15 



hall' oi IS'.M) nioiillily collections were made, and since that 

 date the intt'r\ al has \)vv\\ it'duced to a fortnight. 



Durin«>- the past year a drainage district has been organized 

 in the territory including and adjacent to Phelps Lake. The 

 object of this organization is the reclamation of the fertile 

 bottom south of S])oon Eiver. A large dike is being l)nilt along 

 the north limit of the district, reaching the river a short distance 

 above the north end of Phelps Lake. From this point it passes 

 southward along the river bank for several miles to a point 

 some distance below the mouth of Phelps Lake Slough, and 

 then turns westw^ard to the Avest bluff. The drainage of the 

 enclosed area will be accomplished by several large ditches 

 leading to the southeast, where pumping works are planned to 

 insure the removal of the water when the surrounding country 

 is flooded. Owing to the drainage of this lake our operations in 

 this locality must cease with the present season, which leaves 

 us in possession of quantitative collections extending through 

 three years, in each of which the water entered in the winter or 

 spring overflow, and w^as slowly removed by evaporation and 

 seepage throughout the summer months, the catastrophe cul- 

 minating in the late fall. We have thus in our possession a 

 basis for a tolerably complete record of the seasonal fluctua- 

 tions and changes in the fauna and flora incident to the drying 

 up of this ephemeral body of water. 



Since September, 1896, collections have l)een made in 

 Spoon River at intervals of a month or less, and during this 

 time a number of qualitative towings have been taken for us by 

 Mr. AY. E. Deverman, of Topeka, 111., from the waters of Quiver 

 Creek. We have thus a good series of collections from 

 tributary streams of the river for a com])arison with those of 

 the river itself. 



A plankton station w^as established in September, 1895, in 

 Flag Lake, a large marsh between Thompson's Lake and the 

 Illinois Piiver. Collections have been made here from that time 

 at intervals of a montli or less and were continued in 1897 

 until July. Owing to the almndance of vegetation in Flag Lake 

 this station was extremely difficult of access during the summer 

 months, and owing to the abundance of flocculent debris of 

 vegetation it was at all times difficult to secure a satisfactorv 



