60 NATURAL HISTORY OF AMIA OALVA LINNAEUS. 



and made incidental observations on the'habits of the male fish and the swarms. 

 During the four seasons, 1898 to 1901, inclusive, I attempted a systematic study 

 of the natural history of Amia during the breeding season. In 1901 the work 

 was carried on with other similar work under the auspices of the United States 

 Fish Commission, and owes much to the liberal support of the Commissioner, 

 the Hon. Geo. M. Bowers, as well as to Dr. H. M. Smith, in charge of the 

 scientific work of the Commission. Some brief preliminary accounts of this study 

 have been published, Reighard (:00, :01). All the work has been done on the mill- 

 ponds of the Huron River, within a few miles of Ann Arbor. In order to carry it on 

 continuously a camp was established at the breeding grounds during each of these 

 seasons. Joe Peters, a French-Canadian fisherman, experienced in the use of boats, 

 in handling and mending nets, and in water- and wood-craft, had charge of the camp 

 and rendered invaluable aid. Except when wind and rain interfered with the work, 

 I was almost always in camp, and unless otherwise stated all observations here 

 set down were made by me and recorded on the spot. As soon as a nest was begun 

 it was marked by a numbered stake and a record kept of its subsequent history. 

 During the four seasons records were thus made of one hundred and seventy-seven 

 nests. Certain male fish were found to be readily recognizable through individual 

 peculiarities, and as far as possible these and their swarms were followed from day 

 to day in their wanderings, and their history recorded. The camp seems to afford 

 the only means available for carrying on such continuous observations. 



And yet, in spite of nearly continuous observation, sometimes carried through 

 the night, the complete history of an individual fish and of its nest and swarm has 

 not in any case been obtained. Wind and rain often interrupt work. Many 

 nests are never filled with eggs and are after a time abandoned by their builders. 

 From other nests the males are driven, perhaps by the too frequent visits of the 

 observer, perhaps by so great a fall in the water-level that the nest is left exposed 

 or inaccessible, perhaps by a marauding muskrat. In other cases the male fish, 

 while temporarily absent from his nest, falls victim to some spearman, or, returning, 

 finds the eggs destroyed by minnows or sunfish. When the swarms of young fish 

 have left the nest, their wanderings increase in extent and their movements become 

 more rapid with age. They are apt at all times to remain hidden in shadows or in 

 the midst of aquatic plants, and they hide more effectually as they grow older. The 

 difficulty of following them under these circumstances is increased by the chances 

 of destruction to which both the male and the swarm are subjected. Separated 

 from its protector the swarm is subject to the attacks of other fish or perhaps to 

 those of adult individuals of its own species. The male may meet with some mishap 



