Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 415 



might be called a run ; the movement down the stream in autumn 

 is an easy drifting*, and the ascent in the spring has nothing in it 

 of a purposeful run or migration. Ice-fishing during the winter 

 is quite as good or better- in Lake Maxinkuckee than in Lost Lake. 

 Frequently in Lake Maxinkuckee great schools of large bass may 

 be seen through the clear ice, that would cause the angler who has 

 fished through relatively fruitless days in the summer-time to 

 marvel at their size and abundance. These fish under the ice are 

 pretty lively and swim before one at a good rate of speed, in this 

 respect diff'ering from many of the sunfishes. 



Although the young Straw Bass are common along the shore 

 of the lake during the summer time, they are also distributed all 

 over the lake in the upper waters. On September 9, 1906, and on 

 a few other occasions, thousands of them were seen far out on the 

 lake sporting on the surface, swimming about in circles much like 

 whirligig beetles, and with the dorsal fin sticking up out of the 

 water. It was supposed that they were feeding on plankton at the 

 surface. A towing was made near where they were feeding and 

 the lake was found to consist mainly of Daphnias. 



The food of the Straw Bass is quite varied, and so far as exam- 

 ined, appears to exhibit a much wider range than that of the black 

 bass, changing with the size of the fish and with the season. Of 

 5 small ones examined July 23, 1906, one 2i inches long contained 

 one copepod ; one 3 inches long was empty ; one 2 J inches contained 

 beach fleas ; one 2 inches contained Cypris, great numbers of 

 Daphnia and one Chironomus larva; and another 2 inches long 

 contained entomostraca and a species of alga not identified ; one 

 1^ inches long taken November 16, 1904, contained insect larvae. 

 The young bass of somewhat larger size (about 3 inches long) are 

 quite voracious, and frequently eat other fishes. On August 20, 

 a small one caught at Long Point had a small skipjack not much 

 shorter than itself halfway down. This, however, may have been 

 an accident, as in seining where fishes are crowded they may snap 

 at each other while gasping. On August 23, a young one was seen 

 to dash from shore with a silvery fish, apparently a young blue- 

 gill, in its mouth. The fortunate bass was followed by a crowd 

 of smaller ones, much as a flock of chickens chase one that has a 

 choice morsel. On the next day precisely the same phenomenon 

 was observed again. The food of the larger Straw Bass is quite 

 as varied as that of the young. Of 3 examples, weighing about 

 1^ pounds each, examined April 28, 1901, one contained 4 craw- 

 fishes, one had 2 darters and 4 crawfishes, and the third contained 

 2 crawfishes. Numerous others contained crawfishes, which seem 



27—17618 



