his motion through 
the water resembles rather the leap of a frog than the swimming 
of a fish. 

The black on his back is arranged in about 6 short transverse 
bars one a little distance in front of the dorsal, one about the 
middle of the spinous dorsal, one between the two fins, one about 
the middle, one at the posterior of the soft dorsal, and one at the 
base of the caudal. These marks remind one of several other bot- 
tom-lying fishes the black sucker, the blob, and one of the mad 
toms (Schilbeodes exilis) . Looked at sideways a view one never 
gets of him out in nature he shows a very short blunt nose, even 
shorter and blunter than that of the green-sided darter. The ends 
of the dorsal cross-bars are visible as a series of dark blotches, 
and along the middle of the side is a row of blotches, irregular in 
size and shape, but in general more like W's than anything else. 

The stomachs of several examples showed that this species 
feeds on small animals; beach fleas were found in an example 2 
inches long, and another of the same size contained, in addition to 
the beach flea, a Chironomous larva, and a parasitic distomid. 

In spite of their spiny armament, darters are frequently found 
in the stomachs of other fishes, and the Johnny Darter is quite ef- 
fective for perch bait. 

Head 3.75 to 4.5 in length; depth 5 to 7; eye 5 to 5.5 in head; 
snout 3 to 3.5; maxillary 3.5; D. IX-11 or 12 (VII to X-10 to 14) ; 
A. I, 7 to 9 ; scales 5-44 to 55-9, rarely 35 to 40 ; tubes of the lateral 
line sometimes obsolete on the last 4 or 5 scales; body fusiform, 
slender, not compressed, caudal peduncle slender, its least width 
1.75 in the least depth ; head rather short; snout a little longer than 
eye, decurved; mouth small, horizontal, maxillary reaching eye; 
premaxillaries protractile; lower jaw included; interorbital space 
rather wide ; gill-membranes rather narrowly connected, free from 
the isthmus ; fins moderate ; origin of spinous dorsal nearer origin 
of soft dorsal than tip of snout; origin of soft dorsal somewhat 
anterior to that of anal; spinous and soft dorsals separated by a 
space -| to f diameter of eye ; longest dorsal spines about 2 in head ; 
longest dorsal rays 2 in head; longest anal ray 2.5 in head; pec- 
toral large, pointed, nearly as long as head, reaching past tips of 
ventrals; ventrals short, 1.3 in head, widely separated, the space 
between them as wide as base of either fin ; caudal rounded. Scales 
rather large, strongly ctenoid; lateral line never complete, usually 
15 to 30 pores with 2 or 3 interruptions then a few scattered ones, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 439 

the line thus broken in several places, chiefly posteriorly; region 
in front of spinous dorsal, cheeks and breast naked; opercles al- 
ways partially, sometimes wholly, scaled ; middle line of belly with 
ordinary scales, sometimes naked anteriorly; no enlarged humeral 
scale; opercular spine small. 

Color in life: Pale raw umber above, tending to olive, and 
marked with dark brown along scale margins, darker and forming 
distinct cross-hatching in 7 blotches; about 13 irregular patches 
of dark brown or black cross-hatching along lateral line, separated 
from the markings of the back by a narrow line of whitish ; nape 
and back mottled and colored by minute black dots fading to brown 
posteriorly; pectoral rays very faintly barred with brown; caudal 
fin more distinctly black-barred, showing plainest in the closed 
fin ; a black line downward and one forward from eye. 

The Maxinkuckee representatives of B. nigrum differ from 
typical specimens in some important particulars, the principal of 
which are the following : The less complete lateral line, the naked 
ante-dorsal region, the less complete squamation of opercle, and 
the smaller fins. 

This description is based on 19 specimens 40 to 44 mm. long, 
taken on east side of Long Point in July and August. 

The following is an interesting account of the habits of this 
little fish : 

"We never grew tired of watching the little Johnny (Boleosoma 
nigrum Rafinesque). Although our earliest aquarium friend 
and the very first specimen showed us by a rapid ascent of the 
river weed how 'a Johnny could climb trees' he has still many 
resources which we have never learned. Whenever we try to 
catch him with the hand we begin with all the uncertainty that 
characterized our first attempts, even if we have him in a two 
quart pail. We may know him by his short fins, his first dorsal 
having but 9 spines, and by the absence of all color save a soft yel- 
lowish brown, which is freckled with darker markings. The dark 
brown on the sides is arranged in 7 or 8 W-shaped marks, below 
which are a few flecks of the same color. Covering the sides of 
the back are' the wavy markings and dark specks, which have 
given him the name of the 'Tessellated Darter', but Boleosoma is 
a braver name and we even prefer 'Boly' for short. In the spring 
the males have the^head jet-black, and this dark color often extends 
on the back part of the body so that the fish looks as if he had 
been taken by the tail and dipped into a bottle of ink. But with 
the end of the nuptial season this color disappears, and the fish 
regains his normal strawy hue. The head in Boleosoma resembles 



440 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

that of Diplesion, but the habit of leaning forward over a stone, 
resting on the front fins, gives a physiogomy even more frog-like. 
His actions are, however, rather bird-like, for he will strike atti- 
tudes like a tufted titmouse, and he flies rather than swims through 
the water. He will, with much perseverance, push his body be- 
tween a plant and the side of the aquarium and balance himself 
on the slender stem. Crouching cat-like before a snail shell, he 
will snap off the horns which the unlucky owner pushes timidly 
out. But he is often less dainty, and seizing the animal by the 
head, he dashes the shell against the glass or a stone until he pulls 
the body out or breaks the shell." Jordan and Copeland. 

60. GREEN-SIDED DARTER 

DIPLESION BLENNIOIDES Rafinesque 

(Plate 33) 

Only 5 specimens of this handsome darter were secured; of 
these, one, an example 3.25 inches long, was secured down the out- 
let of Lost Lake near the old mill on September 11, 1906, and 4 
others, ranging in length from 2.5 to 2.75 inches, were secured 
about the same place, on October 7, 1907. The markings of these 
specimens (in spirits) are quite contrastive, the dark markings 
being jet black; this being probably partly due to the black bottom 
of the stream in which they were found. The Y-shaped figures 
mentioned in current descriptions as occurring on the lower part 
of the side, are united in our specimens, so that the color pattern 
of that portion of the body resembles a series of arches, usually 
with a black spot underneath each arch. 

The following description is from the largest of our specimens : 
Head 4.3 in length; depth 5.6; eye 3.2 in head; snout 3.1 ; mandible 
4.2; interorbital space very narrow, 7.1 in head, the eyes being 
high up and close together; mouth small, horizontal, overhung by 
the blunt heavy snout; physiognomy peculiar, the profile being 
short and rounded, a condition best described by the expression 
"bull-nosed" ; D. XII, 13 ; A. II, 9 ; scales 5-61-8. Body fusiform, 
elongate, but stouter than that of many of the darters ; snout, occi- 
put, throat and breast naked; gill-membranes broadly connected. 
Spinous dorsal quite low, the longest spine 2.3 in head ; soft dorsal 
quite high, the longest ray 1.6 in head; anal about as long as soft 
dorsal but quite low; pectorals quite long and large, longer than 
head and reaching to tips of ventrals; ventrals quite large, about 
1.1 in head, well separated at base and reaching about f of the 
distance to the vent. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 441 

Color in spirits: Ground color pale straw-yellow, upper part 
of sides irregularly splotched with black, the splotches tending to 
form black spots along the dorsal line as follows : One small spot 
just behind occiput, a large one just in front of origin of spinous 
dorsal, an ill-defined one about the center and another about the 
end of the spinous dorsal, two similarly placed in regard to the 
soft dorsal, and one on the caudal peduncle; lower parts of side 
with 'a series of black arches, and small spots in the center of 
arches; belly unspotted; head dusky, irregularly blotched, a dis- 
tinct spot above each eye and 3 blotches on occiput, these latter 
forming a sort of trefoil or fleur-de-lis mark; dorsals somewhat 
irregularly splotched ; in the spinous dorsal there is a tendency for 
the black to aggregate in the membranes between the spines ; in the 
soft dorsal this is definite, the interspaces between the rays being 
black and the intervals between the forks of the rays being dusky ; 
caudal somewhat irregularly blotched, the blotches tending to form 
in bars ; pectorals with spots arranged in bars ; ventrals irregularly 
spotted; anal with a few dark dashes. In -life this fish, especially 
during the mating season, is one of the most beautifully colored 
of our fishes ; the bright colors which are removed by alcohol seem 
to be laid on over the ground colors just described. The follow- 
ing is given as the life colors : 

Color olive green tesselated above; side with about 8 double 
transverse bars, each forming a Y-shaped figure ; these sometimes 
joined above, forming a sort of wavy lateral band; in life these 
markings are of a clear deep green; sides sprinkled with orange 
dots; head with olive stripes and the usual dark bars; first dorsal 
dark orange brown at base, blue above, becoming pale at tip ; sec- 
ond dorsal and anal of a rich blue green, with some reddish ; caudal 
greenish, faintly barred ; young and females more or less dull, but 
the pattern is peculiar. 

