PAPERS ON ZOOLOGY 145 



Kirscli ( '95, p. 331 ) found the fish on spawning beds July 

 17. At Walnut Lake in Michigan, it is very certain that 

 the fish did not begin to nest much before the middle of 

 June in 1906. 



All of the eggs of this species found in the Charleston 

 region were attached to the stones of a gravelly nest bot- 

 tom, but at Walnut Lake in Michigan rush roots were used 

 for holding the eggs (Hankinson '08, p. 212). Broad, 

 shaded, shallow parts of large creeks w^th gravelly bottom, 

 depth under two feet and moderate current appear to be 

 the conditions most favorable for the nesting of this 

 species in this region. The width of the stream at the 

 breeding site has usually been between 20 and 40 feet. In 

 the Normal School pond nests were found a few feet out 

 from shore in about a foot of water. Here the fish had 

 cleaned away leaves and other bottom debris down to a 

 gravel stratum. All nests found in the Charleston region 

 were more or less circular areas, but they varied much in 

 distinctness, some being almost perfectly circular and 

 others irregular and difficult to discern and only found by 

 the presence of the attending fish. In size they varied; 

 some found at Polecat Creek on June 7, 1913, were about 

 30 inches in diameter, but ordinarily they w^ere between a 

 foot and two feet wide. All nests noted were very shallow 

 depressions. The Long-eared Sunfish appears to nest 

 always in small colonies in this region. From five to thir- 

 teen nests have been found together and from an inch or so 

 to about a foot apart. 



All nests have been located and identified by the pres- 

 ence of the attending fish. This was very probably the 

 male in all cases since it always had the long opercular 

 flap and high coloration of that sex. It appears to be 

 especiall}'^ active compared with other sunfish in protect- 

 ing its eggs, especially w^hen minnows or other creatures 

 threaten them. I have seen the spawning act but once, and 

 that was in the Normal School pond on July 27, 1907. Here 

 the male and female were similar in size, each about five 

 inches long. Forbes and Richardson ('09, p. 255) had not 

 found a female of this species over three inches in length, 

 and they note gravid females only 1% inches long. All 

 attending fish noted by me were from three to five inches 

 long. 



