9 



salmon, and I think I can say tlie same of tlie Pacific sal- 

 mon, and all of the front, will take the small snn-fish as 

 food. They j)refer, however, the common minnows or 

 shiners." 



Mr. Kauffman said: "I would like to ask Mr. Cheney if 

 he does not think that locality has something to do with 

 the sj^awning of black bass? The spawning season, we 

 nnderstand, is about over in the Potomac. They spawn a 

 great deal earlier in the lower grounds than they do in the 

 mountain regions." 



Mr. Cheney answered : ' ' Yes ; ' ' and then said, ' ' I would 

 like to have some gentleman inform ns what size trout at- 

 tain before sj^awning ? ' ' 



Mr. Clark answered : ' ' There is one point that Mr. 

 Cheney would like to know. He asked what is the size of 

 a spawning trout. I have taken eggs from a brook trout 

 less than four inches long. We have a law in our State 

 that trout less than six inches should not be caught ; but 

 as I said, I have taken eggs from a trout that was four 

 inches long." 



Mr. Seal said in regard to temperature : "I think the 

 temperature has much to do with the time of spawning. 

 We have had yellow perch to si3awn in December and 

 again in March, and we have had gold-fish to spawn this 

 year in February. The temperature then was 62°. If the 

 temperature is constant and high enough, the fish will 

 spawn at any time. The character of water in this reepect 

 varies greatly, and in some waters they will spawn much 

 earlier. Again, older fishes spawn much earlier than young 

 ones. It is the case with the gold-fish and perhaps with 

 all fishes." 



Mr. Clark said : " Is it not a fact that nearly all fishes, 

 the spring spawners and the fall spawners, depend alto- 

 gether upon temperature, the spring spawners needing a 

 a warmer temperature, and the fall spawners a colder tem- 

 perature ? That has been my experience." 



