92 



There is water of various depths, niarslies, clear pools and all the chief 

 forms of aquatic vegetation that this region of Minnesota affords— in fact, 

 all the conditions that could be desired for an inland laboratory. The 

 region abounds in breeding places for tishes. batrachians and reptiles; 

 many species of moUusks are found in tlie lal-ce, and the hnA'er forms of 

 aquatic life are everywhere abundant. 



Thus it would seem that an ideal spot had been found for a lake labo- 

 ratory for the University of Minnesota, wliich it is hoped the authorities 

 may see their way clear to establish there in the near future. 



During the past summer Prof. Nachtrieb kept a small pai-ty at the 

 head of Lake Pepin in the beached Megalops, with which he spent the 

 greater portion of his own time. Large collections were made, among 

 which were many insects, numerous fish stomachs and a quantity of his- 

 tological material. 



During the past summer Prof. Nachtrieb, with an assistant, spent a 

 few weeks on the Lake of the Woods, studying the lake sturgeon, and the 

 writer, with tliree assistants, put in the entire summer on Lake Vermilion, 

 at Tower. Minn. Lake Vermilion is some forty miles long in one direc- 

 tion, much narrower in the otlier, but it is not one open oody of water, 

 but ratlier a nnml)er of small lakes connected by numerous channels. It 

 is in the heart of what was once an evergreen forest region, and its shores, 

 which are chiefly rocky, border on the granite on the one hand and the 

 very early stratified forms on the otlier. The water is clear and pure 

 excejit for the floating forms of aquatic life in midsummer, and it varies 

 in depth from five to forty feet, with possibly a few small areas that are 

 deeper. 



We established our camp on Pine Island, about seven miles from 

 Tower. There was no one living within six miles of the place and no 

 facilities for camping except numerous l)eautiful locations among the 

 pines and the outfit which we carried with us. We erected two tents and 

 from the dilapidated roof of a former homesteader's cabin secured enough 

 boards to make some tables. We also made an excavation in the bank, 

 lined it with slalts split from cottonwood poles, roofed it over with boards 

 and tar paper from the dilapidated cabin, and thus had a very efficient 

 dark room, in wliich we successfully developed more than three hundred 

 negatives. Our outfit, in addition to the culinary department, consisted 

 of seines, gill-nets, other smaller nets, a canvas boat, microscopes, books, 

 cameras, giins, jireserving jars and fiuids, and other minor articles. One 



