82 



Localities: Harkness Slough, Goose Lake, Dead Man's Slough, 

 Claus Lake, Quincy Bay, mouth of Cedar Creek, Wood Slough. 



Long-nosed Gar {Leindoiiieus ossens, Linn.). 



The young were more abundant and more generally distributed 

 than those of the preceding species. Thirty-eight examples give 

 an average length of 8.10 inches. The smallest seen measured 

 6 inches in length, and the largest 12.25 inches. This last was 

 the only one taken that had lost the caudal filament. The more 

 uniform occurrence of this gar in bottom-land pools of all sorts 

 and its greater abundance there, in addition to the smaller average 

 size of the young as compared with those of L. phiiysiomus, 

 suggest a later spawning time. If the short-nosed gar spawns 

 earlier, its young have more time to escape from the temporary 

 pools, and we should expect to find fewer of them present in 

 August. The matter needs further attention, however, as a differ- 

 ence in the relative abundance of adults in the river at this point, 

 or some unknown difference in spawning habit, may have to do 

 with some of the differences we have noted. 



Localities: Harkness Slough, Dead Man's Slough, Moss Lake, 

 Claus Lake, Willow Slough, Lily Lake, Long Lake, Broad Lake, 

 Wood Slough. 



Family Polyodontid.e. (Shovel-fish.) 



Shovel-fish {Polyodon spaihula, Walbaum). 



This fish evidently does not spawn on the overflowed bottom- 

 land. A single example about 14 inches long from Wood Slough 

 was the only one taken. The adults are common in the Missis- 

 sippi River, where they were occasionally seen leaping above the 

 water. 



Family Petromyzontid.s:. (Lampreys,) 



Lamprey Eel {Petromyzon castaneus, Gir.). 



A lamprey taken by the men from ^A'ood Slough was probably '. 

 of this species. It was not seciired for examination. 



INYERTEBRATES. 



Small animals, such as insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, were < 



not as abundant as they commonly prove to be in permanent i 



bodies of water in other localities. The absence of vegetation and * 



the abundance of their enemies, the fishes, doubtless both had to i 



do with this. The condition of these pools, as we have seen, is ] 



not favorable to a growth of vegetation, and the season was ex- j 



ceptioually unpropitious with respect to this. Those small creatures ^ 

 which did occur in the pools were thus deprived of the protection 

 which a rank growth of vegetation atfords, and could not be 

 expected to maintain themselves where every square yard of bot- 