All our specimens of both sexes were very dark in color, a 
feature probably associated with the black bottom of the stream 
from which they were taken. Many of the specimens died in the 
water and faded considerably ; the unfaded alcoholic specimens have 
quite contrastive black and white markings. These specimens 
were quite badly infested with leeches, which were attached to the 
various fin-membranes; a number of the specimens had 2 leeches 
attached. 

This species is so very like //. scierus that the same general 
description will serve for both, by bearing in mind the few points 
in which they differ. 

"One of the most simply beautiful of all fishes is the Green- 



442 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

sided Darter (Diplesion blennioides) . He is not like the Etheo- 
stoma cceruleum, an animated rainbow, but he has the beauty of 
green grass, wild violets, and mossy logs. As we watch him in the 
water, with his bright blended colors and gentle ways, once more, 
with Old Izaak, 'we sit on the cowslip banks, hear the birds sing, 
and possess ourselves in as much quietness as the silent silver 
streams which we see glide so quietly by us.' During the ordinary 
business of the year, Diplesion, like most sensible fishes and men, 
dresses plainly. It is not easy to get time for contemplation when 
the streams are low and food is scarce. Besides, a plain coat may 
ward off danger as well as facilitate attack. At all times, how- 
ever, he may be known by these marks : The fins are all large ; the 
back is covered with zigzag markings, while on the lower part of 
the sides are 8 or 9 W-shaped olive spots; these are more or less 
connected above, and sometimes form a wavy line. The eyes are 
prominent; the snout is very short and rounded; while the little 
inferior mouth is puckered up as if for saying 'prunes and prisms, 
prunes and prisms.' But when the first blue birds give warning 
by their shivering and bodiless notes that spring is coming on, 
then Diplesion puts on his wedding clothes and becomes, in fact, 
the Green-sided Darter. The dorsal fins become of a bright grass 
green, with a scarlet band at the base of each ; the broad anal has 
a tinge of the deepest emerald; while every spot and line upon 
the side has turned from an undefined olive to a deep rich green, 
such as is scarcely found elsewhere in the animal world excepting 
on the heads of frogs. The same tint shines out on the branch- 
ing rays of the caudal fin, and may be seen struggling through the 
white of the belly. The blotches nearest the middle of the back 
become black, and thickly sprinkled everywhere are shiny specks 
of clear bronze orange. In the aquarium Diplesion is shy and 
retiring, too much of a fine lady to scramble for angleworms or to 
snap at the "bass feed." She is usually hidden among the plants 
or curled up under an arch of stones or in a geode." Jordan and 
Copeland. 

61. IOWA DARTER 



ETHEOSTOMA IQW-fE Jordan & Meek 

(Plate 34) 

The Iowa Darter is a common species in the upper Missouri 
Valley from Iowa and Nebraska north to Assiniboia, and eastward 
to Indiana. It is found farther northward and farther westward 
in the Missouri basin than any other darter. At Lake Maxin- 
kuckee it is represented by a closely related species, the Aubee- 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 443 

naubee Darter, which is there the most common of the darters ex- 
cept Percina caprodes. Not a great number were obtained during 
the seining operations, but nearly every rakeful of Chara brought 
up during the winter through the ice contained 1 or more of these 
fishes. This darter probably spends most of its time among the 
Chara and thus escapes the net. It prefers hiding under weeds to 
lying on open bottom, and is commonly not seen before being cap- 
tured. In the short matted Chara found so abundantly in the 
shallow water of the lake, it is doubtless abundant. In the open 
places it may frequently be seen lying still on the sandy bottom, 
or occasionally darting to cover. 

The Iowa Darter probably spawns late in April or early 
in May. Females taken April 27, 1901, were examined and found 
to be full of spawn. The ovaries of the specimen examined were 
each a club-shaped mass narrowed sharply behind, truncate and 
concave in front, its anterior margin adjusted in outline to that of 
the well-filled stomach, and surrounded by a firm membrane. The 
length of the fish examined was 50 mm., the length of the egg-mass 
10 mm. The mature eggs, which may have been shrunken some, 
but probably little by the preservative, were bright yellow, 32 to 
the inch, and 115 in number in one ovary; probably about double 
that number in the whole fish. Mixed in with them was a large 
number of minute ova, probably representing the next year's 
product. 

More than any other species of fish in the lake, except some 
of the minnows, this fish is affected with the affliction known as 
Diplostomiasis characterized by small round black spots in the 
skin, each indicating the cyst of a distomid which is said to reach 
its mature form in the stomachs of water birds. 

The only food found in the stomachs examined consisted of in- 
sects and insect larvae. These darters are occasionally found in 
the stomachs of other fishes. The bass sometimes eat them. 

On comparing our Lake Maxinkuckee material with specimens 
of E. iowx, from Creighton, Nebraska, and with current descrip- 
tions, the Maxinkuckee specimens appear to be less fully scaled on 
the cheeks and opercles. 

The squamation of these parts is exceedingly various as re- 
gards degree of development as well as number of scales. The 
skin of these parts may be entirely smooth or naked ; the scales in 
their simplest form are represented by raised tubercles, which are 
usually rather numerous and regularly arranged, which show well 
on a wet specimen by reflections. In a more developed stage they 
consist of embedded smooth circular scales which bear some re- 



444 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

semblance to pores, and which show best when the specimen is 
somewhat moist. Finally we have the more or less fully devel- 
oped ctenoid scale, more or less free at the posterior margin and 
inclined to curl up, which is best seen on the specimen when some- 
what dry. 

A specimen taken at random from our reserve series had the 
scales on opercles and cheek 34-19, well developed and ctenoid. 
The number found in the best developed of our specimens in this 
respect, out of a series set aside for their special development in 
this particular, was 23 on the cheek, and 11 on the opercle, from 
which it varied to 8 on the cheek and 3 on the opercle, and the 
scales on the cheek are always imbedded and hard to make out. 
There is no correlation between the number of scales on the cheek 
and those on the opercle. 

62. AUBEENAUBEE DARTER 

ETHEOSTOMA IOW1E AUBEENAUBEI Evermann 

In making a critical study of the large series of darters which 
in our preliminary studies were regarded as two distinct species, 
E. iowse, and E. aubeenaubei, and now greatly augmented by later 
collections, we find that the two extremes are connected by inter- 
grading forms. In so far as the squamation of the cheeks, which 
is one of the most important features, is concerned, they vary 
from one extreme, the type of E. aubeenaubei, with wholly naked 
cheeks and opercles, to a form with these parts moderately well 
scaled ; although none of our specimens seems to be so distinctly or 
heavily scaled on these parts as the specimens of E. iowse in our 
reserve series, from Creighton, Neb. 

The typical Etheostoma aubeenaubei differs from typical E. 
iowse, in the almost naked cheek, the less complete scaling of the 
opercle, the somewhat longer maxillary, more oblique mouth, the 
general coloration and much closer approximation of the dorsal 
fins. 

In a series of 30 specimens examined critically in regard to 
the points above enumerated, the number of scales on the cheek 
varies from none to about 15 which could be definitely counted, 
or, in some examples, to a good many small scales difficult to make 
out satisfactorily. The scales on the cheek vary from none 
through 2, 3, 5 to 15 or more, often imbedded and difficult to make 
out. The squamation appears to proceed from above downward; 
when these parts were only partly scaled the scales were on the 
dorsal portion. The length of the maxillary varies from 3 through 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 445 

various intermediate values to 4.4 in head, and the end varies from 
reaching to the anterior edge of the pupil, and the tip of the upper 
jaw was on various levels, from the lower edge of the pupil to 
the lower edge of the orbit. The number of scales covered by 
the space between the spinous and soft dorsals varies from 1 to 
about 4, and the space varies from 2 in eye through many inter- 
mediate values to a trifle larger than the horizontal diameter of the 
eye. Among our specimens is one which has the spinous and soft 
dorsals continuous, the membrane being quite high throughout. 
The dorsal formula of this specimen is XI, 10, and the cheeks and 
opercles are naked. 

The color pattern is extremely variable; full notes on colors of 
specific individuals are given below; the following general re- 
marks will serve to call attention to the great diversity : 




Aubeenaubee Darter (Ethcostoma aubecnaubei) 

A dark line downward from the eye and a dark heart-shaped 
occipital spot (which is so frequent among fishes in general), ap- 
pear to be always present. The color pattern of the caudal fin also 
appears to be constant, at least so far as general effect is concerned, 
though a study of more material might show a number of vari- 
ations in detail ; it consists of a series of dark blotches, arranged in 
irregular broken zig-zag bars. These probably vary somewhat in 
number and position, their irregularity making it difficult to cor- 
relate them, giving thus a semblance to uniformity. The unit of 
the pattern usually consists (in small, and presumably young, indi- 
viduals) in its simplest form of a pair of parallel lines like the arith- 
metical sign of equality a bar on each side of the rays, the whole 
making an elongate blotch from 2 to 4 times as long as wide, fol- 
lowed by a colorless space of about equal length. Where the rays 
fork there are likely to be three parallel lines; in the next stage of 
development a row of dots is intercalated between the parallel lines ; 
these finally close up to form an entire line, and finally the whole 



446 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

space between the lines becomes colored, making a solid rectangle. 
In its simplest form the soft dorsal is colored similarly to the 
caudal, but in most cases it is also more or less densely punctulate 
with exceedingly minute and quite close punctulations on the mem- 
branes between the rays. The spinous dorsal varies greatly in 
coloration and may be simply blotched, something after the fashion 
of the caudal, or may also have a distinct black bar at the margin, 
at the base, or both places. It is probable that the latter differ- 
ence is sexual and is accentuated during the breeding season. Of 
two individuals contrasted in this particular, that with the ornate 
dorsal proved to be the male, and the other the female. 

