FISHES OF THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN. 
325 
At places the bottom is liinestoue (Upper Silurian); at others coarse gravel or 
sand. The banks of the channel are from 8 to 10 feet high, and where the channel 
touches the hills that border the bottom lands the banks have a height of about 25 
feet. The lower 5 feet of the banks expose a l)luish clay, and the portion above this 
clay is composed of strata of clay and gravel. The dam is about midway between the 
mouth of Sugar Greek and that of the Blanchard Kiver. The maximum depth is 6 feet, 
with smooth limestone bottom. The dam is 7 feet high and has no hsh-ladder. The 
pool below was 4 feet deep and contained great numbers and many species of fishes. 
Wrack weed, water willow, anddartweed are common plants in shallow water and 
damp places. Algm very common. Horseweed is verymommon upon the banks and 
low bottom lands. Willows skirt the vStreams. 
The Auglaize was'examined at Oakwood, Paulding County, Ohio, August 1 2. The 
bed of tlie river is limestone (Upper Silurian). The small quantity of water upon the 
riftles has no distinct current, but steals its way through the dense growth of wrack- 
weed which fills the channel. Above and below the town of Oakwood the channel is 
deeper and contains more water. 
The Auglaize River was next investigated at a point 24 miles south of Defiance, 
Ohio, August 17. The b(jttom of the channel is of shale or soapstone, which is smootli 
and slippery. At places the river has cut its channel into this shale so that the lower 
2 or 3 feet of its banks are shale. The remainder of the bank is composed of layers 
of yellow and bluish clays. The river is mostly shallow, with a slow current. Only 
one riffle was seen and here the stream had a width of about 10 feet, and was 2 or 
3 inches deep. At Defiance, just before entering the Maumee River, the Auglaize 
has a width of 334 feet and is 15 feet deep, with a bottom temperature of 70°. 
Water willow and wrackweed are the commonest of water-plants. 
SUaAR CREEK. 
Sugar Creek originates in the eastern part of xillen County, Ohio, It flows south- 
west to within 2 miles of Lima, Ohio, where it takes a west of north course to within 
a few miles of Cioverdale, Ohio, where it empties into the Auglaize River. 
Sugar Creek was first examined 2 miles north of Lima, Ohio, August 5. The 
channel is 15 feet wide; the bottom and banks are of Plpper Silurian limestone. The 
bottom at places is as smooth as a planed floor. The stone is quarried for building 
purposes, and is said to be of excellent quality. In holes was found considerable 
water; the riffles were almost dry. One of the springs near the bank is strongly 
impregnated with hydrogen sulphide. In shallows were seen large patches of river- 
weed, some pond weed, and dart weed. 
Sugar Creek was again examined at its junction with the Auglaize River, near 
Cioverdale. 
LOST CREEK. 
Lost Creek was examined 14 miles east of Lima, Allen County, Ohio, August 5, 
It had no flow of water upon the riffles, but in many iilaces the water was 2 feet 
deep and contained many small fish and great numbers of crawfish. The water is 
warm aud tainted with oil which finds its way into the stream from the neighboring- 
oil wells. Several draws were also inade with the seine in the dam, but with no good 
results. The bottom of the dam is soft mud thoroughly saturated with oil. The dam 
has a height of 7 feet, but at present no water flows over it. This dam serves as a 
reservoir for the Lima waterworks. Lost Creek empties into Sugar Greek. 
