Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 163 



(4) The streams of Long Island, especially the Nissequogue 

 river flowing into Long Island sound. 



The group of sea lampreys building their nest in the American 

 Museum of Natural History, N. Y., was founded upon material 

 and observations obtained by Dr. Hussakof 1 in this river. 



(B) The lake lampreys (Petromyzon marinus unicolor) are 

 believed to be the descendants of sea lampreys, which became land- 

 locked at the close of the glacial period. They now remain their 

 entire life in fresh water, never going to the ocean, and are only 

 about half the length of their sea brothers. During their active, 

 predatory life they are found in the larger lakes of the State as 

 follows : 



(1) Cayuga lake. Special attention was called to the lake 

 lampreys in 1875 when a specimen was brought to Cornell Uni- 

 versity from Cascadilla creek during the spawning season. Since 

 1875 it has been shown to be present in other lakes also : 



(2) Lake Erie. Specimen caught at Merlin, Ontario, 1921, by 

 A. E. Crewe. 2 



(3) Lake Ontario. Specimens from Salmon creek at Hilton, 

 N. Y. by Dr. A. H. Wright, and in the Humbert river near 

 Toronto. 



(4) Seneca lake (1894) and Oneida lake near that time. The 

 writer has made personal observations on the Cayuga lake lamprey 

 every year since 1875, and at frequent intervals, those of Seneca 

 lake since 1894. 3 



The lake lamprey looks exactly like a small se.a lamprey, and 

 passes through the same special as well as general changes during 

 its life such as coloration at the spawning season ; the formation of 

 a rope-like ridge on the back of the males in front of the dorsal 

 fins; the separation of the dorsal fins during their predatory life 

 in the lakes, and their close approximation or fusion making them 

 look like a single fin during the breeding season. 



(C) The brook lamprey (Lampetra wilderi). The brook lam- 

 prey like the lake lamprey passes its entire life in fresh water. 

 Unlike the lake lamprey, however, it never goes down to the 

 lakes but spends its whole life in the streams. It is found swim- 

 ming freely in the water only during the breeding time, April 

 and May in New York. It was first taken in the inlet of Cayuga 

 lake by Gage and Meek,* May 8, 1886. Before this it was not 

 known in America outside the Mississippi basin. Since 1886 it 

 has been found and studied in many other places and at present 



i Hussakof, L. The spawning habits of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon 

 marinus). American Naturalist, p. 729, 1912. 



2 Crewe, A. E., In: Breeding habits of the landlocked sea lamprey (lake 

 lamprey). Ontario Fisheries Laboratory Studies No. 9, 1922. 



3 Gage, S. H. The lake and brook lampreys of New York. The Wilder 

 Quarter Century Book, p. 421-493, 1893. 



* Gage, S. H. and Meek, Seth E. The lampreys of the Cayuga lake basin. 

 Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sc. vol. 35, 1886. 