The color pattern of the body is also an exceedingly variable 
feature. In one extreme the back is a 'sort of uniform olivace- 
ous brown above, with a very faint diffuse paler streak along be- 
low the dorsal line, this general brown color breaking up below 
into irregular blotches leaving the belly colorless except for a few 
large irregular blotches along the base of the anal fin. 

In addition to this general color there may be vague dusky bars 
across the side, varying greatly in distinctiveness. They may be 
so dim as to tease the imagination or in the extreme form they may 
become so decided as to be the first feature to catch the eye, and 
remind one strongly of the colorations of Perca or Percina. In 
one set of examples these were distinct short blotches on a pale 
olivaceous yellow background so that the fish bore some general 
resemblance to Boleosoma nigrum. On a single example they 
were a series of elongate lateral dashes, so that the fish looked 
considerably like Percina caprodes. It was thought at first that 
this was a sexual difference, but on examining two individuals rep- 
resenting each extreme of color pattern both proved to be females 
full of spawn. 

Head 3.6 to 4 in length; depth 4.32 to 6; eye 3 to 4 in head; 
snout 3 to 4 ; maxillary 2.66 to 3 ; dorsal VII to IX-10 to 12 ; anal 
II, 6 to 8; scales 4-50 to 60-7. Body moderate in length, short 
and stout, somewhat compressed; head long, snout blunt pointed, 
not greatly decurved; mouth moderate, slightly oblique, maxillary 
reaching eye; gill-membranes scarcely connected, free from the 
isthmus; premaxillaries not protractile; caudal peduncle com- 
pressed, rather long; dorsal outline abruptly arched at nape; fins 
moderate; distance from snout to origin of spinous dorsal slightly 
greater than length; dorsals well separated; spinous dorsal 
rounded, the longest spines about 2.5 in head; soft dorsal also 
rounded, the longest rays abou^ 1.9 in head; pectoral rather long, 
1.3 in head, the tip reaching tips of ventrals; anal small, the rays 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 447 

about equalling those of soft dorsal ; first anal spine stronger and 
somewhat longer than the second ; scales strongly ctenoid ; top of 
head naked, nape densely scaled ; cheeks and opercles only partially 
scaled, sometimes naked; breast nake'd; median line of belly with 
ordinary scales ; ventrals close together, the space separating them 
scarcely as wide as base of fin ; lateral line incomplete, usually 20 
to 30 pores. Color of male, in life, light yellowish brown above, 
with broad bars of pale olive brown; side with alternating blotches 
of bright vermilion and pale bluish green, the vermilion follow- 
ing the margins of the scales and giving the effect of cross-hatch- 
ing, the green bars deeper and more distinct below lateral line 
on the caudal peduncle but anteriorly they are most distinct above 
middle of body; a small clear vermilion spot at base of pectoral; 
opercle golden and greenish iridescent; dorsals and caudal with 
series of dark spots on membranes; other fins pale; a dark line 
downward from eye and one forward. Color of female in life, 
light olivaceous above, side with about 10 rather distinct, irregular 
vertical green bars or blotches, narrower than the interspaces, 
which are rusty straw-color ; caudal barred with white and 5 light 
brown bars; pectoral similarly barred but more faintly; spinous 
and soft dorsals with small brownish spots in irregular series, the 
spinous dorsal narrowly green-edged; back olivaceous, with about 
8 indistinct greenish blotches alternating with the green lateral 
bars; head light brownish; under parts whitish; a small darkish 
spot on base of last dorsal spines. 

There is considerable variation in the coloration, some showing 
considerably more red than others. We are not now able to recog- 
nize E. aubeenaubei as a distinct species. If distinguishable at all, 
it must be merely as a subspecies of E. iowse,, with which it seems 
to intergrade. Typical specimens of the Aubeenaubee Darter were 
found only in Aubeenaubee Creek. 

This discussion is based upon numerous specimens each about 
36 to 44 mm. long collected on Long Point, August 11, 1900, and 
several from Aubeenaubee Creek. 

63. RAINBOW DARTER 

ETHEOSTOMA CfERULEUM Storer 

This gaudy little fish is generally abundant in gravelly streams 
of the Mississippi Valley. At Maxinkuckee it is not very common 
in the lake itself, only a few having been obtained. They were 
more common in the Outlet, particularly near the railroad bridge, 
where there was a pebbly bottom and swift current. Here several 

2917618 



448 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

could be observed, especially in the spring. Here they live in the 
crevices between some boards which form a dam. They may also 
be found about the wagon bridge. One was captured near Farrar's 
on July 6, one was caught at Long Point June 2, 1901, and another 
was found under a board in shallow water near Murray's, Novem- 
ber 12. They are also found in the outlet of Lost Lake, 3 being ob- 
tained about 2 miles down the outlet on Nov. 7, 1907. These, like 
the other fishes obtained in the vicinity, were very dark, almost 
black. 

"Gayest of all the Darters, and indeed the gaudiest of all fresh- 
water fishes, in the Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma cceruleum) . 
This is a little fish, never more than 3 inches long, and usually about 
2. Everywhere throughout the northern parts of the Mississippi 
Valley it makes its home in the ripples and shallows of the rivers 
and in the shady retreats of all the little brooks. The male fish is 




v 
Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caruleitm) 



greenish above, with darker blotches, and its sides are variegated 
with oblique bands alternately of indigo blue and deep orange, 
while the expanded fins are gorgeous in scarlet, indigo, and crim- 
son. The female, as is usually the case when the male of the 
species is resplendent, is plainly colored a speckly green, with no 
traco of blue or orange. When the war of the rebellion broke out 
there were some good people who were anxiously looking for some 
sign or omen, that they might know on which side the 'stars in 
their courses' were fighting. It so happened that in a little brook 
in Indiana, called Clear Creek, some one caught a Rainbow Darter. 
This fish was clothed in a new suit of the red, white, and blue of his 
native land, in the most unmistakably patriotic fashion. There 
were some people who had never seen a Darter before and who 
knew no more of the fishes in their streams than these fishes knew 
of them, by whom the coming of this little "soldier fish" into their 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 449 

brooks was hailed as an omen of victory. Of course these little 
fishes had really 'always been there.' They were there when 
America, was discovered and for a long time before, but the people 
had not seen them. The warblers lived, you remember, in Spald- 
ing' s woods at Concord, but Spalding did not know that they were 
there, and they had no knowledge of Spalding. So with the 
Darters in Spalding's brooks. Still, when the day comes when his- 
tory shall finally recount all the influences which held Indiana to 
her place in the Union, shall not among greater things, this least of 
little fishes receive its little share of praise? The Rainbow Darter 
is a chubby little fish, as compared with the other Darters. In its 
movements it is awkward and ungraceful, though swift and sav- 
age as a pike. One of the mildest of its tricks, which we have 
noticed, is this: It would gently put its head over a stone and 
catch a water boatman by one of its swimming legs, release it, 
catch it again and again release it, until at last the boatman, evi- 
dently much annoyed, swam away out of its reach. It will follow 
to the surface of the water a piece of meat suspended by a string. 
It is more alert in discovering this than a hungry sunfish or rock- 
bass, and it can be led around like a pet lamb by a thread to which 
is fastened a section of a worm." Jordan and Copeland. - 

Head 3f in length ; depth 4 ; eye 4 to 4i in head, little shorter 
than snout; D. IX to XII-11 to 14; A. II, "7 or 8; scales 5-37 to 
50-10, usually 5-45-10, pores 18 to 35 ; body robust, rather deep and 
compressed, the back somewhat elevated; head large, compressed; 
mouth moderate, terminal, oblique, the lower jaw somewhat in- 
cluded, the maxillary reaching front of orbit; opercular spine 
moderate; gill-membranes not connected; palatine teeth in one 
row; cheeks naked or nearly so; opercles scaled; neck and breast 
usually naked ; fins all large ; dorsal fins usually slightly connected ; 
anal spines subsequal or the first a little the longer; caudal 
rounded ; pectoral nearly or quite as long as head. Males olivace- 
ous, tesselated above, the spots running together into blotches, back 
without lengthwise black stripes; sides with about 12 indigo-blue 
bars running obliquely downward and backward, most distinct be- 
hind, separated by bright orange interspaces; caudal fin deep 
orange, with deep blue in front and behind; soft dorsal chiefly 
orange, blue at base and tip; spinous dorsal crimson at base, then 
orange, with blue edgings; ventrals deep indigo; cheeks blue; 
throat and breast orange; females much duller, with little blue or 
red, the vertical fins barred or checked ; young variously marked ; 
no dark humeral spot. Length 2^. inches. 



