Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 289 



The observations of other years show essentially the same con- 

 ditions. 



Much to our regret, spring records are largely wanting, due to 

 the fact that neither of us was at the lake during the spring ex- 

 cept in 1901, when the importance of this question had not yet 

 been fully realized. Such observations, however, as were made in 

 the spring do not confirm the belief that there is any appreciable 

 spring movement into Lake Maxinkuckee. 



It will be noted that the large-mouth black bass (straw bass) 

 is the species that was most frequently observed, and that the in- 

 dividuals seen were almost without exception young or very small 

 ones. 



Migration of fishes through the Outlet of Lake Maxinkuckee 

 might consist of any one or more of the following movements : 



1. From the lake into Lost Lake either (a) to remain perma- 

 nently or (b) to return to the larger lake in the spring. 



2. From the lake into Lost Lake and on down into the Tippe- 

 canoe River either (a) to remain there permanently or (b) to re- 

 turn to Lake Maxinkuckee in the spring. 



3. From Tippecanoe River to Lake Maxinkuckee either (a) 

 to remain in it permanently or (b) to return to the river in the 

 fall. 



4. From Lost Lake to Lake Maxinkuckee either (a) to remain 

 permanently, or (b) to return to the smaller lake in the fall. 



It is evident that the only movement that can seriously affect the 

 fishing in the larger lake is that which is not followed by a return 

 migration. If a fall migration out of the lake is follow^ed by a cor- 

 responding spring migration i7ito the lake, the supply of fish in the 

 lake is not materially affected. This is true whether the fall mi- 

 gi'ation carries the fish only to Lost Lake or on down into the 

 Tippecanoe River. If the fish should go into Lost Lake and remain 

 there the supply in the larger lake would be deceased by so much 

 and that in Lost Lake correspondingly increased. As the two lakes 

 are only a few rods apart this would not greatly affect the fishing 

 in the general Maxinkuckee region; if the fish could not be found 

 in one lake they could in the other. But if the fish go on down to 

 the Tippecanoe River and do not return the fishing in the INIaxin- 

 kuckee region suffers. 



Aside from the evidence secured through observations at the 

 Outlet, very important, if not conclusive, evidence has been ob- 

 tained as one of the results of another and very different investiga- 

 tion, namely, a study of the geographic distribution of the L^nion- 

 idse or freshwater mussels in the Maxinkuckee-Tippecanoe region. 



