44 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



iu tbe middle of August following. The work was in charge of Prof. 

 Barton W. Evermann, assisted in the fall of 1892 by Mr. Lewis M. 

 McCorraick, of the United States National Museum, and in 1893 by Prof. 

 U. O. Cox, of the State Normal School, Mankato, Minn. ; Mr. Cloud. 

 Eutter, of Long Pine, Nebr., and Prof. R. G. Gillum. of the State 

 Normal School, Terre Haute, Ind. 



An account of the results of this inquiry must be deferred until the 

 next annual report, to which it properly belongs, only a brief mention 

 being made in this connection of the work accomplished during the 

 fiscal year 1892-93. During October, 1892, many of the streams and 

 springs among the Black Hills and in their vicinity were examined, 

 some of the places visited being Belle Fourche, Spearfish, Rapid City, 

 and Hot Springs, S. Dak., and Newcastle, Wyo. As the cold weather 

 came on the party started eastward through Nebraska, making obser- 

 vations at Ravenna, Lincoln, Crete, and South Bend, in that State, and 

 subsequently at Ames, Cedar Rapids, and Spirit Lake, in Iowa. During 

 June, 1893, the investigations were confined to the southern part of 

 South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska, streams being visited in the 

 vicinity of Mitchell, Cbamberlain, Scotland, and Springfield in the 

 former State, and of Niobrara, Verdigris, and Creighton iu the latter. 



As is customary in inquiries of this kind, very complete and detailed 

 observations were made, relating not only to the character and richness 

 of the aquatic fauna, but also to the fitness or requirements of the waters 

 with respect to stocking, their physical and other conditions, and to the 

 relative advantages afforded by different localities for the carrying on 

 of fish-cultural operations, the latter involving the consideration of 

 several important factors, such as the water supply, transportation 

 facilities, and to a certain extent the proximity of natural breeding- 

 grounds, etc. Large collections of fishes and of other aquatic animals 

 were made, a study of which will add greatly to our knowledge of the 

 natural history of the regions examined. 



WISCONSIN. 



During the season of 1892 the physical and biological features of 

 lakes Geneva, Delavan, and Winnebago, in Wisconsin, were investi- 

 gated by Prof. S. A. Forbes, assisted by several of his students in the 

 State University of Illinois. The main part of the work on lakes 

 Geneva and Delavan was accomplished during May, but visits were 

 also paid to the same lakes in July, August, and September following. 

 Lake Winnebago was studied during the middle part of June. The 

 contour of the bottom of these lakes was determined by means of 

 soundings; temperature observations were made at the surface and at 

 dillereiit dei)ths, and sketch maps were prej)ared to illustrate their 

 physical characteristics. The biological work consisted in dredging, 

 the constant use of the surface tow net, and iu collecting along the 



