UNUTILIZED FISHES. 27 



Small fishes {Ammodytes, Pomolobus, ParalichthyM) , but for the 

 most part the sand eel {Ammodytes americanus) ^ had been consumed 

 by some in large numbers, and no doubt form a considerable part of 

 the skate's food supply. Many of the small fishes it was impossible 

 to identify on account of the advanced stage of digestion. 



It was surprising to find squid {Loligo pealii), which is a very 

 active swimmer, in as many as (> per cent of these sluggish fishes. 

 This was doubtless due to the fact tliat the skates were taken from 

 the traps, which swarmed with squids to such a degree that it was an 

 easy matter to seize one in such close quarters. Under natural condi- 

 tions it is most likely that squids are rarel}' taken. 



The sea worm {Nereis) appears as a factor in the skate's diet. 

 Over G per cent of the specimens examined contained annelids of 

 this genus, which must have been eaten before the fish entered the 

 traps. The razor clam {Ensatella americana) was found in over 3 

 per cent of the number. Other mollusks are probably eaten, although, 

 strange to say, none were found in the above 51G specimens. As 

 many as 26 per cent had empty stomachs, and over 18 per cent con- 

 tained matter so far digested that it was impossible to determine its 

 nature. Knots of eel grass and algae were sometimes found, i)robably 

 consumed accidentally with other food. The stomachs of two skates 

 contained each a good-sized pebble, which no doubt was also swal- 

 lowed with food. In one stomach was found a small portion of a 

 lobster. 



ESTIMATE OF DESTRUCTIVENESS. 



Judging from the above data, the summer skate is a harmless 

 species, whose food is confined to the smaller Crustacea (crabs, 

 shrimps, and sand fleas) , small fishes, sea worms, and small mollusks. 

 The food is, as might have been expected, similar to that of the 

 smooth dogfish {Mustelus canis) ; but on account of its small size 

 the summer skate is not able to commit the same depredations upon 

 the lobster. Doubtless the larger species, like the barn-door skate 

 {Raja la'vis) and the big skate {Raja ocellata), eat lobsters to a great 

 extent. Indeed, fishermen have told me that they have found lob- 

 sters in the stomachs of barn-door skates, and there is little doubt 

 that a systematic study of the food of these skates would confirm the 

 statement. 



THE COMMON KILLIFISH. 



GENERAL APPEARANCE AND DISTRIBUTION. 



The common killifish {Fitndidus heterocJitn.s) is a small shore fish 

 varying from 3 to 6 inches in length, with a short, deep, thick-set 

 body and a blunt head, flattened from above. The males are of a 