450 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

64. LEAST DARTER 

MICROPERCA PUNCTULATA Putnam 

This pigmy among fishes is common in clear, cold, weedy 
streams and ponds of the Northwestern States from Indiana, 
Michigan and Minnesota, south to Arkansas. It is not well known 
except to collectors and naturalists as it usually escapes observation 
on account of its small size. It is occasionally found in Lake Max> 
inkuckee, usually in the neighborhood of Norris Inlet, where sev- 
eral specimens were raked up through the ice. It is still more 
abundant in Lost Lake, and is quite frequent in the Outlet between 
the lakes. Specimens were taken in the outlet of Lost Lake at 
various places, some of them a mile or so below the lake. Those 
raked up in Lake Maxinkuckee were associated with the Iowa 
darter, from which they could be distinguished at once by their 
smaller size, comparatively larger scales, absence of lateral line, 
and general coloration. 





Least Darter (Microperca punctulata) 

This interesting little fish most delights to dwell where the 
water is cold and quiet and the bottom of that loose material which 
accumulates on the floors of small lakes and sluggish streams from 
the disintegration and slow decay of aquatic vegetation. In such 
situations the water is apt to be vegetable stained to the appear- 
ance of very weak coffee, and the vegetable debris black in color 
and with a specific gravity but little greater than the water which 
permeates it. Here the Least Darter is at home quietly resting on 
the surface of the unstable mass and ever ready to burrow in it on 
the least alarm. A favorite place for these pigmies was in the 
Outlet well down toward Lost Lake. 

We have in our collection 81 specimens, ranging in length from 
| to 1.44 inches. Of these, 21 were obtained in Lake Maxin- 
kuckee at various places, 47 in Lost Lake, and in the outlet of Lost 
Lake. The 4 specimens in our reserve series were obtained in 
Lake Maxinkuckee in 1890. All appear to be adult. 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 451 

The following is the description of a specimen 1.31 inches long 
raked out of the weeds near Norris Inlet, December 12, 1904 : 

Head 3.6 in length ; depth 5 ; eye 4 in head, snout shorter than 
eye; mouth moderate, the cleft reaching to anterior of orbit, and 
somewhat oblique, upper lip on a level with lower margin of orbit; 
under jaw somewhat the shorter; D. VI-8; A. I, 5; scales 10 in 
transverse series, 36 in longtudinal series; no lateral line, but the 
head with a well marked series of mucous pores in 2 rows, be- 
ginning each side near tip of snout and passing up over eyes and 
terminating a little above top of gill-cleft, each giving rise to a 
short branch projecting upward along the posterior margin of the 
occiput; body rather deep and compressed, resembling that of the 
yellow perch or species of Etheostoma ; fins rather high but with a 
narrow base, the slender ventrals reaching beyond the origin of 
the anal; pectorals reaching to vent. 

Ground color yellow, each scale more or less punctate with 
rather large punctulations so that each scale stands out distinctly, 
giving the whole fish a checquered appearance ; punctulations gath- 
ered into a row of about 10 small elongate dots along middle of 
side; a dark line downward from eye; upper fins checked and 
barred; caudal finely barred; lower fins plain. 

The Least Darter varies considerably in intensity of coloration, 
but the pattern remains about the same. The specimens obtained 
in the outlet of Lost Lake are generally considerably darker than 
the others. These fishes are affected, to a very slight extent how- 
ever, by the immature trematodes which produce small round black 
spots in the skin. 




452 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

THE MAMMALS 

INTRODUCTION 

Very few local lists of the mammals occurring in the different 
counties of Indiana have ever been published ; even brief published 
notes and references are rare, and as a consequence, the geographic 
distribution within the State of the species found within its borders 
has not been carefully worked out. Indeed, data are wanting for 
the correct identification of several of the forms inhabiting the 
State. 

During the survey of Lake Maxinkuckee no special effort was 
made to collect or study the mammals native to the region, any ob- 
servations made or notes taken having been entirely incidental to 
the regular work of the survey, except with those species whose 
habits bring them in relations more or less direct with the life of 
the lake. Among these are, of course, the muskrats, minks, otters 
and coons; and observation of the habits of these naturally led 
to recording any chance observations concerning the other species 
of the region. No trapping was done by us, except on one occasion 
when a few deer mice were caught. The present list is therefore 
far from complete, especially as to the bats and mice and others 
of the less conspicuous species, but it is believed it may prove use- 
ful and interesting. It will serve as a nucleus around which addi- 
tional data may be gathered and it will prove helpful to the cot- 
tagers about the lake who take an interest in nature and who wish 
to know the animals that they meet. 

Great changes have doubtless taken place as regards the abund- 
ance and species of mammals of this region since the country was 
first settled. The deer, wolf, wildcat, fox, otter, and beaver were 
doubtless then abundant, and most of the species were more com- 
mon than now. Many of these are now practically exterminated, 
and others, as the wolf and otter, are found only very rarely and 
in the wilder region west of Maxinkuckee and in the Kankakee 
marshes. Such species as the muskrat, rabbit and coon have 
probably not been seriously affected by civilization, albeit they are 
hunted and trapped incessantly. 

Besides the 30 native species listed in this paper, at least 2 in- 
troduced species the common rat (Epimys norvegicus) and the 
house mouse (Mus musculus) are all too common. 

None of the native mammals is so abundant as to be a pest and 
none should be killed except the rabbit for food, the muskrat for 
its fur, and the mink and weasel for their fur and in the interest 
of the poultry yard. The bats, moles, and shrews, are useful and 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 453 

interesting and should never be killed ; and the squirrels should be 
protected at least until more abundant. 

In nomenclature and sequence of species we have followed Mil- 
ler's "List of North American Land Mammals in the United States 
National Museum, 1911," Bull. 79, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1912, except 
in the name of the Wildcat, for which we have adopted Lynx rufa 
Schreber, following Dr. Allen (Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. I, 
No. 2, p. 91). 

LIST OF SPECIES 
1. COMMON OPPOSSUM 

DIDELPHfS VIRGINIANA Kerr 

According to old settlers the Opossum used to be common as 
far north as northern Indiana, but disappeared from there many 
years ago. In recent years they have been returning northward 
and are now tolerably common throughout the northern part of the 
State. About 1887 an old trapper near Fort Wayne caught one 
and reported that it was the first he had seen for 20 years. No 
more were seen in that region until about 1900, when they began 
to be captured occasionally. In October, 1903, three were cap- 
tured in Walley's woods southwest of Lake Maxinkuckee and three 
others were trapped at Norris Inlet. It was not seen by us at the 
lake until the summer of 1906, when on August 5, an adult ex- 
ample was found dead on the lake shore just north of the Outlet. 
On October 30, 1906, another was seen in the possession of a boy 
at Culver, who reported the capture of three on the previous night. 
One is reported to have stayed under the Barr Cottage on Long 
Point during the winter of 1906-7. About September 3, 1907, 
boys living in Culver got an old Opossum with a number of young 
in her pouch. They did not count the young, but let her go. 

The northward movement of the Opossum seems to have been 
general over the State. They are occasionally taken in Marshall 
and adjoining counties. They are frequently seen at Fort Wayne, 
Indiana, a few being captured every winter. 

2. COMMON MOLE 

SCALOPUS AQUATICUS MACHRINUS (Rafinesque) 

The Mole is very common about this lake. Its burrows may be 
seen in all suitable places. The loose, sandy soil is particularly 
well adapted to their habits. They are usually abundant on Long 
Point, also along the railroad, in the fields and open woodlands 
about the lake, in the Academy grounds, and in fact in all situ- 



454 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

ations in the country where the conditions are favorable. Their 
burrows are often seen along the railroad, and frequently they are 
seen to pass from one side of the track to the other, passing under 
the rails between the ties. Several of their burrows were noted in 
various places about the lake in September and October, 1913. 

Several were caught during our stay at the lake. When a cap- 
tive mole is released it does not attempt to escape by running away 
but at once begins to dig or burrow, and in an incredibly short 
time it has sunk into the ground and entirely disappeared. 

The popular prejudice against the mole based on the belief that 
it is injurious to vegetation is entirely unjustified. Moles are in- 
sectivorous in their habits and do not eat garden plants or vege- 
tables at all. The only possible harm they cause is the slight in- 
jury they sometimes do to lawns by their burrows. This, how- 
ever, is infinitesimal in comparison with the great good done by 
ridding the fields, gardens and lawns of noxious worms, insects 
and larvse. 

3. MOLE SHREW 

BLARINA BREVICAUDA (Say) 

On account of its nocturnal and underground habits the Mole 
Shrew is not often seen and is therefore not very well or generally 
known even to those living in localities in which it is really com- 
mon. It is probably not uncommon about Lake Maxinkuckee. We 
have records of 10 specimens, of which nine were found dead as 
follows : One in road south of Arlington, in August, 1899 ; one on 
lake shore October 20, 1900; one south of Arlington, October 9, 
1906; one at ice-houses, October 22, 1906; one on Long Point, 
October 29, 1906 ; one on Long Point, September 25, 1907 ; one in 
road on Long Point, October 13, 1907. One was caught in a trap 
on west side of lake, November 1, and another on Long Point, 
October 22, 1906. One was caught by a cat, October 3, 1906. 

Special search would no doubt have enabled us to find many 
more specimens of this curious little creature. 

