Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 255 



pieces, which became the teeth. The teeth were sharpened and 

 bent in the form of a half circle. A ring was fastened to each 

 end of the crosspieces and to these the dredge-rope was fastened. 

 The resulting dredge, let down to the bottom, was certain to land 

 on one side or the other, and, like the cant hook of the logger's 

 camp, was sure to take hold of whatever it touched, and almost al- 

 ways brought up something. 



Below is given, in tabulated form, a record of various dredge 

 hauls and their results. In the first table, an attempt is made, by 

 selecting from a large series of records and arranging in sequence 

 of depth, to give the results obtained by hauls at different depths, 

 proceeding from 1 to 3 feet deep to water 85 feet, close to the 

 greatest depth to be found in the lake. 



These tables serve to show in detail what, of course, was well 

 known in a general way, that the greater number of forms, both 

 plant and animal, are most abundant in the shallow water, the first 

 few feet near the surface containing the great majority of organ- 

 isms in the lake, the deeper waters being comparatively tenantless. 

 Only 2 living forms descend to the greatest depths ; one a "red- 

 worm" or Chironomus larva, which comes up to near the surface 

 during the night to obtain air. This is one of the most attractive 

 and highly prized tidbits of the various fishes of the lake, and can 

 retire into the depths beyond the pursuit of the most adventurous. 

 The other organism is a species of Sphserium. How it can live 

 in these depths where the water is devoid of oxygen is a mystery. 

 In this connection attention may be called to the habits of a species 

 of Sphserium found in the woodland ponds near the lake. These 

 ponds are dry during the greater portion of the year, and at this 

 time the Sphserium remains among the moist leaves of the bottom, 

 apparently in the condition of suspended animation. The two hab- 

 its, — one manifested above the lake surface and the other far below, 

 are apparently quite similar. 



The following is a brief resume of the life at difi'erent depths, 

 as shown by the dredging and tables: 



From 1 to 14 feet, the great mass of life, both plant and animal, 

 of the lake; 24-25 feet, lower limit of plant growth, Nitella being 

 the only plant found in any abundance at 25 feet ; 30-35 feet, lower 

 limit of nearly all animal life except the 2 organisms mentioned 

 above ; lower limit of Vivipara contectoides, one of the most abund- 

 ant and widely distributed organisms of the lake. 



17-17618 



