374 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



along on the surface in shallow water near shore. The Top-min- 

 now is a tantalizing little fish; it looks like the easiest thing in 

 the world to catch one by closing the hands together under it and 

 gently lifting it out of the water as it swims unconcernedly along. 

 It generally manages to escape somehow, and the experiment can 

 be tried time and again on the same fish. 



On July 23, 1906, a good many of these fishes exceedingly vari- 

 ous in size, some quite small, some medium sized, and some full 

 grown, were seen together in the shallow water among the weeds of 

 Lost Lake. They had apparently spawned and hatched before this 

 time. A good many of these fishes were seen in Bass Lake on 

 August 14, 1906, and they were very abundant at Twin Lakes 

 when visited August 31, 1906. 



The Top-minnow can be recognized in the water by the trans- 

 lucent spot on the head, along with its habit of swimming about 

 slowly at the surface. 



Head 4 ; depth 4.5 ; eye large, less than snout, about 3 in head. 

 D. 9; A. 11; scales 34-11. Body rather slender, compressed be- 

 hind; head low, depressed, and rather elongate; the snout some- 

 what produced, the lower jaw scarcely projecting; interorbital 

 space broad, its width about half length of head ; fins moderate, the 

 dorsal and anal elevated in the males; teeth in a broad band, the 

 outer series considerably enlarged and canine like. Coloration, 

 brownish olive, with a broad dark, purplish-black lateral band run- 

 ning from tip of snout through eye to base of caudal, darker in 

 males than in females ; young specimens have the edges of the band 

 serrated; a few series of small black dots along the sides of the 

 back; dorsal, caudal and anal fins dotted with black; top of head 

 with a conspicuous translucent spot in life; concentric striae on 

 scales strong. Length 2 to 3^ inches. 



40. BROOK STICKLEBACK 



EUCALIA INCONSTANS (Kirtland) 



(Plate 17) 



The Brook Stickleback is found in small creeks and lakes from 

 New York westward to Kansas, northward to Saskatchewan, and 

 southward to central Ohio and Illinois, the southernmost record 

 being Decatur County, Indiana. It is abundant in the Great Lakes 

 region. 



At Lake Maxinkuckee it does not appear to be rare. Through- 

 out the summer, however, they appear to stay in rather deep water 

 in the lake. Only one specimen was taken in the net during the 