The stomach of the one caught October 22, contained many 
parasites resembling tapeworms. The one found October 29 was 
lying at the edge of the water and was covered with leeches. 

Why these little creatures are so often found dead is not well 
understood. It has been suggested that the fetid odor of this ani- 
mal, particularly the male, causes it to be rejected by animals which 
would otherwise prey upon it, and that those found dead are in- 
dividuals which have been caught by hawks or owls and dropped 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 455 

after discovering the disagreeable odor possessed by the little ani- 
mal which the hawk or owl at first thought would prove a delici- 
ous titbit. 

The carnivorous, bloodthirsty nature of the Mole Shrew has 
been noted by many observers. On two different occasions we put 
a Mole Shrew in a box with a white-footed, mouse and in each case 
the shrew killed and ate the mouse. Others have recorded similar 
experiences. One observer records the fact that a Mole Shrew 
ate three times its own weight of meadow mice in 24 hours. 

4. LITTLE BROWN BAT 

MYOTIS LUCIFUGUS (LeConte) 

The Little Brown Bat is quite common about the lake. They 
first appear early in April and remain out at least until November. 
We have definite records of April 10, June 23, September 17, Oc- 
tober 9, and November 1. 

On still evenings from May to October, just as the twilight 
deepens and objects at a distance become indistinct, these little 
creatures come out from their hiding places and may be seen cir- 
cling in and out among the cottages and trees, and now and then 
out over the lake in their search for food. Rarely are they seen 
before sundown, but on moonlit nights we have seen them out 
over the lake as late as eleven o'clock. 

5. TIMBER WOLF 

CANIS OCCIDENTALS (Richardson) 

The Timber Wolf or Big Gray Wolf was doubtless very abund- 
ant throughout the wooded portion of Indiana in the early days. 
It still occurs in some numbers in the more wild regions. Mr. 
Anton Meyer tells us that he got a few pelts each winter up to 
1905-6, from the region northwest of Plymouth toward the Kanka- 
kee marshes. During a visit to Starke County in 1906 we heard 
statements to the effect that large wolves are occasionally seen and 
heard in the vicinity of Knox. Dr. Hahn in his "Mammals of the 
Kankakee Valley" states that the reports of the occurrence of the 
Timber Wolf in that region are conflicting and that it may be that 
only the Prairie Wolf is found there. Mr. Meyer, however, states 
positively that he gets pelts of two different species, a "large gray 
timber wolf" and a "smaller prairie wolf." 






456 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

6. PRAIRIE WOLF 

CANIS LATRANS Say 

The Prairie Wolf, or Coyote as it is more commonly known in 
the West where it is abundant, is not known to occur in the im- 
mediate vicinity of Lake Maxinkuckee. It is a species of the 
prairies, occurring in some abundance in the prairie counties in the 
northwest corner of the State, particularly in Benton, Lake, 
Newton, Jasper and Starke counties. Dr. Hahn records a large 
number from these counties. He also states that a pack of mod- 
erate size was seen near Leesburg, Kosciusko County, in the win- 
ter of 1906-7. On May 16, 1906, two examples, a male and a 
female, were killed near McCoysburg, Jasper County, by Mr. 
Charles W. Bussel, who forwarded them to the U. S. National 
Museum. This place is^bout 25 miles southwest of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee. Mr. Anton Meyer of Plymouth, Indiana, already quoted, 
informs us that he usually gets a few small prairie wolf pelts each 
winter, chiefly from Starke and Jasper counties. As the prairie of 
this portion of the State reaches Lake Maxinkuckee it is quite 
probable that this wolf occurs there. Dr. Hahn expresses the be- 
i; f that the Coyote has doubtless increased greatly in numbers in 
recent years in the northwestern portion of the State and that its 
range is gradually extending eastward. 

7. RED FOX 

VULPES FULVA (Desmarest) 

Formerly common throughout the State but now not often seen. 
A few burrows believed to be those of Foxes were observed in 
Walley's woods and near the outlet, southwest of the lake. The 
only Foxes actually seen by us about the lake were a family of 
three young and their mother found April 18, 1901, in a den in 
Green's field southwest of the lake. The old one was shot, and the 
three young taken as pets. One of them promptly escaped, but the 
other two were kept for several weeks when a second one escaped. 
The remaining one for some unknown reason became paralyzed in 
its hind legs. It was permitted to go about as best it could, and 
finally took up its residence among the bushes in Green's marsh. 
Here the dog would occasionally go to tease it, but the young fox 
was always able to keep the dog off. Late in the summer it dis- 
appeared and was not seen again. 

On the morning of October 16, 1913, as the senior author of this 
report was coming up the E ankakee River from the Warden's 
Island, a fox was seen standing- on a soft maple tree that leaned out 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 457 

almost horizontally from the bank over the river. As our boat ap- 
proached the fox watched us a moment then turned about and 
disappeared among the bushes on shore. 

8. RACCOON 
PROCYON LOTOR (Linnaeus) 

The Raccoon appears to be somewhat common, especially in the 
large stretch of heavy woodland east of the lake. It also occurs 
west of the lake as well as north and south of it, as evidenced by 
its depredations in the cornfields at roasting-ear time, and, later 
in the year, by the piles of shells it leaves from its feasts on fresh- 
water mussels, a habit it shares with the muskrat. In the spring 
of 1901 they were often heard at night a shivering call not unlike 
that of the screech owl. In January, 1904, one was caught near 
Monterey and another was taken east of the lake in November. In 
1906 one was seen on east side, October 30. On September 7, 
1907, five young Coons about two-thirds grown were got from a 
tree on the east side. The old ones escaped. Five days later 
three others were caught. 

Mr. S. S. Chadwick says that the largest coon he ever saw 
weighed 18 pounds; this was in Pennsylvania. 

In the Delphi Journal was recently noted the capture of a coon 
near Russiaville, Howard County, Indiana, which weighed 34 
pounds. 

Raccoon tracks were seen on the south shore of the lake east of 
the Farrar cottage October 5, 1913. Raccoons are said to be com- 
mon along the Kankakee. In 1912 their pelts brought $1.50 to 
$2.00 each. One trapper at Maxinkuckee secured two raccoons in 
the winter of 1911, two in 1912, and one in 1913. The pelts sold 
for $1.00 to $2.50 each. Another secured about 12 in 1911-12, 
worth $1.50 to $2.75 each, 16 in 1912-13, worth $1.50 to $3.00 each, 
and eight in 1913-14, which he sold at $1.50 to $2.50 each. 

9., WEASEL 

MUSTELA NOVEBORACENSIS (Emmons) 

The Weasel is generally common throughout Indiana. It is not 
rare about Lake Maxinkuckee, although it is not often seen. 

August 3, 1899, one was found freshly dead at the edge of the 
lake near Green's pier. An adult male was killed August 19, 1901. 
on Long Point, where it had taken up a temporary residence under 
the floor of a tent. Another fine large example was found dead 
near the railroad, south of the lake, in December, 1904. In the 



458 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

winter of 1912-13 one trapper got two pelts which he sold for 20 
cents each. 

About July 15, 1902, Mr. S. S. Chadwick saw a weasel chasing 
a rabbit. The rabbit came out upon the road on Long Point, 
turned back toward the lake, and then ran south. Just then a 
Weasel came along on the rabbit's trail. When it reached the 
road and saw that it was being watched it stopped a moment, then, 
not at all frightened, started on after the rabbit. Losing the trail 
the weasel came back and hunted about until it was recovered, then 
again followed it by scent just as a dog would. The rabbit ap- 
peared greatly frightened, its eyes popped and shining. The Weasel 
was very quick and alert. 

It is said to occur in limited numbers on the higher ground back 
from the Kankakee River. 

10. MINK 

MUSTELA VISON LUTREOCEPHALA (Harlan) 

The Mink is not common in the immediate vicinity of Lake 
Maxinkuckee, but it is said to be more plentiful a few miles to the 
westward and along Yellow and Tippecanoe rivers. One was 
killed in February, 1898, near the Winfield cottage; others were 
obtained about the lake December 1.8, 1899, January 19, 1900, and 
November 9, 1900. On April 5, 1901, a skull of a female mink 
was picked up near Lost Lake. A few were trapped in the winter 
of 1903-4; three at Norris Inlet in October, and one at the ice- 
houses December 14. On December 17, 1901, a mink dragged 
three ducks from the ice on the lake to a hole under a stone wall 
on Long Point. 

In the winter of 1906-7, a mink track was observed on the shore 
at the Shady Point cottage. The mink had gone south toward 
Murray's until opposite the Gravelpit when it went out on the ice 
several rods to an open place where it evidently fed for a time, 
after which it returned on the ice to the shore and then followed 
the lake shore on south nearly to Murray's, where it was found 
under the edge of the ice and killed. It was in some respects 
an abnormal mink, the head and shoulders being unusually heavy, 
the body short and thick like that of a coon, and the color jet 
black. The pelt sold for $3.50. 

On September 7, 1907, a very large mink was seen in Outlet 
Bay between Chadwick's Hotel and the north end of the icehouses. 
It was watched for some time and was evidently feeding. It would 
dive and remain under a few seconds, then come up not far from 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 459 

where it went under. After remaining at the surface a minute 
or two, swimming and turning about in a narrow area, apparently 
eating what it had brought up, it would dive again. Often the 
entire length from nose to tip of tail could be seen just above the 
water surface. When it dived it humped its back, going under 
head first, the entire length of the tail (except the tip) which 
seemed to be quite long, often coming entirely out of the water. 

