530 
BUIvLETIN of the bureau of fisheries. 
comparable with the larger and deeper lakes of Europe, although such a comparison is 
reserved by us for another paper. 
There is another circumstance which makes it possible to study the Finger Lakes 
profitably. The hydrography of the six chief lakes has been determined through 
surveys made by Cornell University. These will receive more detailed notice in a later 
section. The successive classes of the College of Civil Engineering, Cornell University, 
carried on studies of these lakes almost continuously from 1874 to 1897, devoting to the 
field work a period each summer following the closing of the college year. The univer- 
sity published maps giving the outlines, soundings, and shore topography (so far as the 
last was determined) for Cayuga and Seneca Lakes (scale i : 60,000), Canandaigua and 
Keuka Lakes (scale i : 40,000) . Owasco Lake was published privately in similar manner. 
Otisco and Skaneateles Lakes have remained unpublished. Both the published maps 
and copies of drawings of the unpublished lakes have been placed at our disposal by 
Director E. E. Haskell, of the College of Civil Engineering, Cornell University, to whom 
our thanks are due for many courtesies. 
This work has had a singular fate. No limnologist appears to have made use of 
it, or, indeed, to have known of it. The volume, mean depth, etc., of the lakes can be 
determined from the data supplied by these surveys; but until the authors of this 
paper undertook the task it had not been done. The earliest survey was that of Cayuga 
Lake, begun nearly 40 years ago. It was the first to be made of an inland lake in the 
United States and antedates most similar surveys in Europe; but it seems to be almost 
wholly unknown, as well as the surveys made later. The lakes are not mentioned in 
Murray’s “ account of the lakes of the world or in Halbfass’s account of the lakes outside 
of Europe.* Yet these are the only lakes in the eastern United States which are at all 
comparable to the more important inland lakes of Europe and the surveys represent a 
quality of work which has been surpassed by only the best European surveys. 
A very careful hydrographic survey of Canadice Lake was made by the department 
of water supply of Rochester, N. Y., and the authors express their thanks for a copy of 
this map, as well as for the other courtesies rendered by the department. 
This paper represents the joint work of the authors. Mr. Juday is, however, 
directly responsible for the sections on gases and plankton and Mr. Birge for those on 
hydrography and temperatures. 
methods and authorities. 
In the account of the physical geography and hydrography ® of the Finger Lakes 
the elevations above sea level are taken from the maps of the United States Geological 
Survey. The figures for the areas, depths, and slopes of the lakes are derived from the 
“ Murray, J. : The characteristics and distribution of lakes. Bathymetrical survey of the fresh-water lochs of Scotland, vol. i. 
Edinburgh, 1910. 
b Halbfass, W.: Topographic, Hydrographic, Geologic der Ausser-Europaischen Seen, in Der Gegcnwartige Stand der Seen- 
forschung, bd. 1, 1912. 
0 Tarr, R. S.: Popular Science Monthly, vol. ixvin, p. 387-397; United States Geological Survey, FoUo No. 169, p. 4, 1910. 
Watson, T. I,.: Fifty-first aimual report of the New York State Museum, vol. i, p. r59-rii7 (1897), 1899. 
Nevius, J. N.: Ibid., p. ri3i-ris2. 
Rafter, G. W.: Hydrology of the State of New York. New York State Museum Bulletin 85, 1905. , 
