DeRyke and Scott 37 



the small larvae of gnats (chironomus) already mentioned, seventy per cent 

 of the first and twenty-six per cent of the second." 



The chief foods of the perch during the summer months are fish, 

 chironomus larvae, snails, cladocera, amphipods, caddis-fly larvae, odonata 

 larvae, may-fly larvae, insects and plant tissue. The most favored food is 

 fish, sixty-five fish out of a total of one hundred sixty-two having eaten fish. 

 Chironomida larvae and snails appear to be next, thirty-four fish having 

 eaten snails, while forty were found to have taken chironomidae larvae. The 

 cladocera, amphipods, ostracods and copepods are mostly utilized by the 

 smaller fish, twenty-seven fish eating cladocera, twenty-seven eating amphi- 

 pods, five eating copepods and four eating ostracods. Twenty-three fish 

 had eaten caddis-fly larvae, seventeen may-fly larvae, thirteen beetle larvae, 

 twenty odonata larvae, twenty-six insects, twelve cray-fish and twenty-one 

 plant tissues. Eleven of the fish had empty stomachs. 



The food of the perch in Winona Lake during the summer months seems 

 to differ materially from those of Douglas Lake, Michigan, as reported by 

 Jacob Reighard ('13). Reighard found that of nineteen perch examined 

 "eleven contained insects only, one contained insects together with a cray- 

 fish, three contained cray-fish only and four contained fish only. The rela- 

 tive importance of the three kinds of food is perhaps indicated by the fre- 

 quency of the occurrence of each, which is the ratio: insects 3, fish 1, cray- 

 fish 1." 



Hankinson ('07), in his report on Walnut Lake, Michigan, in examining 

 the stomachs of thirty-two perch, found thirteen eating midges and eleven 

 eating cray-fish. Others had taken may-fly larvae in small quantities and 

 "a variety of other insects besides snails, leeches and entomostracans. The 

 few fry opened contained chiefly entomostracans among which were copepods 

 and ostracods." 



The food of the perch of Winona Lake more nearly corresponded with 

 the food of the perches of the Wisconsin lakes as reported by A. S. Pearse 

 ('18). However, as Pearse used volumetric percentages I am unable to 

 compare the foods as to the number of individuals eaten. 



Lepomis pallidtis Mitchill (Bluegill) — Table II 



The bluegill with its deep, short, thin shape and its small upturned mouth 

 is best adapted to wend its way among the water plants of quiet water 

 searching for entomostracans and larvae clinging to plants. 



Here, too, we find the small fish depending upon the smaller animals 

 and plants for food. By inspection of Table II, it will be seen that the fish 

 from 11 mm. in length to about 40 or 45 mm. in length have eaten principally 

 entomostracans and chironomidae larvae. The entomostracans consist chiefly 

 of cladocera, copepods and a few ostracods. Those larger than 40 or 45 mm. 

 in length have taken larger food and a greater variety. These depend chiefly 

 on entomostracans, chironomidae larvae, caddis-fly larvae, adult insects, snails, 

 algae and higher plants. The vegetation when found in adult stomachs was 

 usually in masses and quite compact, distending the stomach to its capacity. 

 This was also found by S. A. Forbes ('88), who writes "Certain of the sun- 

 fishes evidently take plant food purposely, on occasion, this making, for ex- 

 ample, nearly a tenth of the food of forty-seven specimens of Lepomis." 



