Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 333 



On the morning of August 24, 1906, Mr. George W. Davis and 

 a friend went out fishing toward the south end of the lake in a 

 launch, but soon returned with a large fish in tow. It was landed 

 at the Assembly grounds and placed on the pier at that place where 

 its size at once attracted attention, for it was not only the largest 

 fish known to have been taken in this lake, but considerably the 

 largest Buffalo-fish yet reported; previous records gave the Buf- 

 falo-fish "a length of nearly 3 feet and a weight of 20 to 30 

 pounds." This fish was 4 feet in length, 35 inches in girth and 

 weighed 75 pounds. It was taken to the laboratory and skinned. 

 The fish was quite fat; it had immense scales some of them 

 larger than a silver dollar. The stomach appeared to be full of 

 Chironomus larvae. It contained more than a bucket full of roe, 

 the ova being quite small. 



Common Buffalo-fish (Ictiobus cyprinctla) 



The Buffalo-fish, like the paddle-fish, is one of those fishes 

 which might exist in the lake in some numbers without the fact 

 being known, as they generally stay near the bottom and never 

 take the hook. 



Old settlers along tributaries of the Mississippi report that 

 Buffalo-fish used to run in such schools in spring that it was im- 

 possible to ford streams while the run was in progress. In gen- 

 eral appearance and in some of its habits the Buffalo-fish bears 

 some resemblance to the carp. In some of the lakes of the Missis- 

 sippi Valley extraordinary runs of very large Buffalo-fish occur 

 occasionally. During the high water of spring the fish run out in 

 great numbers into the overflowed marshes where they are killed 

 with clubs, pitchforks or other weapons at hand. The flesh is of 

 an inferior flavor, but nutritious. 



