ORANGE-SPOTTED SUNFISH, LEPOMIS HUMILIS. 5 



Other records of breeding for this fish are made by Forbes and 

 Richardson (1908). They note that ripe males and females were 

 taken in Meredosia Bay by Doctor Kofoid on June 8, 1899. Richard- 

 son (1913) records a male and female of this species in breeding 

 color on May 23, 1911, in Quiver Marshes, 111., over a freshly exca- 

 vated nest in water 18 inches deep. He further notes that "rather 

 late spawning was indicated in 1910 by the taking, July 7, at the 

 head of Liverpool Lake, of males in full color and females heavy 

 with eggs." 



Pig. 1. — Critical breeding temperature and growing season of Lepomis humilis in Loui- 

 siana and Iowa as indicated by montlily average mean water temperatures. 



Louisiana ; Iowa. It is probable that active feeding and growth begin 



when the water temperature reaches the vicinitv of 55° F. and continue until the 

 temperature returns to that point in the fall. The growing season of the species is 

 therefore at least 3 months longer in Louisiana than in Iowa. 



THE NEST AND SPAWNING HABITS. 



The nest of Lepomis humilis is similar to those of other sunfishes 

 but, as might be expected, somewhat smaller. It has been observed 

 to be excavated by the male fish, which, by powerful pushing of the 

 head and by flirts of the tail, combined with active trembling of the 

 fins, removes the smaller pebbles and lighter sand from a bowl- 

 shaped pocket. The nest is circular or nearly so, measuring from 15 

 to 18 cm. in diameter. The depth of the nest itself varies from 3 to 4 

 cm. An unavoidable lowering of the water stage of the Fairport sta- 



