196 BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



It appears that the number of ova produced l>y various species of 

 Teleostean fishes are in some way proportioned to the chances they 

 may have of surviving. Viviparous forms like the Oyprinodonts have 

 comparatively tew ova, and the number may be as few as 15 or 20 in 

 such a form as Gambusia. The sticklebacks, we find, may in some in- 

 stances liave quite as few. Anadromous and marine species, <»n the 

 •other hand, often exhibit the most surprising fecundity. The female 

 shad, for instance, may have 250,000 ova in process of maturation ;it 

 one time in her roes; the rock-fish or striped bass upwards of 3,000,000; 

 the cod from 2,000,000 to 9,000,000; the pollock 4,000,000; the had- 

 dock not far from 2, 000,000. These, are significant figures, and doubt- 

 less indicate that there is some principle or law regnant in nature which 

 determines these wide differences in the number of ova matured bv 

 one female in a .ingle season. It may be a fact that the eggs of the 

 cod and many other species have been gradually adapted to float, be 

 cause, if they did not, the pressure of the water at great depths would 

 prevent their development. In spite, however, of this admirable pro- 

 vision, it is doubtless a fact that one egg of a nest-building species, 

 like the stickleback, has a thousand chances favorable to its survival 

 as against one in favor of a single egg of the cod, left as it is floating 

 in the open sea at the mercy of wind and waves. The species with 

 thread-bearing eggs seem to a certain extent intermediate as regards 

 the number of ova produced, and this is perhaps as strong an argu- 

 ment as can be produced, tending to show that the filaments are devel- 

 oped as protective contrivances, which suspend such ova in safe posi- 

 tions to fixed objects above the sea-bottom during their development. 



Washington, D. C, June 11, 1883. 



IS— DO SNAKES CATCH AND EAT FISH? 



By WILLARD NYE, Jr. 



[From Jitter to Frof. S. F. Baird.] 



While up on Lost Creek, yesterday, 1 saw a snake coming out of the 

 water with a fish in his mouth, that lie had caught all by himself. The 

 snake was one of these common kind seen around pounds, and about 

 30 inches in length, while the fish was about 4 inches long (but thick 

 and bulky), being what they call out here a " bull-pout" (looks just 

 like a toad-grunter from the salt water, and live under stones the same 

 as they do). I killed the snake, and the fish being alive, put him back 

 in the water, when he went off seemingly much pleased at the change. 



A friend who was with me also found a snake which had swallowed 

 one of the same kind of fish ; that is, he had got him down as tar as 

 (he gills, and the fish was still alive. The idea of a snake going in for 

 a morning's fishing struck me as rather funny, so thought I would send 

 you an account of it. 



Park City, Jmie 25, 1883. 



