The Zoology of Lakes Amatitlan and Atitlan, Guatemala, 

 with Special Reference to Ichthyology. 



By SETH EUGENE MEEK. 



The following paper is the result of a study, under the patronage of 

 the Government of Guatemala, of Lakes Amatitlan and Atitlan for 

 the purpose of determining whether and how the quantity and quality 

 of the useful food and game fishes of these lakes could be increased, 

 and to determine the suitability of the waters for the introduction 

 of species of food-fishes from the United States and elsewhere, and 

 the possibilities of fish-cultural operations. This investigation was 

 undertaken at the request of His Excellency, Sefior Don Manuel 

 Estrada Cabrera, President of the Republic of Guatemala. Most 

 attention was given to Lake Amatitlan, which is only twenty miles 

 from the City of Guatemala, and easily accessible to the residents of 

 that city. The field work was done during the months of January 

 and February, 1906. In this I received considerable assistance from 

 Dr. Kellerman and Mr. Smith, of the Ohio State University, who 

 were in Guatemala at this time collecting plants, and from Dr. N. 

 Dearborn and Mr. C. M. Barber, who were then in Guatemala col- 

 lecting birds and mammals for this Museum. For notes and other 

 aids concerning the plants of this region, I am indebted to Miss 

 Josephine E. Tilden,* of the University of Minnesota, Dr. J. M. Green- 

 man, of this Museum, and Mr. H. W. Clark,f of the U. S. Bureau of 

 Fisheries. 



In the study of the collections of animals made during this time, 

 I received the assistance of specialists to whom credit is given in the 

 accounts of the groups studied by each. I also received many cour- 

 tesies from Dr. B. W. Evermann, in charge of the Division of Scientific 

 Enquiry of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. Mr. J. W. Titcomb, in charge 

 of the Division of Fish Culture U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, kindly 

 assisted me in that portion of this paper relating to the recommenda- 

 tions of the most suitable fishes from the United States for introduc- 

 tion into these lakes. I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to 

 Mr. Combs, U. S. Minister to Guatemala, his secretary, Mr. Brown, 



* Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 1908, 106-110. 

 t Proc. Biol. Soc Wash. 1908, 92-105. 



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