40 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



shore and partially cuts off what was originally part of the lake. 

 In some places there is a second similar ridge parallel to the first 

 and some feet back of it. Both of these ridges have growing on 

 them trees of considerable size, some of them about 6 inches in 

 diameter and 20 feet high. East of this the ice-ridge is for a 

 distance old and worn away on the lake side, so that many of the 

 trees growing on it have been more or less undermined and now 

 lean out over the water. The commonest species of tree on the 

 ridge is the water-beech ; there is an occasional willow, soft maple, 

 elm and kinnikinnik (Cornus sericea). From this point east to 

 Norris Inlet, an ice-ridge is more or less evident and back of it 

 a second, and sometimes a third, older ridge appears for short 

 reaches. 



These ridges, even the last and most evident one, are usually 

 not continuous for more than a few rods without interruption. 

 The wearing away most often takes place on the lake side and is 

 the result of undermining by the waves. 



After passing the miry ground at the mouth of Norris Inlet some 

 500 feet the ice-ridge reappears and is overgrown with tall slender 

 willows, weeds and grasses. Just before reaching the Norris pier 

 it stops, but soon reappears again as a high broad ridge overgrown 

 with tall willows and sycamores. The ridge then disappears and 

 is not seen again until just south of the Indianapolis pier where 

 it is quite pronounced and separates a small pond from the lake. 



The rest of the lake shore from this point on north and around 

 to Long Point, seems to be entirely without any ice-ridge. 



HYDROGRAPHY 



Depth: In determining the depth of the lake several thousand 

 soundings were made. The method followed in taking soundings 

 was essentially as follows: 



Two different sounding machines were used during this work. 

 The first consisted of a brass reel with a grooved rim on which 

 was wound piano wire of sufficient length. The circumference of 

 the reel or wheel was just 3 feet, so that in sounding, each revo- 

 lution of the wheel reeled off exactly 3 feet of wire. The sounding 

 lead consisted of a 21/2 Ib. piece of lead shaped like a truncated 

 pyramid with a cupshaped base in which was placed a small quan- 

 tity of lard and beeswax for the purpose of securing samples of 

 the bottom. In the end of the axle was placed an ordinary cyclom- 

 eter which recorded the revolutions made by the wheel. The reel 

 thus equipped was installed in the bow of a rowboat. In taking 



