6 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



served for investigation of the food of fishes at different sizes and in 

 different seasons. The fishermen and dealers are interviewed and, 

 through their cordial cooperation, much valuable information is 

 gained for each species of fish as to its commercial importance, the 

 periods, seasons, and years of best catches, the time, place, and man- 

 ner of catching, the local names, the trend of abundance of the 

 fish, whether increasing or decreasing, and any other facts of in- 

 terest. In some cases it was possible to copy the records of pound- 

 net fishermen for various years from 1910 to the present time. It is 

 intended that the report when completed shall be in every way as 

 practically useful as is permitted by the conditions of the study. 



The shore work has been done principally at 15 stations on both 

 sides of the bay, from Norfolk and the Capes to Havre de Grace 

 in the upper end of the bay. The use of the Fish Hawk made it pos- 

 sible to conduct studies in various parts of the bay and in the mouths 

 of the rivers, a small beam trawl being, used at 68 different stations 

 and at depths varying from 30 to 162 feet. Trawling during Feb- 

 ruary revealed very few fish, small glut and branch herring . pre- 

 dominating among the fish caught at that season. The general fish- 

 ing situation in Chesapeake Bay during the past year was found to 

 be good. While certain species have declined in numbers, par- 

 ticularly the bluefish and Spanish mackerel, others are maintaining 

 their abundance in spite of increased fishing and at least one species, 

 the croaker or hardhead, has notably increased in abundance. 



MISCELLANEOUS STUDIES OF FISHES. 



Incidental to other duties R. L. Barney and B. J. Anson com- 

 pleted during the year a study of the natural history of the orange- 

 spotted sunfish. The report submitted by them includes a discus- 

 sion of the breeding and spawning habits, the food, growth, and eco- 

 nomic relations of the sunfish. ^ It is evident that the orange-spotted 

 sunfish is of importance where used in the pond culture of carniv- 

 orous fish; in nursery ponds for fish-cultural enterprise it serves as 

 an economical agent in the turnover of small and otherwise unusable 

 material into fish flesh. Because of its feeding habits it has a value 

 also in mosquito control. Important observations on the usefulness 

 of this fish in black-bass culture are made available in the report. 



While cooperating with the Minnesota Game and Fish Commission 

 in matters relating to the protection of fresh-water mussels in Lake 

 Pokegama, R. L. Barney, director of the fisheries biological station, 

 Fairport, Iowa, and H. L. Canfield, superintendent of fish culture 

 at the same station, found favorable opportunities for making ob- 

 servations on the natural history of the rock sturgeon and the sheeps- 

 head. Many data were secured concerning the food, growth, age, 

 and weight relationships, attainment of sexual maturity, sexual 

 cycle, and daily and seasonal migrations of both species. Such ob- 

 servations should have particular importance with reference to the 

 protection of the rock sturgeon, a most valuable fish that is yearly 

 becoming less and less numerous. 



» Life History and Ecology of the Orange-Spotted Sunfish, Lepomis humiUs. By R. L. 

 Barney and B. J. Anson. Appendix XV, Report, TJ. S. Commissioner of Fisljeries for 

 1922. Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 938. In press. 



