Part III.] Pond Fish Culture. 95 



guards the female ; he takes on the courage and ferocity of a 

 warrior and dashes at any other fish that may come near; he 

 heads off with great dexterity any move that would indicate 

 that the female wanted to leave the premises. If the female 

 is satisfied, or as soon as she becomes satisfied, the pair will 

 swim around and around over the nest and in its immediate 

 neighborhood, frequently moving side by side. In one instance 

 observed this summer the male fish seemed to butt up against 

 the side of the female with his head and shoulder, and would 

 throw the female on her side. The two fish would frequently 

 strike the sides of their bodies together, and whirl and turn 

 in different directions, making various grotesque maneuvers. 

 After a courtship of this kind, which may last for one or 

 more days, the female begins to deposit her eggs* in the nest. 

 At this time the male is very active, swimming around the 

 female and half knocking her over with his head and shoulder, 

 and when the eggs are deposited he ejects his milt in the water 

 immediately over or above them. In this manner, without any 

 act of copulation, the eggs are fertilized. While this spawning 

 business is going on, the fish are usually in from one to three 

 feet of water and in quick motion. We have watched them 

 until we were dizzy trying to see and figure out just what took 

 place. It is a difficult matter under the above circumstances 

 to make exact observations. 



The eggs, at least in some instances, are deposited in 

 elongated bunches or strings by the female, but soon spread 

 and adhere to the particles of vegetation in the nest. Other 

 observers note that the eggs adhere to the gravel in the nest. 

 This would be true in gravel and pebble nests, and where there 

 is no vegetable matter to form a lining for the nest bed, and is 

 especially true with the small-mouthed Black bass, as reported 

 by various breeders of this species. 



We have not been able to figure out just how long this 

 spawning process lasts. We think, however, from observations 

 made at the Hatchery, that at least in some cases it does not 

 last very long — only a few minutes. We are not certain, how- 

 ever, about the number of times the operation may be re- 

 peated. Such observations are hard to get when fish are active 

 and in from one to two feet of water. We have observed cer- 

 tain fish spawning on a few occasions, and when we would 

 examine the place a few hours afterwards the spawning would 

 seem to have ceased. After the spawning has been finished, 

 the male usually takes charge of the nest and attempts to drive 

 the female away. After a day or so, if you will take the trouble 

 to watch the nest, you will find that the female, which is 

 usually the larger fish, has disappeared; or she may be seen 

 swimming around several feet from the nest. 



* The number of eggs deposited in a bass nest varies from 2000 to 

 20,000 and depends upon the size, age and condition of the spawning fish. 



