spliatinn 
The Relation of Mollusks to Fish in Oneida Lake = 207 
Percentages are not available, but it is evident that fishes, 
which had been eaten by all but one of the bullheads, formed 
the chief article of diet of this lot. Small sunfishes 2 to 3 
inches in length form the greater bulk of the food. Needham 
ealls attention to the fact that these bullheads were not bot- 
tom feeders, the food from such a habitat consisting only of 
a few legs of crawfish, the libellulid nymphs, only two of 
which were eaten, and the alge and silt which was probably 
purely accidental. It will be noted that Forbes examined 
36 specimens from several localities, finding the fish food to 
amount to 20 per cent. Needham says (1908, a, p. 175), 
speaking of the food habits shown by his examinations: 
“This certainly does not indicate the scavenger habits that 
have been very often ascribed to bullheads.” It is probable 
that the food habits very in the different localities. Those 
from Illinois and Michigan are largely bottom feeders, as 
shown by the stomach contents. The majority of the Oneida 
Lake specimens were young. One specimen about ‘five inches 
long had fed from the bottom. 
Chrosomus erythrogaster (Rafinesque). Red-Bellied Dace. 
Though not a mollusk eater it seems important to eall 
attention to the food of this species, which has been carefully 
worked out by Needham (1908, a, p. 183). Forbes (1909, 
p- 113) gives the food as consisting mainly of mud contain- 
ing alge, with an occasional trace of Entomostraca. This 
was based on the examination of three specimens. Need- 
ham (1908, a, p. 183) examined 92 specimens, caught in 
April, May and June. The results are thus summarized, 
and clearly indicate the value of studies made in one place 
at different seasons. In the quotation, the writer has 
arranged dates of capture (see Needham, 1908, p. 187). 
April 25. The table shows at a glance that practically all the food of 
lot 1 consisted of silt and alge. The explanation for this 
is that other food, such as midges and worms, was scarce 
so early in the year. Spring rains had not yet brought 
down the earthworms. 
May 1. About half of the food of lot 2 was silt and alge, while the 
other half was pup and adult midges 
