156 American Fisheries Society 



begun, under the supervision of the senior author, and 

 with the co-operation of the junior author, and Mr. 

 Frank C. Baker, Zoological Investigator of the College. 

 Mr. Baker made a special investigation of the molluscan 

 life of the lake, as related to the fish, and the results 

 have been published (Baker '16) as a bulletin by the 

 college, to which the reader is referred for a summary 

 of the American work on the relation of molluscs to fish, 

 particularly as fish food, and for the results of a detailed 

 study of the stomach contents of many Oneida Lake fish. 

 This is an important investigation and the first of the 

 kind ever made on Oneida Lake. 



Up to the present time the western fourth of the lake 

 has been examined, and the present paper is intended 

 to indicate only the general phases of the study. The 

 detailed results will be published by the college as a 

 Technical Bulletin. In addition to the general inventory, 

 an effort has been made to increase our knowledge of 

 the relative abundance of the species, their habitats, 

 habits, feeding and breeding grounds, food, enemies, and 

 associated vegetation. Upon the basis of such a survey 

 it is hoped that more detailed studies will be made which 

 will ultimately lead to the intelligent management of 

 this important lake. During the summer of 1916 these 

 investigations will be continued. 



PHYSICAL AND VEGETATIONAL FEATURES OP THE LAKE. 



The physical features of the lake have recently been 

 well summarized by Baker ('16) from which the follow- 

 ing items are taken: The lake is 21 miles long with a 

 maximum width of 5.5 miles, a maximum depth of about 

 55 feet, and the shores are generally low and bordered, 

 particularly at the western end, by very extensive shal- 

 low water areas and swamps. The shore line is about 65 

 miles long. The area of the lake is about 80 square miles 

 of which 6.8 square miles are not over 6 feet in depth, 

 and between the 6-foot and 12-foot countours there are 

 6.2 square miles; the total shallow water area is thus 



