The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-10-07
Droves of Hydra corala of Enormous
Size Infest the FIathead.
PoLYeoNuMs, PoTAMocEToNs
And Entomostraca Herd With the
Hydra and Keep the Submerged
Fields in Commotion With Their
Forays After Prey. Prof. Elrod
freed by Hydra.

ReSiQ0nLS along fldJuedu lake may
have believed in early day labyrinth
inc monsters, but one may venture
to say that none of the oldest settlers
ever met any of the Hydra which
inhabits Flathead lake alone, of all
the Montana streams and lakes.
"A new hydra is thus described in
circular to the American Micro
spoical society by Prof. Elrod and
Prof. Kicker, the discoveries of the
beast:
, During the summer session of the
University of Montana Biological sta
ton, we found what is believed to be
a new hydra 1t was taken in large
numbers from Echo lake, Flathead
county, Montana. 1t has not been
found in any of the other numerous
streams or lakes in this vicinity and
so far as is known no other hydra
has ever been collected in the state.
The following are some of the most
noticeable characteristics; The ami
mails are conspicuous on account of
their bright coral red color and large
size. In fact, one can recognize them
as hydrae while standing erect on
the logs. A fair sample of the larger
ones measured, when feeding, 16 NM
long from the mouth to the distal
end. None of the tentacles of this
hydra were less than SO nm. long,
measured from the mouth to the end,
and the longest was 43 NM, making
a total. length from tip to tip of SO
nm.
When feeding the tentacles seem
capable of unusual extension, until
they seem a mere thread, bearing
noticeably large nematocysts, like
beads strung on a string.
The color is a deep, bright, coral
red, most intense near the prox'mal
end, and seems to be distributed in
and may possibly be due to symbolic
algae, although indications are to the
contrary.
Since the waters of Echo lake con
tain large numbers of reddish daph
MIA, and, thinking the question Of
their effect on the color of the hydra
would arise, a number of the latter
were taken alive and fed for five
weeks upon colorless entomostraca
from Flathead lake, at the station
laboratory. While they did not seem
to thrive, no noticeable dimming Of
the color bodies was observed.
The hydrae were found early ii
July, 1901. There was little time OF
facilities for delicate Eistologica
work, and the lack of literature com
PEELED us to defer more careful exam
nation until more convenient time
The striking color, the large size
the isolation of the animals from re
lated forms, the apparent division o
the body into stalk and an enlarged
gastric cavity of about equal length
the removal of gonads and buds be
yond this apparent division, alto
gether seemed to make it worthy o
this preliminary note. Careful his
tological examination will be imme
diately made, and should the chal
acters enumerated together wit
others which may be revealed, prov
constant and new, as it is believe
they will, the name hydra corala
proposed for the species.
Echo lake, in which the hydra wa
found, lies in the valley close to tn
foothills, west of the Swan range {
the Kootenai mountains, few mile
northeast of the biological station.
is narrow, with a total length of
or IA miles. 1t may be the old be
of a river which, in earlier days
flowed through the valley unit
damned by moraine The lax
now has no surface outlet, the waite
probably escaping through unde
ground channels or seepage No
withstanding, it contains five or 81
species of fish and numerous specie
of entomostraca.
In 1894 the lake suddenly ros
about IL feet above it's former leve
submerging portions of timbere
lands about the lake borders and
meadow. The water has rem"ined
this higher level since that time.
At the upper end of the lake
rancher took up his claim when Il
water was at the lower stage. +
built a log bridge over the lit
stream that flowed into the lake
this point and erected some log bull
ings in the meadow. The rising "
ter floated the bridge and came up
the top of the doors and windows.
was about this bridge, attached
boards and roots of grasses growi
between the logs that the hydr
were found.
Echo lake affords a good fell
further biological study. It's waite
are held in by moraine, and ha
no connection with other bodies
water at other seasons of the We
unless hy unknown undergrou