90 



Inml. aiul in the following year a synopsis of the same group by tlie same 

 author. In 1890 there Avas published a report on the Mammals, by 

 Professor C. L. Herrick. This reiwrt can not, however, be considered 

 anything but preliminary, since it was written before any great amount 

 of investigation had been done and it will, no doubt, be superseded later 

 by an enlarged and up-to-date report. In 1892 there appeared a pre- 

 liminary report on the Birds, by Dr. P. L. Hatch; in 1895, a report on the 

 Copepoda. Cladocera and Ostracoda, by Prof. C. L. Herrick, which is prob- 

 ably tinal; and in 1897 a preliminary report on the Fishes, by the writer. 

 The first three reports mentioned Avere issued under the direction of Prof. 

 N. H. Winchell, State Geologist, but the others have been published under 

 the direction of Prof. H. F. Nachtrieb, State Zoologist, who for the past 

 eleven years has had entire charge of the work of the survey. Every sum- 

 mer for ten years parties have been at work in the various portions of the 

 State collecting material and data for the tinal repoi-ts. During the past 

 three seasons the work has been especially active. In May, 1899, a house- 

 boat, christened the Megalops, Avas built and launched at Mankato, on 

 the Minnesota River, and very successfully floated to Red Wing, on the 

 Mississippi, before the close of the season. A description of the Megalops 

 and an account of the first season's trip appears in the Proceedings of the 

 Indiana Academy of Science for 1899. In the summer of 190O, In early 

 June, the Megalops was restocked and started from Red Wing on its 

 second season's journey, down the Mississippi. Considerable time was 

 spent on Lake Pepin, as the conditions and fauna there varied greatly 

 from that of the Mississippi River proper. The territory along the Missis- 

 sippi was quite carefully explored and material collected as far as Browns- 

 ville. :Minn., whicli is within a feAV miles of the southern boundary of the 

 State. Attention was given primarily to the fishes, but much other material 

 was also collected, especially insects, batrachians and reptiles. Near the 

 close of August the Megalops Avas again anchored for the winter, this 

 time at Brownsville. 



Early last spring Prof. NacJitrieb purchased for the survey a gaso- 

 line launch, and Avith it towed the Megalops back to the head of Lake 

 Pepin, where it was beached and serA^ed as a station during the sum- 

 mer. This region is especially rich on account of the variety of condi- 

 tions. On the one hand there is Lake Pepin, which is about two miles 

 wide and nearly forty miles long. In many places it has fine sandy and 

 gravelly shores and in others there are marshes. It is hemmed in by 