After feeding for more than 20 minutes it swam to its burrow 
on shore near the steamer slip. What it was feeding on was not 
determined. 

In July, 1907, Dr. J. T. Scovell found a family of young minks 
on the Tippecanoe River, below Belong. They were on a mass of 
drift in the stream. They were moving about on the drift from 
one part to another. As the boat approached, the two old minks 
swam out toward it, and as the boat floated by they made a wheezy 
noise which they continued until the boat was some distance below 
them when they returned to the drift, into which the young had 
disappeared. 

11. SKUNK 

MEPHITIS MESOMELAS AVIA (Bangs) 

The Skunk or Polecat is not common in this region, but it 
is apparently becoming more frequent. We saw none in 1899 and 
1900, but that the country was not wholly deprived of this inter- 
esting animal was on several occasions made evident by the pres- 
ence of the well-known diagnostic odor. 

On September 16, 1906, the mangled remains of one were found 
on the railroad track near the Gravelpit; it had evidently been 
run over by. a passing train. On September 20, 1907, a freshly 
skinned skunk was seen in the possession of a hunter at Culver. 
The skin was 22 inches long, and the tail 10 inches. The roots of 
the hairs show through the skin so that the skin looks black under 
the black parts and white under the white dorsal stripe. 

12. BADGER 

TAXIDEA TAXUS (Schreber) 

Never more than very rare in Indiana and now probably ex- 
tinct in this part of the State. In 1893, Mr. S. D. Steininger, then 
of La Grange County, reported that the Badger has been found 
in Elkhart, La Grange, Steuben, De Kalb, Noble and Kosciusko 
counties; that four had been caught in La Grange County within 
the last 10 years, the last in 1887; that three were caught in the 



460 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

northeast part of Elkhart County in 1888, and a black one in 
Noble County in 1880. Various old residents say that it was for- 
merly found in Marshall County. 

13. OTTER 

LUTRA CANADENSIS LATAXINA (F. Cuvier) 

The Otter was formerly not uncommon in this region, but it 
is now very rare. One was caught on the Tippecanoe River just 
below Belong about 1895. Mr. Anton Meyer, a fur buyer of Ply- 
mouth, Ind., tells us that he gets 10 or 12 Otter skins each year, 
chiefly from the Tippecanoe and Yellow rivers. 

14. WILD CAT 

LYNX RUFA Schreber 

The Wild Cat or Lynx was probably not uncommon in this 
country up to about 1850. They are now rarely seen. We have 
unauthenticated accounts of their occurrence west of Lake Maxin- 
kuckee as late as 1870, or later. Dr. Hahn records the killing of 
one near Oxford, Benton County, in 1905. 

15. MICHIGAN WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE 

PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS BAIRDII (Hoy & Kennicott) 

This species is not as abundant as the Common White-footed 
Mouse. It does not appear to venture into woodlands or swamps, 
but seems to prefer dry, open situations such as the edges of fields 
and grassy pastures. Its general distribution is more northern 
than that of its near relative P. leucopus noveboracensis. It is 
very abundant in the sand dunes that border Lake Michigan. At 
Maxinkuckee it is probably not uncommon, though we have seen 
only three examples. One was found dead on the railroad track 
November 3, 1904. Another captured at the Gravelpit October 
29, 1906, gave the following measurements: Length 118 mm.; 
tail 48; hind foot 9; ear 10; girth 55. A third example was cap- 
tured November 3, 1906, in a cornfield east of the lake. 

The young of this mouse differ from the adult in being drab in 
color instead of yellowish-brown. On one occasion when trapping 
these mice for specimens it was observed that they were quite seri- 
ously infested by fleas. The examples thus afflicted could usually 
be recognized at once by their having the hair gnawed or scratched 
out from about the root of the tail. 

This mouse can be distinguished from its more common relative 



Lake Maxinknckee, Physical and Biological Survey 461 

(the Common White-footed Mouse) by its smaller size, smaller 
ears and feet, and shorter tail, the tail being more thickly hairy 
and more sharply bicolor. The adult is yellowish-brown, with a 
sooty dorsal band; belly white; feet not quite white; tail bicolor. 
Length 4- inches, tail 1 inches. 

16. COMMON WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE; DEER MOUSE 

PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS NOVEBORACENSIS (Fischer) 

This is the common wild mouse of Indiana. At Maxinkuckee 
it is abundant not only in the fields and woods but also about the 
cottages around the lake. Any old pile of wood, boards, logs or 
brush, stack of straw or hay, or shock of fodder, is almost sure to 
contain at least one family of these beautiful and interesting little 
animals. They may also be found in almost any old dead tree, 
whether in open woods or dense forest, in which there are natural 
hollows or deserted woodpecker holes. 

Several examples were trapped in July at the cottage occupied 
by us on Long Point. A male was captured October 20, 1906, at 
the pond below Farrar's woods. 

These mice feed largely upon beechnuts of which they often 
store up considerable quantities for winter use. We have on vari- 
ous occasions found more than a pint of beechnuts stored in a hole 
in some old tree, evidently by these mice. They do not hibernate, 
but remain quite active during even the most severe winters. 
Their tracks may be seen in abundance in the snow. They also 
feed on small snails and other small, delicate mollusks such as 
Physa, LimnaBa and SphaBrium. We have frequently found shells, 
with the apex bitten off, in and about the nests of these mice. 

They breed probably several times each season, as we have seen 
young as early as March and as late as November. Th number 
of young produced in a litter ranges from four to six. We have 
frequently caught old females with the young hanging to the teats 
and carried them many rods before the young dropped off. 

On two occasions when one of us put a shrew (Blarina brevi- 
cauda) in a box with a Deer Mouse the shrew killed and ate the 
mouse. 

The Deer Mouse is readily distinguished from related species. 
It attains a length 6.5 inches including the tail which is 3 to 3.25 
inches long. In color it is yellowish brown, grayish, or fawn- 
color ; belly and feet pure white ; tail less distinctly bicolor than in 
the Michigan White-footed Mouse. 



462 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 
17. FIELD MOUSE; MEADOW MOUSE; VOLE 

MICROTUS PENNSYLVANICUS (Ord) 

The Meadow Mouse is abundant in all suitable situations about 
the lake. The extensive areas of semi-marshy grassy land supply 
an ideal habitat for this noxious but interesting little animal. 
Wherever there are meadows or marsh ground covered with 
grasses there these mice will be found, their labyrinthine runways 
forming an intricate network under the dead grass where their 
nests are numerous and usually quite conspicuous. These run- 
ways are very common in the low marshy meadows such as are. 
usually submerged during the winter and spring, during which 
time the mice must retreat to higher ground. They do not hiber- 
nate but continue very active throughout the winter. In the spring 
when the snow melts away their runways that were under it be- 
come quite conspicuous. 

This species is very destructive to grasses and other cultivated 
crops. When the corn is cut and left in shocks in the field these 
mice establish themselves in nearly every shock, building a nest 
near the center and feeding destructively upon the corn. The 
amount of damage done in this way to the average field of corn is 
very considerable and far in excess of that done to the poultry yard 
by the hawks which, if not destroyed by the farmer, would do 
much to hold the Field Mice in check. The Marsh Hawk, Sparrow* 
Hawk, Pigeon Hawk and Cooper's Hawk, as well as the various 
owls all prey on these mice. 

On October 24, 1904, a Meadow Mouse was found on the lake 
shore, beheaded, possibly by some bird of prey. November 1, 
1904, a cat was seen with one. December 11, 1904, one was seen 
near a muskrat house in Norris Inlet marsh. 

18. PINE MOUSE 

PITYMYS PINETORUM SCALOPSOIDES (Audubon & Bachman) 

Probably not common. We know of only one specimen taken 
at the lake. It was secured November 29, 1913, and sent to the 
National Museum where it was identified by Mr. N. Hollister. 

19. MUSKRAT 

ONDATRA ZIBETHICA (Linmeus) 

The Muskrat is a familiar and well-known animal throughout 
North America wherever there are marshes, ponds or streams. 
Among the hundreds of small lakes and smaller ponds in northern 
Indiana there is probably not one that is not the home of one to 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 463 

several pairs of these interesting rodents. At and about Lake 
Maxinkuckee it is quite common, albeit not often seen except by 
the few elect who know when and where to look for it. In the 
autumn and early winter, especially in the evening and early morn- 
ing, they may be seen swimming about or heard splashing among 
the weeds near shore. It is at this time that they begin to build 
their houses, and day by day those who pass along the shores of 
the lakes or about the ponds and marshes may notice the increase 
in size of the piles of Chara and rushes of which they build their 
winter homes. These homes or houses are built almost anywhere 
along the shore in shallow water or even well out in small shallow 
ponds wherever there is suitable building material conveniently at 
hand. Every Scirpus patch is likely to contain one or more of 
these houses. On the west side of the lake we usually found one 
in a small pond by the side of the railroad just north of the Assem- 
bly grounds, two or three in the edge of the lake between there 
and Culver, one near the Winfield cottage, one or more in Outlet 
Bay, two or three between Long Point and Murray's, six or more 
from Murray's to Norris Inlet, a score or more about Norris Inlet, 
several along Aubeenaubee Creek and perhaps a dozen in the 
northeast corner of the lake and along Culver Creek. A great 
many are seen each year about Lost Lake and along the Outlet 
throughout its entire length, even to Tippecanoe River. Each of 
the marshes and ponds west of the lake has its share of nests 
and each old kettle hole that is not too dry will have one or more. 

