46 MARINE AND FISHERIES 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



masses that they probably have little chance of hatching. Considerable attention 

 has already been given to the artificial propagation of the species, but much more 

 could be done with very moderate expense by utilizing the various waterfalls 

 on the river courses where the fish now spawn in abundance. In some respects 

 the eggs are more difficult to handle than those of whitefish and trout, but, on the 

 other hand, relatively greater results may be had with little effort and cost. The 

 small size of the eggs permits a jar capacity of three or more times that of white- 

 fish, and the period of operations, including the capture of the parent fish, stripping, 

 and hatching of the eggs involves only a short season of three or four weeks accord- 

 ing to the temperature of the water. 



During the late summer the dor6 are said to move out into the deep water, 

 returning again into the rivers in the following spring. In the early summer they 

 are commonly taken by sportsmen by trolling or by bait-fishing in moderately 

 deep water near shore, on shoals, or in channels. In clear water they bite only 

 in the early morning or towards sundown, but in the dark inland waters they may 

 be taken at any time of the day, though better when the light is not intense. 



Genus Perca. 



Perca flavescens, MitchUl. 



(Yellow perch) 



Present in all situations, except the smallest inland ponds. Probably the 

 most abundant and generally distributed species in the region. It is taken in 

 shore swamps, inland lakes, on shoals, and in the open water of Georgian Bay 

 at a depth of 20 fathoms. Whether from some feature of the environment, or 

 the presence of a large number of predaceous enemies, the fish does not reach the 

 size that it does elsewhere. The largest specimens are about 10^ inches in length, 

 but the average is scarcely more than 5 inches. 



Body moderately elongated, somewhat compressed, the back very convex. 

 Depth 3 • 7 to 4. Head 3 • 2 to 3 • 4. General coloration yellow, light below. Sides 

 with seven vertical dark bars. Ventral and anal fins pale yellow, bright yellow, 

 or reddish. Specimens from the open water shoals and from deep water have the 

 yellow of the sides replaced by grey or blackish, and the lower fins are red. An- 

 terior dorsal fin with 12 or 13 spines. Posterior dorsal with 1 spine and 12, or 

 sometimes 13, soft rays. Anal fin with 2 spines and 7 or 8 soft rays. Scales 

 small and solidly attached, 6 to 8, 67 to 71, 11 to 14. 



The perch is carnivorous and more or less predaceous according to its size. 

 It feeds on small crayfish, molluscs and insects, and when large attacks smaller 

 fishes. It seems to be more adaptive in respect of its environment than other 

 species, and appears to be taking up the deep water area of the southern part of 

 Georgian Bay that was formerly occupied by the whitefish. It is probably in- 

 creasing rapidly in this situation, in spite of the fact that it now forms a large 

 part of the food supply of the lake trout. 



