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least knowa and retains most nearly its primitive condition. No damming or 

 draining have in any way affected it. The principal alterations by man being the 

 removal of the largest trees from its shores for lumber, and clearing of eight tracts 

 for farming, which border it in its twelve and three-fourths miles of shore line. 

 Did we know that the government surveyors in 1834 had followed the shore faith- 

 fully, we could now draw some conclusions of value concerning the rapidity with 

 which this basin is filling. I have good reasons to believe, however, that those 

 surveys can not be depended on for such work. The area, as computed for the 

 lake by the "weighing method" used last year, is 1.41 square miles. 



The amount of marsh land about the shore is very much less, comparatively, 

 than that about Turkey Lake. This may be accounted for by the fact that 

 Tippecanoe lies in the middle of a system rather than at the head, as in the case 

 of the former. The low wooded hills come quite close to this lake at almost all 

 points excepting the eastern end on the north and south sides. It is in three 

 basins: James Lake, of about a half square mile area at the east end connected by 

 a channel through swamp to the main lake, which is of about one and one-half 

 square miles in area, and Oswego Lake, below, also connected by a channel, and 

 having an area of about thirty acres. The channels are usually about four feet 

 in depth and are much frequented by minnows and young fish. Here and in the 

 mouths of streams are found the pond-lily plants {Nymphea) and spatter-dock 

 {Naphur}, the root-stalks being in many instances four or five inches in diameter 

 and usually washed bare and shining. They were roasted and used for food bv 

 the Indians; remains of pits lined with boulders and used for this purpose are vet 

 found on the south shore near "Indian Furnace Point." 



This lake being greater in general depth (the greatest depth found is 121 feet 

 in the main lake) than any of the others, Turkey included, has less of the aquatic 

 vegetation than they. BuUrushes and bladderwort ( Utricularia) not seeming to 

 thrive in water more than eight or ten feet in depth, and these are usuallv the 

 advance guards of the vegetable encroachments. 



Eagle Lake being second of those under consideration in general depth stands 

 next to Tippecanoe fewest in water plants. As Prof. S. Coulter is investigating 

 the conditions of life there I gladly leave that in his hands. 



The measurements of Eagle Lake are as accurate as those of the others, but 

 owing to a flood at the time the work was done much that would be of interest was 

 inaccessible. It will be noticed from the map that the lake consists of a main 

 body of water of almost a square mile in area and a small bay on the west side 

 connected by a shallow channel. The outlet is a small stream from the south end 

 of this bay. Two creeks and several springs on the east shore contribute water to 



