Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 101 



annular ring. In alcohol they display a fine opalescent iridescence 

 in reflected light. One seemed to be dividing by a constriction 

 near the middle. 



Some very small worms, resembling fishworms in general ap- 

 pearance when alive, were seen at the mouth of a ditch April 19 

 (1901). 



Cotylaspis insignis Leidy is a common parasite of the mussels 

 of Lake Maxinkuckee and Lost Lake. To the naked eye this para- 

 site looks like a minute yellowish leech. Its position in the mussel 

 is close up in the axils of the gills. It was found in Lampsilis 

 hiteola and also in Anodonta grandis footiana, from one to several 

 being found in nearly every example of these species examined Au- 

 gust 23 (1906). It was also found in mussels taken on September 

 28 following, in Little River near Fort Wayne. 



The so-called Horsehair Snake or worm {Gorditis sp.) is very 

 abundant in and about Lake Maxinkuckee. According to anglers, 

 many of the grasshoppers used by them for bait are infested with 

 this parasite. On August 2 (1906), large numbers were seen 

 writhing about in mud among snails along the Outlet where it had 

 been suddenly lowered by a dam at the railroad bridge. We sus- 

 pect that they may be parasitic in this snail also. They were 

 frequently found in fishes, either free in the lower intestine or 

 coiled up and encysted in some of the internal organs. The bluegill 

 appears to be especially liable to infection by Gordius. It may 

 be that the fish become infected through the grasshoppers they 

 devour. On August 6 (1906), these worms were noted in con- 

 siderable numbers in shallow water on the east side of the lake. 



A long slender brownish worm, probably a species of Tubifex, 

 was found in considerable numbers projecting up into the shallow 

 water from the soft mud bottom of Lost Lake. These were first 

 observed June 8 (1901), when the bottom near the shore was seen 

 to be covered with small whitish mounds about the size of buck- 

 shot, which gave a peculiar mottled or dappled appearance. When 

 some of this mud was dipped up and examined the small mounds 

 were seen to be small sand tubes in which the worms were and 

 from which they waved about in graceful undulations. They were 

 observed again at the same place on June 15. On June 18, many 

 were seen in the creek under the railroad bridge and on June 25, 

 some were noted at the south end of Lake Maxinkuckee. And 

 finally, on November 4 (1904), numerous burrows were seen in 

 shallow water near shore in Lost Lake. 



Thorn-head worms (Acanthocephali) were found to be common 

 intestinal parasites of various fishes and turtles. Among fishes 



