NEBRASKA WILD-DUCK FOODS. 
53 
PELICAN LAKE, CHERRY COUNTY. 
September 1, 1915. 
Description. — Very little marsh; small swamp region at west end. Depth 
7 to 8 feet (average greatest) ; bottom mostly mucky. No outlet or inlet. 
Distribution of Vegetation. 
The neck of water connecting Rat and Beaver Lakes has a sparse stand of 
wild rice (Zizania palustris), and the following are abundant: Wapato (Sagit- 
taria latifolia) and water smartweed (Polygonum- amphiMum). The submerged 
vegetation is about the same as for Rat Lake. 
SHORE PLANTS. 
A mixture of grasses, etc., as listed for neighboring lakes. 1 
MARSH PLANTS. 
1. Marsh fern (Dryopteris thelypteris). 
Common. 
2. Cat-tail (Typha latifolia). Common. 
3. Bur reed (Sparganium eurycarpum). 
Common. 
4. Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia). Abun- 
dant. 
5. Reed (Phragmites communis). Abun- 
dant. 
6. Big bulrush (Scirpus occidentalis) . 
Abundant. 
7. Spike rush (Eleocharis acicularis) . 
Common. 
8. Richweed (Pilea pumila) . 
9. Marsh mint (Stachys palustris). 
10. Mint (Mentha canadensis). 
11. Sticktight (Bidens trichosperma) . Com- 
mon. 
SEMISUBMERGED PLANTS. 
Dominant: 
12. Big bulrush (Scirpus occidentalis) . 
Secondary species: 
13. Cat-tail (Typha latifolia). Common. 
14. Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia). Common. 
15. Wild rice (Zizania palustris). Com- 
mon. 
16. Reed (Phragmites communis). Com- 
mon. 
17. Spike rush (Eleocharis acuminata). A 
few acres of rice along northeast 
shore in shallow water. 
SUBMERGED PLANTS. 
Dominants: 
18. Variable pondweed (Potamogeton heter- 
ophyllus) .* Immature fruit. 
19. Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum). 
Secondary species: 
20. Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectina- 
tus). 
21. Floating pondweed (Potamogeton na- 
tans). 
22. Small pondweed (Potamogeton pusil- 
lus). Abundant. 
23. Bushy pondweed (Najas flexilis). Abun- 
dant. 
24. Water smartweed (Polygonum amphi- 
Mum). 
FLOATING PLANTS. 
Star duckweed (Lemna trisulca). 
mon. 
Com- 
25. Big duckweec" (Spirodela polyrhiza). 
Common. 
26. Small duckweed (Lemna minor). Com- 
mon. 
Wild-duck foods. — Plants in the above list which have considerable value as 
food for wild ducks are: Nos. 4 (14), 6 (12), 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, and 
27; those of less importance are: Nos. 3, 7, 11, 17, 21, and 24; the remainder 
are of no known value. 
1 The following two species have been recorded from Pelican Lake : Wood chess (Bromus 
ciliatus), Smith, J. G., Rept. Nebraska State Bd. Agr., 1892, p. 286, (1893) ; and a sedge 
(Carex douglasii), Smith, J. G., and Pound, Roscoe, Botanical Survey of Nebraska II, 
p. 26, 1893. The last-named plant may have some slight value as duck food. 
