I. Notes on New Jersey Fishes. 



This account is a record of my observations made during the past 

 season, together with such information as I have been able to gather 

 from apparently reliable sources. Several recent additions to the 

 fauna are here noted. Mr. J. B. Vanderveer, of Trenton, and Dr. E. J. 

 Phillips, of Philadelphia, have kindly furnished me with some interest- 

 ing notes. 



Family PETROMYZONIDiE. 



Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus. 

 Lamprey. Lamper. Lamper Eel. 



Mr. Emlen Martin reports a large example about three feet long 

 taken in the Rancocas Creek, at Centerton, Burlington county, during 

 the spring of 1908. 



Mr. J. B. Vanderveer says that at Trenton and below, in the Dela- 

 ware, they would formerly appear in spring and early summer in all 

 the shad and herring fisheries. They attached themselves to shad, 

 herring or carp, removing the scales at the point of attachment to 

 rasp off the flesh and thus be enabled to suck the blood. Fish ^o at- 

 tacked soon become weak, and often an infested shad has been seen 

 swimming laboriously behind the main school. On one occasion a 

 shad with two rather small lampreys of about nine or ten inches in 

 length, one dangling from each opercle, was seen swimming in this 

 way. The young do not seem to be known or be used by the fishermen. 

 Lampreys run in the tributary creeks or smaller streams in the spring 

 and early summer to spawn. Large ones, reaching four or five pounds 

 in weight, were met with, and when about their nesting were very 

 pugnacious, viciously attempting the defensive, though harmless. 

 Lampreys were not used as food by the fishermen. 



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