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An Epidemic Among the Fishes of Huffman's Lake. 



Will Scott, Indiana University. 



This paper describes an epidemic among the fishes in Huffman's 

 lake during October and November, 1917. The data indicate that these 

 fish died from poison which was derived from a blue-green algae, either 

 by its metabolism or decay. 



HuflFman's lake is located in Kosciusko County, Indiana, (Tp. 33 N., 

 R. 5 E.) about one mile northwest of Atwood. It is just west of the 

 Erie-Saginaw interlobate moraine and lies in a slight depression of the 

 ground moraine. It is roughly oval in outline. Its greatest length is 

 about one mile and its greatest width is about one-half mile. Its longi- 

 tudinal axis extends north and south. Near the middle of the lake there 

 are three small islets situated along the major axis of the lake. Its 

 maximum depth is 9.8 meters. 



The land surrounding the lake is low. Much of it near the shore is 

 marshy. To the east, a short distance, the rougher topography of the 

 interlobate moraine begins. The lake is therefore quite exposed to the 

 action of the wind especially to the south, west, and north. 



Dead and dying fish were first noted in large numbers after a storm 

 that occurred on October 29th. This storm left a distinct wave deposit 

 some distance above the normal lake level. On November 16 the fish 

 were counted in several sections of this deposit. The average was about 

 one fish per lineal foot of deposit. Six species were collected and iden- 

 tified, bluegill, (Lepomis pallidis Mitchill) ; large mouthed black bass 

 (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede) ; calico bass (Pomoxis sparoides Ra- 

 finesque) ; sucker (Catostomus commersonii Lacepede) ; hickory shad 

 (Dorosoma cepedianum Le Sueur), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens 

 Mitchill). 



One hickory shad was identified struggling on its side near the 

 center of the lake. It was able to avoid a dipnet and escape. Near the 

 shore, two rock bass and five bluegills were taken swimming slowly on 



* I am under obligation to Mr. Chauncy Juday for identifying the alga, to Mr. .J. H. 

 Armington for the Winona Lake temperatures, and to Mr. S. L. Blue who made 

 the field work possible. 



