PARENTAL CAEE AMOKG FRESH- WATER FISHES. 511 



stomachs of 25 individuals critically examined. Over half of the 

 food was ascertained to be of small molhisks (40 per cent of uni- 

 valves and 6 j^er cent of bivalves) ; insects contributed 20 per cent, 

 and crustaceans 22 per cent; the remaining percentage (12 per cent) 

 was furnished by plants— characea?, niyriophyllum, and algie."" Of 

 course the percentage would vary greatly with conditions. Although 

 no worms appear to have been found, anglers need not be told that 

 an earthworm is an excellent bait. Doubtless little fishes, too, may 

 be occasionally taken in if they come in the way. Another source of 

 food not referred to by Forbes is yielded by true fishes. The sun- 

 fishes are, to a considerable extent, spawn eaters, but at least they are 

 not notorious for attacks on the spawn of useful fishes, and, so far, 

 they are best known for the service they perform as spawn eaters 

 and not for injuries conunitted, for it was through forays on the 

 eggs of the useless and harmful bowfin or dogfish of the lakes 

 {Amid) that its spawn-eating i)roclivities became most evident. 

 Eeighard, in his long-continued ()l)servati()ns of the nests of the bow- 

 fin, found that whenever one was desei'ted by its maker it was liable 

 to be raided by sunfishes. 



AVlien the returning heat of spring has put new life in the fishes, 

 as well as the rest of nature, the sunfish feels its influence, and it is 

 made manifest in an added brilliancy of coloration to the males and 

 Ihe turgid abdomens of the females. They are ready to proceed to 

 their procreative duties about May. The fullest observations of the 

 nuptial condition have been made by Jacob Reighard." '' In the male 

 of Enporyiotis gihhosus the colors are much brighter than in the 

 female. The vermicular markings on the cheeks of the male are more 

 brilliant than those of the female; the opercular ear flap is larger and 

 bordered with scarlet and blue; the ventrals of the male are black, 

 while those of the female are yellow ; the dorsal and caudal of the 

 male are much more brilliantly blue than those of the female. Tn 

 approaching the female, in order to induce her to enter his nest to 

 spawn, the male elevates or puffs out the gill covers so as to display 

 their brilliant markings. At the same time the opercular ear flaps are 

 erected and the black ventral fins spread out. When in this attitude 

 the male faces the female, and it is when seen from the front that his 

 display of color is most brilliant. He assumes a similar attitude when 

 threatening other males. lie was never seen to assume this attitude 

 except under the circumstances described, so that the display of color 

 resulting from the attitude must be regarded as a means of expressing 

 the emotions."" 



But, like the cock, which it emulates in action as well as decoration, 

 the sunfish is apt to excite and incur the hostility of rival males. 



o J. Reighard, Science, April 11, 1902, p. r>75. 



