GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 745 



of tlie shores of the lake, and carefully preserve and forward to the 

 ofifi.ce of the survey every trace of life he may find. 



In proof of this supposition, I may state that the late lamented Pro- 

 fessor Torrey, in 1870, made an exceedingly interesting collection of 

 insects in the brine of Clear Lake, California. This collection comprised 

 two aquatic beetles, (LaccopJiilus decipiens, Lee, and Berosus punctatissi- 

 mus,) and the early stages of three flies, i. e., a species of Tanypus, 

 Stratiomys, and Ephydra Galifornica Pack. 



This last species lives in the " excessively salt, but also strongly alka- 

 line" Lake Mono, in California. The late Mr, Horace Mann, jr., remarked 

 that the Indians about Mono Lake eat the pupai-cases of Ephydra in 

 large quantities. 



Two hemipterous insects also inhabit Clear Lake, i. e., a Gerris-like 

 form, Hydrotreclms rohustus Uhler, and Gorixa decolor Uhler. 



The genus Ephydra is also an inhabitant of salt- vats and of the shores 

 of the ocean. The larvse live on decaying organic matter. 



We now come to that strange crustacean or shrimp-like creature, the 

 Artemia, an aiairaal found in different parts of the world in salt-vats, 

 saline pools and lakes. The family to which it belongs is, par excellence^ 

 a fresh-water group, and though the respiratory surface of the false 

 gills presents an enormous extent, and one judging by the principles 

 advanced by Plateau, as quoted above, (section 2,) would think this to 

 be the last animal to be readily adapted to a saline life, yet it flourishes 

 in immense numbers in the densest and strongest brine. 



The brine crustacean of Salt Lake was first described by Professor 

 A. E. Yerrill, in the American Journal of Science and Arts, IsTovember, 

 1869, under the name of Artemia fertilis. It was collected at Salt Lake 

 by Messrs. Sereno Watson, D. C. Eaton, and S. A. Briggs. The former 

 alludes to its occurrence in vast numbers. 



Mr. S. W. Carman, who has specially observed this creature while alive 

 in the lake, writes the following notice of its habits to the American 

 ^Naturalist for December, 1&72. "A peculiarity of the little crustacean 

 {Artemia fertilko^ Yerrill) living in the waters of Salt Lake, which ought 

 to be noticed, is that of its congregating in masses of strange appear-, 

 ance in the water. When the masses are small they sometimes stretch 

 out so as to have the form of a serpent. All other times they represent 

 rings, globes, and various irregular figures. A gentle breeze does not 

 affect the water filled by Artemi£e, so that while the water on all sides 

 of these dense congregations is slightly ruffled, that which tbey occupy 

 remains as if covered by oil, thus indicating the figure of the mass. My 

 attention was called to them by seeing on the surface the figure of a great 

 serpent in one place and in another what appeared to be a small stream 

 of comparatively still water flowing out through the lake. Though I 

 waded out to and through these immense bodies, I could not positively 

 ascertain that the individuals were traveling in a common direction j 

 the time was too short to determine this, yet I think it is the fact." 



It is apparent that a study of the habits of this animal is much to be 

 desired, and collections of the eggs, young, and both sexes in large 

 quayitities and preserved in strong alcohol, are greatly needed for the fur- 

 ther elucidation of its mode of life and structure. 



We have shown that the animal life of the great Salt Lake is, we had 

 almost said, abundant, and the idea of Professor Baird, if carried out,* 

 of stocking this lake with fish, is not an impracticable one so far as na- 

 tural food for such fish is concerned. 



