314 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



relatively shallow water, good results ought to be obtained. In 

 the spring, during early May and June when the Gars are spawn- 

 ing, they will come out near shore and can then be seined to ad- 

 vantage ; and during the summer they may now and then be seen 

 in considerable schools feeding upon other fishes near shore, par- 

 ticularly near Norris Inlet and in Culver and Outlet bays. 



Gillnets of 1.5- to 2.5-inch mesh would also yield good results. 

 These nets should be set where the Gars have been observed to run, 

 and should be examined at least once a day. On calm sunny days 

 when they are lying at the surface basking in the sun, they could 

 be shot from the deck of a steamer. They can also be caught on 

 set-lines and may occasionally be speared. By taking every op- 

 portunity to destroy these fish and keeping it up for a few years, it 

 is believed that their numbers could be very greatly reduced. 



The Gars are exceedingly prolific. A female example of the 

 Long-nosed Gar, 3 feet 4 inches long, and weighing 9 pounds, was 

 examined by the senior writer at Morgan City, Louisiana, April 

 23, 1897. This fish was in mature spawning condition, the ovaries 

 weighed 1 pound 3 ounces, and the number of eggs was, by actual 

 count, 36,460. The spawning time of the Gars in Lake Maxin- 

 kuckee is during May and early June. 



Head 3 in length of body ; depth 9 ; eye 12 to 15 in head, about 

 10 in snout; snout about 1.5 in head, or 4.5 in body; D. 8; A. 9; 

 V. 6; P. 10; scales about 58, 20. 



Body long, slender, and sub-cylindrical ; snout very long and 

 narrow, its length usually more than twice that of rest of head, 

 its least width 15 to 20 times in its length. 



Color grayish silvery, brightest on side; under parts yellow- 

 ish white; snout and top of head greenish gray; side of head sil- 

 very; snout and side with a few small dark brown spots; vertical 

 fins each with several large black spots, most numerous on caudal ; 

 ventrals and pectorals sometimes with one or two black spots. 

 Young with a broad dark brown band from snout through eye to 

 caudal, bounded above by a narrow pale line, then by a broad light 

 brown one ; below by a broad milky-white band ; under parts white, 

 dusted over with fine dark specks, which assume the character of 

 lines at sides of belly; fins profusely spotted with brown. Young, 

 2.25 inches in total length, are pale olivaceous above, silvery white 

 below, with a broad, somewhat darker lateral band. 



The snout of this species is much longer and narrower than in 

 the next. An examination of 8 examples varying in length from 

 2.25 to 18.5 inches, does not indicate that there is any variation in 

 the length of the snout with age. The longest snout possessed 