While these are the usual places where the muskrats build their 
houses, now and then a house is found in some quite unusual and 
unexpected place. Among them are the cross-timbers under the 
piers at the cottages about the lake. December 24, 1900, a com- 
pleted nest was found resting cosily on cross-timbers under the 
pier at the Lakeview Hotel. Though not large this nest was com- 
pactly built. It was composed almost wholly of Chara and was 
a foot or more above the surface of the water. November 2, 1904, 
another nest was found in a similar situation on cross-timbers at 
the distal end of the Culver depot pier. This nest was quite large 
and composed chiefly of Chara. When disturbed the owners of 
these nests would drop quietly into the water and swim away. 

Toward the last of October, 1904, a nest was found on the seat 
of an abandoned boat near Murray's. This nest was newly built 
and consisted chiefly of Chara and Scirpus stems. Later, when 
the lake froze over it was deserted. Still another nest was found 
on the top of a tree that had fallen into the lake, and yet another 
on the boughs of a broken tree that extended into the water. 

3017618 



464 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

The most interesting and unique situation selected by a musk- 
rat for its house ever seen by us was a large dry-goods box which 
a duck-hunter had anchored in Outlet Bay for use as a blind from 
which to shoot ducks. The box was anchored some distance from 
shore with the open side toward the shore. Bushes with leaves 
still on were stuck in the lake about the box to aid in concealing 
the gunner and his boat, a half-inch manila rope being used to hold 
the box at anchor. On visiting the blind one morning in October 
more than a peck of fresh wet Chara was found in the box. The 
amount was increased each night for the next few days until it 
consisted of more than a bushel of material, almost wholly Chara. 
One morning the box was missing and the next day it was found on 
the eas-t side of the lake where it had evidently been drifted by the 
wind. An examination of the anchor rope disclosed the fact that 
it had been gnawed in two by the Muskrat itself which thus set 
its own home adrift. 

The materials which the Muskrat uses in constructing its winter 
houses are chiefly various aquatic plants such as Chara, water 
lilies (both white and yellow), Potamogeton, Myriophyllum, Cera- 
tophyllum, Scirpus, Typha, Iris, and the like, and our observations 
lead us to believe that they utilize at least some of this material 
as food. Along with these various plants will often be found 
stems and sticks of various sizes. In Lost Lake some of the 
houses contain a considerable proportion of mud. 

During the summer the muskrats appear to subsist almost 
wholly on vegetable matter. In the early fall they sometimes make 
foraging trips to nearby gardens where they commit depredations 
on the carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips and other succulent vege- 
tables. They also eat the seeds as well as the stems and roots of 
the yellow and the white pond lilies. They gnaw the bark from 
the roots and stems of Swamp Loosestrife (Decodon verticillatus) 
and the Buttonbush (Cephalanth/us occidentalis) . Later in the 
fall and during the winter animal food enters more largely into 
their menu. We have found them feeding on dead coots and ducks 
that had drifted ashore or which, wounded by some gunner, had 
escaped among the weeds and sedges fringing the lake. They also 
feed on turtles of various species which they find dead or which 
they themselves may kill. On several occasions we have found 
partly devoured turtles under circumstances which left no doubt 
as to what had been feeding on them. December 11, 1904, several 
dead painted turtles and a few musk turtles were found near Nor- 
ris Inlet lying on their backs on the snow or ice, with the flesh 
wholly or partly devoured, and Muskrat tracks leading to and from 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 465 

them and all about. The most important element of the winter 
food of the Muskrat, however, is the freshwater mussels or Union- 
idaB. At various places along the shore, wherever an object pro- 
jects out into the water, such as a log or pier, or fallen tree-top, 
there will be found in autumn or early winter a pile of mussel 
shells where muskrats have been feeding. These piles are fre- 
quently of considerable size, containing sometimes a bushel or 
more of shells. September 24, 1907, one of these piles on Long 
Point was examined. It was off shore several feet and in water 
18 inches deep. About one-half of the shells were examined criti- 
cally and counted. There were 532 shells, representing 4 species 
as follows: Lampsilis luteola, 358; Unio gibbosus, 167; L. iris, 
6 ; and L. multiradiata, 1. 

During the fall these operations are probably confined to mus- 
sels which they find in shallow water near shore. In winter, how- 
ever, when ice-cracks form and extend well across the lake, the 
Muskrats go far out on the ice, dive through the cracks and bring 
up mussels which they eat sitting on the ice. At such times they 
get mussels at considerable distances from shore. In the first days 
of January, 1905, a broad crack formed in the ice from Long Point 
to the Norris boathouse. On January 4, a Muskrat was seen at 
the edge of this crack about 1,000 feet from shore eating mussels. 
It would dive through the crack and after a little while reappear 
with a mussel. Sometimes it dived five or six times before secur- 
ing one. It would then sit up on its haunches, holding the mussel 
in its paws and, by much clawing and chewing, finally succeed in 
opening the shell and removing the meat, which it usually licked 
out quite clean. In some cases the muskrat failed to get the shell 
open. Usually the shells are but little or not at all broken; even 
the hinge still holds and the shells are scarcely injured. It is our 
observation that the Muskrat, by inserting its claws or teeth be- 
tween the valves succeeds in cutting or tearing loose the adductor 
muscles so as to permit the valves to spring open. Another Musk- 
rat was observed further out on the same crack, a long distance 
from shore, and the ice along the crack between the two was pretty 
thickly strewn with shells. The Muskrats apparently do not care 
so much for mussel-gills filled with eggs or glochidia, as these are 
usually rejected. The stomach of a Muskrat examined at Wash- 
ington, D. C., late in the spring was found well-filled with mussel 
remains. Muskrats also feed to a considerable extent on fish, 
crawfish and frogs. We have on more than one occasion found 
partly devoured fish at their feeding stations, and remains of fish, 
frogs and crustaceans in their kitchenmiddens. We have never 



466 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

seen a Muskrat catch a live fish, but have no doubt they do so. 
They certainly pick up freshly dead fish which they chance to find. 

At Lake Maxinkuckee the Muskrats raise at least two litters, 
and probably three, each season, the first litter being born about 
the first week in May. About the middle of June, 1901, young 
muskrats about half-grown were seen swimming about or sitting 
on their haunches on shore eating bits of lily roots. These were 
probably of the first litter. On June 15, 1903, a nest with five 
young was found in a pile of brush on marshy ground on Long 
Point. The young were evidently not more than a few days old, 
as their eyes were not yet open. On May 31, 1901, we caught one 
about one-third or one-half grown on south shore of lake. Sep- 
tember 5, 1906, saw two young not more than half grown. On 
another occasion, a young one was seen on the shore near the Cul- 
ver depot pier and was almost caught before it took alarm. On 
another occasion, a young one was seen to dive in shallow water 
south of Green's pier. Upon wading out to where it dived a hole 
was seen in the bottom out of which the Muskrat soon came and 
was captured. From these data it is evident that at least two 
litters per season are raised in this vicinity. 

In the early winter, after ice has formed some distance out 
from shore, Muskrats are often seen swimming under the ice. 
They move along quite rapidly, and present a peculiar appearance, 
a bubble of air at each nostril expanding and contracting as they 
breathe, and a number of small bubbles on the fur giving them 
a silvery color. Apparently the Muskrat before diving fills its 
lungs with air, portions of which it exhales and rebreathes again. 
During the time the air remains as a bubble at each nostril it is 
purified through its contact with the water and rendered fit for 
breathing again. This peculiar habit would seem to account for the 
ability of the Muskrat to remain under water so long. On one occa- 
sion (in December, 1904) when standing on the ice a peculiar sound 
was heard beneath our feet. Upon investigation it was found to 
be caused by a Muskrat gnawing at the under side of the ice. 
The sound was like that made by a rat gnawing under a floor. 

At times the Muskrats make various noises. September 5, 
1906, two half-grown young were observed chasing each other and 
singing a long, shivering note, followed by mewings and squeak- 
ings and other noises or calls. The shivering, singing noise was 
heard on other occasions. 

The Muskrat is the most valuable fur-bearing animal in the 
Maxinkuckee region; indeed, it is the most valuable in the State. 
Considerable numbers are trapped each year about the lake, the 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 467 

best grounds being Norris Inlet and Lost Lake together with the 
Outlet. We have been unable to obtain complete figures of the 
catch, but have enough to show that it is important. In the winter 
of 1896-1897 one trapper secured between 60 and 70 skins. One 
who trapped only at Norris Inlet in the fall of 1900 had secured 
30 pelts by November 9, and another at Lost Lake had 50 by the 
same date. Up to November first, 1903, two men trapping chiefly 
at Norris Inlet had secured 103 pelts. They got 28 one night. 
Their entire catch for the winter was 264 Muskrats, 4 mink and 
3 opossums. The muskrat pelts brought them 10 to 15 cents each. 
The prices now are much higher, ranging from $1.50 to $3.50. 
Black pelts, which constitute a small proportion of the catch, bring 
much higher prices. 

