31] STUDY OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN FISHES— CAEN 31 



either the preceding or the following, and I have seen it only twice, both 

 times from Lac La Belle, into which it has undoubtedly come directly 

 from the Rock river. These two seinings yielded 7 of the species weighing 

 from 3 to 5f pounds. The food and habits are almost identical with those 

 of the preceding species, though a distinctly greater proportion of the 

 food seems to be mollusca — Sphaerium, Valvata, Planorbis and Pisidium 

 predominating. 



14. Ictiobus bubalus (Raf.). Small-mouthed Buffalo; Quillback. 



This is distinctly a deeper water species than either of the other two 

 buffalo fish, and has been taken from the deep holes in the Fox river near 

 Waukesha and in Lac La Belle. The species is much more common in 

 the Rock river where conditions seem to be more congenial. A smaller 

 species than either of the preceding, the small-mouthed buffalo averages 

 about 4| pounds within the region under discussion, though I have seen 

 one specimen from the Fox river that weighed 13 pounds. The food 

 consists of about equal parts of animal and vegetable matter, the former 

 being algae, Potamogeton, Ceratophyllum, the latter entomostraca, Crus- 

 tacea (small crayfish occasionally, as well as zooplankton), and in one 

 instance, bass eggs (Micro pterus salmoides) . The buffaloes are all considered 

 valuable food fish, greatly preferred to carp (Cyprinus carpio) but none 

 are eaten especially eagerly in this vicinity. 



15. Capriodes velifer (Raf.). Quillback Carp; Silver Carp. 



Not common within Waukesha county, but occurring in the Oconomo- 

 woc river between Lac La Belle and the outlet into the Rock river; the Fox 

 river west of Duplainville and down the river to the southern county 

 limits; and in Lac La Belle. A small species which, when caught in nets, 

 is not distinguished by the fishermen from the buffaloes, and it has no 

 value as a food fish, the average size being under 12 inches. Its food consists 

 very largely of vegetable matter — fragments of aquatic vegetation and 

 algae, with occasional insect larvae (Chironomus) and quite a variety of 

 gastropod mollusks (Planorbus, Physa) and small clams, mostly young 

 individuals. It is distinctly a shallower water form than the buffaloes. 



16. Erimyzon sucetta oblongus (Mitchill). Chub Sucker. 



The first records I obtained of this species, and for a long time the 

 only records, came from the Menomonee river in the northeast corner of 

 the county, a stream draining into Lake Michigan. Here the species is 

 not uncommon and it was only in 1924 that I discovered the species in 

 Fowler lake, the only other record I have. The fish is small in size; five 

 inches is the longest individual I have taken, the majority being under 

 four inches long. In the river habitat they prefer flowing water of not 

 great depth, where they have the darter habit of maintaining their position 

 on the gravelly bottom by means of the pectoral and pelvic fins, head 

 upstream. In Fowler lake, however, I have seen no indication of this habit, 



