286 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



distributed in shallow water everywhere along shore. But in the 

 fall they gather up in schools. Sometimes these schools are of im- 

 mense size, containing many thousands of individuals. The dif- 

 ferent species mentioned are present numerically usually in the 

 order named, and there will be along with them a few individuals 

 of several other small fishes, chiefly Cyprinid^e. Usually the skip- 

 jacks and log perch school by themselves. The log perch schools 

 come earlier than the others ; in 1913, they were first noticed in 

 large numbers on October 3, when a school of 100 to 200 or more 

 was seen at Johnson's pier on Long Point. They were lying quietly 

 on the clear sandy bottom or moving slowly about in shallow water. 

 The same school was observed on several subsequent days. On 

 the same day, October 3, a large school of skipjacks was seen near 

 the same place. Others were seen later and continued to be noted 

 as opportunity afi'orded so long as our observations were kept up, 

 or until October 31. 



The very large schools of small fishes that may be seen along 

 the shore in the fall consist, however, chiefly of the species of 

 Notropis mentioned, particularly Notroins blennms and N. cayuga, 

 and do not appear until some time later. Perhaps the largest 

 schools ever noted by us were seen on November 5, 1907. On that 

 day the shallow water on the east side of Lost Lake was alive with 

 small fishes all the way from the Bardsley cottage to the south end 

 of the lake. More than a bushel were caught at a single haul with 

 a 12-foot seine. There were actually millions of them, chiefly 

 Notrojns cayuga. In other places Notropis hlennius was the most 

 abundant species. 



These schools seen in the fall vary much in size, from small to 

 very large. They are seen to best advantage on still, bright sun- 

 shiny days, even when the air is quite cold. They are seen most 

 often about or under piers or boats. 



We are unable at this time to explain why these small fishes col- 

 lect in schools and come out into shallow water in the fall. It 

 evidently has no relation to their feeding habits or their breeding 

 habits; nor does it appear to be for the purpose of getting away 

 from the bass and other carnivorous fishes ; as a matter of fact 

 many of them fall prey to water-dogs which crawl up close to shore 

 and devour the fishes in considerable numbers. It may be a reac- 

 tion to temperature. 



c. There is still another movement that occurs daily during 

 the summer and early fall. We refer to the coming of bass and 

 other fishes into shallow water at night. This is a well-marked 

 movement and occurs more or less evidently every still night in 



