Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 315 



by any one of these examples was that of the smallest fish (1.375 

 m head), while the shortest snout was that of the fish next in size, 

 3 inches (1.5 in head). 



The color, however, varies greatly with age, the lateral line 

 and most of the spots disappearing and the color becoming more 

 silvery. 



Young Gars 3 inches long have no scales developed. The scales 

 appear to develop on the caudal end of the body first, an example 

 6.5 inches long had the posterior third of the body scaled, and one 

 5.75 inches long, had about the posterior half scaled. The develop- 

 ment of scales does not affect the color further, though it 

 appears to make this somewhat less distinct. 



4. SHOET-NOSED GAR 



LEPISOSTEUS PLATOSTOMUS Rafincsque 



The Short-nosed Gar is found throughout the Great Lakes 

 region and south and west in all the lowland waters and larger 

 rivers, being more abundant southward. In Lake Maxinkuckee 

 this Gar is common, though probably less so than the long-nosed 

 species. 



The largest example from this lake of which we have any defi- 

 nite information was caught near Long Point some years ago by 

 Mr. Thomas Medbourn. This specimen, which was afterward 

 mounted and which is now in the possession of Mr. Morris, of 

 Culver, was 4 feet 1.75 inches long. In our own seining opera- 

 tions, an individual 15 inches long was caught near the Outlet, 

 July 10, 1899, and another 28 inches long was taken on a set-line 

 August 16, 1900. On December 15, 1900, men who were fishing 

 through the ice on Lost Lake saw two of these fish through the 

 ice. They cut holes in the ice above them, and by cautiously letting 

 dowTii a hook under the chin and jerking, managed to capture them. 

 One was 20.5 inches long and the other 22.5. Shortly afterward 

 another, 12.5 inches long, was caught in the same manner. 



On June 8, 1901, while rowing along the south shore of Outlet 

 Bay, a small one, 11.5 inches long, was seen lying at an angle near 

 the surface of the water head upward, apparently dozing. The 

 boat was cautiously rowed up to the fish and, by making a sudden 

 grab, it was caught by hand. On June 20, 1901, a fisherman caught 

 one 28.5 inches long. 



The habits of this species are similar to those of the Long-nosed 

 Gar. Like them they spend hot days in shallow water basking, 

 and they are occasionalh' seen lying motionless in the water under 

 clear ice. In cases where the fish were not captured it was not 



