86 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



best bait now." One angler caught 6 black bass with crawfish 

 and one with a minnow. October 3, many at the head of the Out- 

 let, about 8 seen in a small space. One was eating at a dead grass 

 pike; it stayed there a good while. October 31. one still eating 

 in the morning at the pike. Very little of the pike eaten. No- 

 vember 2, still eating at the pike. November 14, one near shore 

 east of Long Point eating a minnow. November 22, two caught 

 while copulating. November 25, two caught copulating, east of 

 Long Point. January 1, 1905, three seen together, 2 smallish, 

 copulating, and a big one near by. 



From numerous observations of the crawfishes of the lake the 

 following conclusion may be drawn : 



There appears to be no special time for mating, and no special 

 breeding period was observed ; nor again, any special time for 

 moulting. It is probable that in the fairly uniform temperature 

 of the lake the lives of the crawfishes are not so markedly divided 

 into seasons as they are in the river crawfishes. Generally, in 

 rivers heavily populated with crawfishes, one can find immense 

 numbers of moulted shells at certain periods, usually about the 

 beginning of July, but in Lake Maxinkuckee, only occasional and 

 scattered cast-off skins can be found. 



The nature of the food was not easily discovered by examina- 

 tion of stomach contents, as the material was too finely com- 

 minuted. A few were seen eating dead fishes as mentioned above. 

 They are usually found in the vicinity of minnow nests, and prob- 

 ably devour fish eggs to some extent. Various fishes, especially 

 walleye and bass, eat them at times, and they are one of the prin- 

 cipal foods of the soft-shelled turtle. The lake species are rarely 

 used for. bait, perhaps because of the difficulty of obtaining soft- 

 shells or "peelers" in the lake; river crawfishes are sometimes used. 



The crawfishes of the lake often have protozoa attached to the 

 gills, but this probably does not seriously inconvenience them. 



4. THE ROCK CRAV\^FISH 



CAMBARUS IMMUNIS SPINIROSTRIS Faxon 



In general form and appearance this species is somewhat like 

 the last, but it lacks the longitudinal ridge on the rostrum. The 

 teeth of the rostrum are apt to be very small and, in the males, 

 the tips of the first abdominal appendages are slender, blade-like, 

 and recurved. 



Represented by 9 males and 8 females from Aubeenaubee Creek, 

 1 male from Culver Inlet, and 12 young females from Norris Inlet. 



