18 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



It is regretted that the publication of this report has been so 

 long delayed. Much of it was written in the winter of 1901-1902, 

 but before it could be completed other duties so engrossed the 

 attention of the senior author as to render its completion at that 

 time impossible. This, however, has not been wholly without com- 

 pensating advantages, in that opportunity occurred from time to 

 time to revisit the lake and make new observations, verify former 

 ones, or to study phases previously neglected. As a result, it is 

 now possible to write on some of the problems more fully and with 

 greater confidence, and to make the report somewhat more com- 

 prehensive. It also enables us to omit certain discussions and 

 conclusions which later observations failed fully to support. 



There still remains a multitude of problems which should 

 receive further study and which the writers would like very much 

 to consider, but they feel the report should not be longer delayed. 



Even so, they feel that more is probably known of Lake Maxin- 

 kuckee, particularly of its biology, than of any other lake in the 

 world. 



It may be thought by some that the scope of the report is too 

 broad, that subjects are included which do not bear any relation 

 to fish-culture. Such is not the case. There is probably not a 

 species of animal or plant in or about the lake that does not bear 

 some relation, more or less important, to the fish-life of the lake. 

 The truth of this impresses itself more and more evidently upon 

 one as he becomes more and more fully acquainted with the rela- 

 tions and inter-relations of the multitude of species of animals 

 and plants in and about the lake, and their dependence and inter- 

 dependence among and upon each other. The field naturalist is 

 constantly observing facts and phenomena, climatic and biologic, 

 which impress upon him the great principle of the dependence of 

 the varied forms of organic life upon climatic conditions and of 

 the inter-dependence of the various species among themselves and 

 upon each other. One who has never made any special study of 

 these problems in the field may find it difficult to discover the rela- 

 tions or to appreciate their significance. That is to be expected. 

 Some of the relations and the significance of others may not always 

 be evident even to him who has given them consideration ; but he 

 feels that all available facts are worth recording and that the rela- 

 tions and the meaning thereof will in time appear. 



Acknowledgments: — To mention the names of all those from 

 whom the writers have received assistance in their study of Lake 

 Maxinkuckee would be impossible. Nearly every cottager about 

 the lake, and scores of the anglers who visit the lake from time 



