390 



ing"* at various points in the vicinity of Havana. If any judgment 

 is possible from a comparison of the frequency of these reports with 

 those that came in later, it seems probable that the majority of the 

 carp at Havana spawned between April lo and 25. A cold spell be- 

 tween April 20 and 25 resulted in a drop of water temperature to 46" 

 by April 25. No reports of spawning activity were received between 

 this date and the beginning of the second week in May. The wanner 

 days, preferably when a light south wind is blowing, seem usually to 

 be chosen by the carp for spawning. 



May. The first week in May was cool and rainy, and no spawn- 

 ing movement was reported. The weather cleared and moderated 

 after May 7. The surface temperature of the water in Thompson's 

 Lake rose from 46° to 62° Fahr. between April 25 and May 2, and 

 increased gradually thereafter, the maximum air temperature reach- 

 ing y2° on May 9. Numerous reports of spawning activity of carp 

 came in between May 7 and 9, and on the last-named date the greater 

 part of the day was spent by Allen and myself in making observations 

 on the breeding grounds in Danhole's field. 



^1/03' p. Went with Allen and outfit to Danhole's field morning 

 and afternoon. Carp splashing in south end of field all day^ — two or 

 three or half a dozen in one place. Giggers (farmers), with pitch- 

 forks, wading about. In the part of the field in which carp are now 

 spawning the water is from i to 3 ft. deep. The bottom is for the 

 most part thickly covered with a fine short bog-rush, cut-grass, and 

 smartweed. At the surface a good deal of loose drift — dead twigs, 

 etc. — is floating. Examination of the bottom with the water-glass 

 shows eggs in large numbers attached to the submerged vegetation 

 and drift — green bog-rush and grass and dead grass and brush. Most 

 of the eggs are in water 2 ft. or more in depth, and in such places as 

 are most densely covered by floating drift. They are clearly seen with 

 the water-glass in two feet of water, and easily lifted to the surface, 

 with the lx)g rush and drift to which they are attached, by the use of a 

 common garden rake. The floating trash is also very generally 

 sprinkled with eggs, dou1>tless thrown out of the water into the air by 

 the carp as they crowded and turned or were thrust on their sides in 

 the act of spawning. Lrarge numbers of eggs are fungused, indicating 

 that they have been spawned some days, but presumably during the 

 first week of May. Several hundreds of eggs were taken into the 

 laboratory and put into aquaria for observation. 



In the south hundred acres of the field, counts were made in vari- 



*"Splashing," "rolling," "fluttering," etc., are terms used by fishermen to de- 

 !5crihe movements of carp in the act of spawning. 



