Part III.] Pond Fish Culture. 107 



were not possible. The other two bass had also disappeared 

 from their nests and were evidently somewhere in the mixup 

 with the carp. When the water became quiet the bass were 

 swimming in rather large curves near their nests. It was 

 some four or five minutes before they were sufficiently quieted 

 to resume their ordinary work of caring for the nests. It is 

 almost needless to say that the carp made a hasty retreat down 

 the river, stirring up clouds of muddy water that plainly 

 marked their routes of retreat. 



Turtle Visits Bass Nests. 



It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when we had an 

 unexpected opportunity of making another observation which 

 we consider a rare one. We were delighted to see a turtle of 

 the variety usually called a *'skillypot" or "painted turtle" 

 slowly making its way up this narrow channel in the direction 

 of the bass nests. This turtle came along in turtle fashion, 

 slowly and carefully, until it got within five or six feet of the 

 nearest nest. Being on the bottom and moving slowly the fish 

 did not seem to notice the turtle until it got within a short dis- 

 tance of .them. When the fish did recognize the turtle they 

 immediately became very much excited, swimming over and 

 around their nests and around and over each other. Finally 

 one of them made a frantic dart at the turtle, which was an 

 animal with a shell some six or eight inches long and some five 

 or six inches wide. After the first two or three movements 

 there was such a commotion in the water that it was hardly 

 possible to see just what took place. Apparently the bass 

 grabbed the turtle by the head,* which would seem an un- 

 reasonable thing to do. However, this was the best observa- 

 tion we could get at the time, of what took place. The turtle 

 was turned up-side-down, at any rate it appeared that way. 



All three bass made an attack on this animal, swimming past, 

 around and under the turtle and striking the animal in some 

 manner. It was not possible to see whether they grabbed the 

 turtle with their mouths or whether they raked the animal 

 with their dorsal spines. Apparently they grabbed him by the 

 feet or tail or most anywhere with their mouths. They must 

 Iiave used their sharp dorsal spines as they passed under the 

 animal. The turtle was on his back or side part of the time, 

 and was apparently turned over by the fish grabbing it. 

 Finally the turtle got his feet in some weeds, which enabled 



* Since the above observations were made we saw a Rock bass gi*ab a 

 turtle by the head and turn it completely over. At the time we were 

 watching the Rock bass perform on its nest at a distance of not over two 

 feet. The turtle, a small one with a shell not over five inches in length, 

 came along almost crawling into the nest before it was discovered. The 

 fish grabbed the outstretched head of the turtle and there was an imme- 

 diate commotion in the water that left the turtle on its back a foot or 

 more from the nest. The turtle immediately disappeared and the fish was 

 .soor> settled over the nest that it was guarding. 



