Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 377 



the hopes of finding better feeding grounds. A few were caught 

 in the towing-net, and the stomachs found to contain Entomostraca. 

 They also appeared to be attracted, or at least undisturbed, by 

 the light of a lantern held close to the water. Single individuals 

 would lie perfectly still poised in the water almost precisely like 

 pickerel or the gar-pike, disappearing with a sudden dart, prob- 

 ably after prey. Later in the year they come up along shore in 

 great numbers and remain there most of the day, sometimes alone, 

 sometimes in company with various species of minnows, especially 

 the straw-colored minnow, Notropis blennius. ' When they are with 

 the straw-colored minnow, the latter usually form the lower layer 

 of the school, while the skipjacks form the upper part near the 

 surface. On November 11, 1900, in 2 hauls along shore with a 

 15-foot seine about 2 gallons of these fishes, most of which ap- 

 peared to be adults, were taken, and they appeared to be equally 

 numerous on various other occasions. When the fishes thus 

 crowded along the shore, are approached, they will make for deeper 

 water, heading in one direction, and swimming with rapid lateral 

 flexions of the posterior part of the body. If suddenly frightened, 

 however, they scatter in every direction. They appear to remain 

 near shore all winter, as they can be seen in great schools under 

 the clear ice during the winter, and are seen along shore in large 

 numbers in spring. They are sometimes seen in considerable 

 schools in the Outlet near the wagon or railroad bridge in the 

 winter. They are often seen running in schools and jumping out 

 of the water as if pursued by some enemy. On September 12, 

 1907, a black bass about a foot long was observed to come up 

 nearly to the shore for them. In the winter of 1901 a grebe 

 (Podilymbus podiceps) was seen swimming along under water 

 near shore, and a number of small fishes, probably these, were seen 

 jumping out of the water ahead. The Skipjack is perhaps the 

 most persecuted fish in the lake, and it is a wonder how they keep 

 up their numbers, feeding at the surface in large conspicuous 

 schools as they do. They are attacked by the pike, bass, and other 

 carnivorous fishes, as well as by the helldiver from below, and 

 darted at by the terns, gulls and kingfishers and other birds of 

 prey from above, so that they are somewhat in such desperate 

 plight as the ancient Britons whom the barbarians drove down into 

 the sea, and the sea threw back on land. They certainly serve a 

 useful purpose in furnishing much food to fishes of the lake. 



The stomach of a black tern examined August 14, 1900, con- 

 tained 19 young of this species. They appear to escape the water- 

 dog. During the winter, because of their activity, or the fact that 



