12 -NOTES ON THE FISHES OF WESTERN IOWA AND EASTERN NEBRASKA. 
By SETH EUGENE MEEK, 
■Associaie Professor of Biolooy and Geology, Arkansas Industrial University. 
During the years of 1889 and 1800 I made some explorations of the streams of 
Iowa. The results were imblished in the Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission for 
1890, pages 217 to 218. A few collections from western Iowa were not included in the 
above-named paper. In 1891 Prof. P. B. Burnet, Cotner PTuiversity, Lincoln, Nebr., 
and myself collected in a few localities in eastern iSTelu'aska. 
In 1892 and again in 1893, while making investigations for the selection of a site 
for a lish-cnltnral station in Iowa, Prof. Evermann made some observations upon the 
fishes at the places visited by him. The present paper is based upon these various 
small collections, and maybe considered as supplementing my “ Eeport upon the 
Fishes of Iowa,” already mentioned. 
Collections wmie made under the direction of the U. S. Commissioner of Fish and 
Fisheries in 1890 in Little Sioux Eiver and Mill Creek (one of its tributaries), and 
in Storm Lake, Spirit Lake, and Floyd Eiver; and in 1891 at the following points in 
eastern Nebraska: Salt Creek near Lincoln, Platte and Elkhorn rivers at Fremont, 
and Blue Eiver at Crete. 
Prof. Evermann’s notes are chielly upon fishes observed by him at Ames, Water- 
loo, and Spirit Lake. 
All the streams in western Iowa are short and of small size. Those north have 
more or less sandy bottoms, while those in the southwestern part of tlie State are very 
muddy. The country is decidedly prairie and more rolling in the northwest. 
fSpirit Lale . — This lake is in Dickinson County, Iowa, in the northwestern part of 
the State. The Minnesota State line crosses the extreme northern part of the lake. 
The greatest length and width are each about 1 miles and the total area 10 to 12 
square miles. The southern half is from 1 to 11 miles wide from east to west. This 
portion of Iowa is, of course, a glaciated region, and the shores and bottom of Spirit 
Lake are composed of drift material. The shores are low and gently sloping, as a 
rule, and are made up of clay, sand, and fine and coarse gravel. Eo marl was noticed, 
and but little marshy shore was seen. Eo trustworthy information as to the depth of 
this lake could be olfiained, but it is probably not greater than 100 feet. The Avater 
is clear and cold. There is not a great deal of vegetation in the lake, but patches of 
Alg(v, Alyriophijllnm, and Chara were seen in places. Several species of Lidonidcv 
are found in considerable numbers, and crawfish and frogs are abundant. 
Spirit Lake is one of a group of lakes in Dickinson County. At the northwest 
corner of Spirit Lake, and separated from it by only a few rods, in some cases only a 
fcAv feet, are Grover, Little Siiirit, Hottes, Sunken, and Marble lakes. All of these are 
small, but of considerable importance as furnishing large quantities of food-fishes. 
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