139 



Aloug the lake shoi'e there is in many places a narrow fringe of willows 

 and dogwoods. These probably once formed a continuous stretch, but 

 have been removed by artificial means. Just edging the lake, too. was 

 foimd. during the stimmer of 1SV19, an abimdance of creeping Selfiginella, 

 but it was not nearly so abundant in 19CM). 



PONDS. — .Just as the lake occupies a large hollow in the surface of the 

 drift, so are lesser hollows in the surface of the lake plain, and in the 

 region surrounding the lake, occupied by pouds. In some of the shallower 

 ponds, and these remote from the lake, the supply of water is temporary 

 and they are dry basins during the drier parts of the year. The ponds are 

 exceedingly varied in appearance and flora, and are interesting objects to 

 study. They are really lakes in miniature, and may represent future stages 

 of the lake itself. Lack of space, however, will prevent the discussion of 

 this interesting featine "of the region, except to say that their quiet wate -s 

 contain in abundance many interesting aquatic forms which are not to be 

 found in the lake, or which occur there only in limited quantity. Among 

 these plants are the various duckweeds, Lemna minor. L. trisidca, Spirodella 

 pohjrhiza, Wolffia columhiana and TT. hraziUensis, which are to be found in 

 the ponds and lagoons on the eastern side of the lake. Other ponds con- 

 tain an abundance of liverwort, two species, Riccioearpiis uatans and Kiccia 

 fliiit(ins\ being abundantly represented. Some of the ponds containing foul 

 water have Utriciilaria vulyaris in abundance. Here the bladders are black 

 and full of dark, solid dirt, and the plants blossom profusely. This plant 

 is found only scantily in the lake itself, and in this situation the bladders 

 are empty and more or less transparent. The whole plant is bright green 

 and I have not seen it in blossom at all. One of the ponds (Market street) 

 contained Brasenia in abundance, and it blossoms profusely. A small 

 patch was found in the southwestern part of Eagle Lake, but I have never 

 seen it in bloom there. One of the ponds east of the lake contained large 

 balls of nostoc in great abundance. 



THE LAKE PROPER.— Preparatory to the task of mapping the vari- 

 ous plant aggregates of the lake, it was found necessary to measure along 

 the shore line, and so become acquainted with the relative distance of 

 various objects. This work was done quite carefully and lengthy notes 

 taken concerning the natiu-e of the shore. Stations were established and 

 full descriptions written of neighboring objects, so as to make their recog- 

 nition possible. This was the most laborious and tedious part of the work, 

 and not particularly frtiitful of direct results. 'for of the great mass of 