It has long been suspected that the Muskrat is the intermediate 
host of certain parasites which are concerned in the production of 
pearls in the Unionidse or freshwater mussels. The Muskrat 
stomachs and intestines examined by us at Lake Maxinkuckee did 
not enable us to demonstrate the truth of this theory. One stom- 
ach examined contained no parasites of any kind. Another exam- 
ined at Washington, D. C., contained a few parasites but none that 
could be identified with the distomid which induces pearl-forma- 
tion. A species of parasite, Monostoma affine Leidy, closely re- 
lated to the distomids was described from the gall-bladder of the 
Muskrat. It is the intention to examine a considerable number of 
stomachs at the first opportunity with a view to determining the 
facts in this matter. 

20. JUMPING MOUSE 

ZAPUS HUDSONIUS (Zimmcrmann) 

This is another northern animal whose range southward 
reaches northern Indiana. It is frequently reported from this part 
of the state, particularly from the vicinity of Yellow River. It 
is also said to be seen occasionally about Rochester a few miles 
southeast of the lake. Our only definite records for the lake are a 
weather-worn skull found on Long Point in 1906, and one found 
dead near the ice houses on the west side of the lake August 26, 
1906. This example gave the following measurements: length 
of body, 80 mm. ; tail 108 mm. ; ear 5 mm. ; hind foot 28 mm. 

21. PORCUPINE 

ERETHIZON DOUSATUM (Linmeus) 

According to accounts given by old settlers in Indiana, the 
Porcupine was at one time not rare throughout the northern part 



468 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

of the State. It was not uncommon for the inquisitive cow or the 
dog to come home with its nose full of spines of the Porcupine. It 
was the custom to hold the afflicted animal and pull out the spines 
with pincers, as they stuck very tightly, while the suffering crea- 
; ture announced to the neighborhood the discovery it had made that 
day. Troubles like this caused the settlers to wage a war of ex- 
termination on the Porcupine, with the result that it is now rarely 
or never seen. We have only one record of its recent occurrence in 
this vicinity. According to Mr. S. S. Chadwick one was killed a 
short distance west of Culver in the fall of 1887. 

22. GROUNDHOG 

MARMOTA MONAX (Linnaeus) 

The Woodchuck, Marmot or Groundhog as it is usually called 
in Indiana, is fairly common in most parts of the State. It most 
delights in the more hilly districts covered with open forests or 
grassy meadows, particularly those near fields of red clover. It is 
not rare about Maxinkuckee. One or more pairs can usually be 
found on the hillsides about Lost Lake, others in or at the edges 
of the fields along the Outlet, several north and east of the lake, 
and a few in most other suitable situations. In 1900 one had its 
home in a burrow under one of the buildings on Long Point. In 
the fall of 1904 some burrows were observed in the middle of a 
level field, the holes going vertically downward several feet. This 
is rather unusual, as the Groundhog almost invariably selects a 
hillside or bank in which to dig its burrow. 

In May and early June, 1901, five were shot in Green's field 
near the Gravelpit, two of which were old females, and three were 
young. About the last of June, 1901, a half-grown young was 
caught near Lost Lake. When pursued it ran until overtaken, 
when it turned and showed fight. August 25, 1906, several were 
noted in fields near the railroad south of the lake. They sat up 
erect and watched us go by. September 13, 1906, one was killed 
near Lost Lake. September 22, 1907, several burrows, evidently 
of this animal, were seen along fences between the lake and the 
tamarack swamp, and on September 25, one was seen near the 
Gravelpit. On September 15, 1913, we saw one that had just 
been killed near the lake, and on October 7 one was seen south of 
the Gravelpit. It is said to occur in the high ground back from 
the Kankakee River. 

In the early spring, soon after the first warm days have come 
and the only remaining reminders of the passing winter are a few 
snow banks in protected places or occasional little flurries of snow, 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 469 

and when the first green blades of grass are just peeping through 
the matted dead grass of the previous year on warm hillsides and 
along fence-rows, the first Groundhog of the season is apt to be 
seen. He will most likely be found out in the open in some old 
meadow, preferably a clover-field, and near his den. Here he ap- 
pears early in the afternoon when the sun shines warm on the hill- 
side. He comes out not only to feed upon the young and tender 
stems and leaves of the clover and other early spring plants, but 
he also delights to lie in the warm sunshine or to sit upright near 
his burrow looking about over the fields and renewing his ac- 
quaintance with the scenes which have remained only as a memory 
since he went into winter-quarters the previous fall. Later in the 
spring and in summer and fall, if you should be abroad in the 
early morning when the sun is just showing and the dew still 
hangs heavy and sparkling on the tender new grass, you will al- 
most certainly be rewarded by seeing one or more Woodchucks in 
any cloverfield you chance to pass. Then they come out for their 
morning repast of red clover stems and leaves, and the tender 
shoots of windflower and cinnamon fern. At this time they will 
be quite busy. When done feeding they will return to their bur- 
rows where they probably sleep until one or two o'clock when they 
reappear, not so much for feeding as to bask in the warm sun or to 
look about over the country. Again late in the evening, between 
sundown and dusk, they come out again to feed. Then they 
usually remain out until nearly dark when they are apt to retire 
to their burrows. They are, however, to some extent nocturnal 
and may remain abroad well into the night. 

The Groundhog is a pretty strict vegetarian, his food consisting 
chiefly of red clover and the tender stems of grasses and other 
plants. He will sometimes do damage to the young corn plants and 
will on occasion, feed upon the leaves of pumpkin, squash and bean 
vines. They will sometimes visit the 'kitchen garden and do more 
or less damage to the cabbage heads and celery. They have also 
been known to visit apple orchards near their burrows and feed 
upon such fruit as they could find on the ground. The only real 
damage they do that is serious is that done to the clover-field; all 
the rest is only occasional and may be regarded as negligible, ex- 
cept perhaps the inconvenience caused by the holes they make in 
the meadows and fields. 

Dr. Merriam has observed that in the fall the Woodchucks tend 
to leave the burrows in the open fields and go to those in the woods 
in which they spend the period of hibernation, and our observations 
lead us to the same conclusion. Certain burrows in Walley's and 



470 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 

other woods which appeared to be deserted during the summer 
showed evidences of being used early in the fall and those in the 
fields had the appearance of having been abandoned in September 
or early October. 

On May 3, one was observed sitting at the mouth of his bur- 
row, which was under a large stump. One of us slipped up from 
the opposite side, and, looking over the stump, watched him for 
some time at very close range. He was very quiet and seemed to 
be looking out across the field. When a small object was dropped 
upon his nose he quickly turned his head sidewise and looked up 
with an expression of curiosity, if not astonishment, on his face. 
Not until the observer moved did he become frightened, when he 
quickly disappeared in the burrow. 

The Woodchuck produces three to six young in a litter, usually 
about the last of April, We have some evidence indicating that 
two litters may be produced in one season. On September 10 a 
young Woodchuck not more than one-third grown was seen on an 
open hillside where it was feeding on fresh grass. When chased it 
ran quite swiftly. When overtaken it would change its course 
from time to time. Finally when tired out it crouched down in 
the grass, apparently attempting to hide from its pursuers. Its 
small size suggested that it was born not earlier than the middle 
of July or later. 

The Groundhog as yet possesses little or no economic value. Its 
pelage is coarse and contains little fur. 'The hide is tough and 
ought to make a good quality of leather. The flesh is abundant 
in quantity, sweet, palatable and very nutritious; it ought to be 
more extensively utilized as an article of food. 

23. STRIPED GOPHER 

CITELLUS TRIDECEMLINEATUS (Mitchill) 

This gopher is an intrusion from the prairie fauna to the west- 
ward of Maxinkuckee. It appears to be gradually extending its 
range eastward. Thirty years ago it was very rare or entirely 
unknown in Indiana except in the prairie counties along the west- 
ern border of the State. During 1883-1885 the senior writer of this 
report had exceptional opportunities to become quite familiar with 
all parts of Carroll County, which lies some 50 to 80 miles south 
and a few miles west of Maxinkuckee, and in those years he saw 
a total of only three or four pairs of Striped Gophers within its 
borders and they were all in the extreme western part of the county 
where the land is largely prairie. During many years of almost 
continuous residence in that county (1858 to 1885) the species 



Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 471 

was never seen east of the Wabash River, but recently it is said 
to have appeared there. In Vigo County it was common from 
1886 to 1891 and has so increased in abundance since then as to 
have become a serious pest. 

In 1899 when our field work began at Lake Maxinkuckee the 
Striped Gopher was rare in that region; in fact, only one or two 
pairs were seen during that season. They had their home at the 
Gravelpit and were observed most frequently in August. In 1900 
they were more numerous. Besides the colony at the Gravelpit, 
one or more were seen occasionally further south along the rail- 
road, several about the sandy hills southeast of the lake, and now 
and then one was noted on Long Point. In 1904 they had still fur- 
ther increased. On Ju