364 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Another feature which partic-ularly commends this minnow in 

 the upper Mississippi Valley is the ease with which a supply can 

 be captured. Not only can they be secured in the usual way with 

 the minnow seine, but they also readily enter the minnow trap, and 

 in the absence of other means, a sufficient supply can often be taken 

 by means of a small hook baited with grub or angleworm. 



Head 4 in length; depth 4^; D. 8; A. 7; scales 6-41-4; teeth 

 1, 4-4, 1, or 1, 4-4, 0, sometimes 4-4. Body rather robust, little 

 elevated, not much compressed ; head large, rather broadly rounded 

 above; the snout conical, bluntish; mouth rather large, subtermi- 

 nal, little oblique, the lower jaw somewhat the shorter; upper lip 

 rather below level of eye; maxillary not reaching to front of eye^ 

 eye small, median, high up ; barbel well developed ; suborbitals very 

 narrow ; preorbital large ; fins moderate ; the dorsal rather pos- 

 terior, slightly behind insertion of ventrals ; caudal broad, little 

 forked. Scales large, not crowded anteriorly, 18 rows in front 

 of dorsal. Lateral line somewhat decurved. Color, bluish-olive; 

 sides with bright green and coppery reflections; a curved dusky 

 bar behind opercle ; scales above with dark borders ; belly pale, but 

 not silvery, rosy in spi'ing males ; fins all pale orange, without 

 black spot; males in sp}"ing with a crimson spot on each side of 

 head; adults with the top of the head swollen, forming a sort of 

 crest, which is sometimes a third of an inch higher than level of the 

 neck and is covered with large tubercles ; young with a dark caudal 

 spot. Length 6 to 9 inches. 



33. COMMON EEL 



ANGUILLA ROSTRATA Le Sueur 



The Common Eel is an abundant and well-known fish all along 

 our Atlantic coast from Maine to Mexico. From the ocean it as- 

 cends all rivers south of Canada and east of the Rocky Mountains, 

 and is resident throughout the Mississippi Valley. It does not ap- 

 pear to be common in Indiana and is not well known t;o Indiana 

 anglers generally. At Lake Maxinkuckee it seems to be rather 

 uncommon, although it is occasionally caught on set-lines at night, 

 especially during the spring. Only a few examples were actually 

 seen. On August 19, 1899, Mr. Thomas Large found floating far 

 out in the lake an Eel 43 inches long and weighing 6^ pounds. On 

 May 15, 1901, one 22 inches long was caught on a set-line in Out- 

 let Bay, during the night. Besides these, reports were heard of 

 several having been caught about the same time. About the last 

 of June, 1907, Mr. S. S. Chadwick got a very large Eel at his pier. 



