Artici.e VII. — ■Obserrations on the Breeding of the Bnropean 

 Carp in the J'^icinity of Havana, Illinois. By R. E. Richardson. 



Observations on the breeding habits of the European carp were 

 begun at the opening of the IlHnois Biological Station in late April, 

 1910, and carried on throughout the remainder of the spawning sea- 

 son ; while the search for fry and fingerlings, with the object of ascer- 

 taining their habits, habitat, local preferences, etc., was continued 

 until the Station closed in September. In the season of 191 1 similar 

 observations were in progress, practically continuously, from April 15 

 to June 8. 



Localities 



The localities within five miles of Havana that have been most fre- 

 cjuented by carp for spawning since 1900, are chiefly the shallow over- 

 flowed fields and marshes along" the Thompson's Lake bottom between 

 Flag Lake and the west bluff and the region about the mouth of Spoon 

 River. All of the places described in the list following are within this 

 radius except the last two. 



1. Danhole's Field. — This is a 600-acre tract, formerly a culti- 

 vated field, lying between the south end of Thompson's Lake and the 

 west bluff, and immediately north of Lynch Slough. Except for two 

 small "guts" at the south end, leading into Lynch Slough, a lotus 

 pond of about one acre in the middle of the east side of the field, and 

 a few narrow ridges toward the north end, the contour of the bottom 

 of this marsh does not show great variation. The entire field is nor- 

 mally overflowed in April and May to a depth of one to three feet. 

 Over almost the entire field is scattered a more or less dense growth 

 of "flag" (Seirpus fliiz'iatilis), while beneath and between the flags, 

 and entirely covered by water through April and May, is usually to 

 be found a carpet of short bog-rush (Juncus). With less uniformity 

 of distribution but in places co^-ering- several acres continuously, are 

 to be seen thick beds of smartweed, and mere scattering patches of 

 cut-grass (Leersia), arrowhead (Sagittaria), and pickerel weed 

 (Pontederia). 



2. Spoon Riz'er "Horseshoes" and adjacent Flats. — Here are in- 

 cluded several hundred acres of overflowed flats, largely timbered, 

 lying between Spoon River and Deep and Lynch sloughs, and between 

 the C, B. & O. R. R. and the Illinois River. In summer these flats 



