496 BULLETIN OF THB BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



RICHARDSON LAKES. 



These lakes are practically one body of water consisting of two expansions con- 

 nected by The Narrows. 



Upper Richardson. — The main inlet is the outlet of Mooselucmaguntic Lake, which 

 enters Upper Richardson or Molechunkamunk Lake a little north of midway of its 

 eastern side. Molechunkamunk is about 6| miles in length and not over i mile in 

 greatest width. The lake is somewhat crescentic in shape, the convexity being toward 

 the east. The shores are more or less irregular in outline and comparatively low in 

 most places. The principal coves are West Arm, at the west side of the north end of 

 the lake, and Half Moon Cove, on the west side of the lake about 3^ miles south of West 

 Arm. There are not many islands. A few small ones are at the upper end opposite 

 and near the entrance of the West Arm. A large one is opposite the east side of the 

 entrance to the Narrows. There are also a few that at high water are mostly submerged 

 and at low water merely dry shoals, but which were probably originally small islands. 



The principal tributary streams besides the main inlet are the following: At the 

 extreme northern end the outlet of the Richardson Ponds enter the lake through an 

 extensive swamp. The Richardson Ponds are designated as the East and West Richard- 

 son Ponds, of which there are two each. The eastern ponds are small and flow into the 

 lower of the western ponds, which is about the same size as the eastern ponds. The 

 principal pond of the group is one of the western pair and only a short distance from the 

 lower one. It is about iK miles long by three-fourths of a mile wide, irregularly ellip- 

 tical in shape, with a large island about the middle and a small one near the outlet. In 

 a direct line by the way of the outlet the foot of this pond is only a Httle over one-third 

 of a mile from the lake, but following the stream it is considerably farther, as the stream 

 is very winding. Also flowing into the north end of the lake is Beaver Brook, which 

 pursues a meandering course in an easterly direction conveying the waters of Beaver 

 Pond, only one-fifth of a mile distant from the lake in a direct line from the mouth of 

 the brook and much less from the head of the West Arm. Beaver Pond is irregular in 

 shape with a strongly projecting shore line and consequent deep coves. Beaver Pond 

 is about I % miles long with an extreme width of about three-fourths of a mile and has 

 an area of about 0.93 square mile. There appear to be no other brooks of consequence 

 on the western side of the lake. The largest is a dead-water outlet of a large swamp 

 situated about 3 miles from the head of the lake. 



On the east side Mill Brook flows into the lake nearly opposite the West Arm. On 

 the same side of the lake, about i^ miles southward of the inlet. Mosquito Brook enters 

 the lake, and about 2-^ miles from the mouth of Mosquito Brook is the mouth of Metallak 

 Brook. Metallak Brook flows into a broad cove directly behind the previously men- 

 tioned island near the east side of the entrance to the Narrows. Metallak Brook is 

 formed by three or more ramifications. About three-fourths of a mile from the lake 

 it is joined by a branch that discharges the waters of Metallak Pond, about 2}4 miles 

 southeast of the lake. This pond is about three-fourths of a mile long and a scant 

 one-fourth of a mile wide and is narrowly elliptical in shape. 



Lower Richardson. — The other expansion, known as Lower Richardson or Welle- 

 kennebacook Lake, is not quite as long but somewhat wider than the upper lake and is 

 also crescentic in shape, the convexity being to the westward, giving the two lakes 



