Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Siirveij 355 



attractive bait, and it is active and vigorous on the hook, swimming 

 clear of vegetation and at a good distance above the bottom if 

 used in deep water. It is not the most hardy of minnows; its 

 scales rub off rather easily, thus giving a chance for attacks by 

 the fungus Saprolegnia in the live-box. But in the minnow bucket 

 or on the hook it lives fairly well and is, withal, a pretty satis- 

 factory bait minnow. 



It may usually be readily known from the following description, 

 the black caudal spot being the most distinctive character mark: 



Head 4.75 in body ; depth 4 ; eye 3 in head ; D. 8 ; A. 8 ; scales 

 5-39-4; teeth, 1, 4-4, or 1, or 2. Body elongate, considerably com- 

 pressed in the adult; head quite short, muzzle blunt, decurved, 

 shorter than the very large eye; mouth moderate, nearly horizontal, 

 the jaws nearly equal, the maxillary reaching nearly to the eye; 

 lateral line nearly straight, slightly decurved anteriorly; 18 scales 

 before dorsal ; pectoral not reaching ventrals, the latter not to 

 vent. Coloration very pale, with usually a dusky or black spot at 

 base of caudal, especially in the young; side with a broad, silvery 

 band, which is sometimes dusky. Length 4 to 6 inches. 



26. SILVER-FIN 



NOTROPIS WHIPPLII (Girard) 



This handsome minnow is generally common in clear streams 

 from central New York to Minnesota, northern Alabama and 

 Arkansas, and is very abundant in the Ohio Valley. It is a stream 

 fish and not at all abundant in the lake, only about 41 specimens 

 having been secured. These were obtained along the east side of 

 Long Point from July 17 to 20, and on August 23, 1899, and a few 

 more were seined in front of the Fish Commission station on the 

 evening of Sept. 20. 



It is preferably, a fish of the larger, clearer creeks and rivers, 

 delighting in the rush and swirl of the waters on the riffles where 

 it feeds on the insect larvse, small crustaceans and other small life 

 among the stones or adhering to the Potamogetons and other 

 aquatic plants which grow in such places. It is a trim, active 

 minnow, and one of the most handsome of the family. Like most 

 other minnows used as bait it has several common names; shiner, 

 blueback, flat minnow, silver-fin, and hornyhead being among those 

 most often heard, the last being applied to breeding males. 



This species evidently spawns in the lake toward the end of 

 July ; of those obtained July 18, many were full of spawn and 

 ripe; of 2 females examined, one contained 686 eggs, .03 of an 



