184 American Fisheries Society 



The spawning operations of this species in the southern 

 states begin during the early part of May and continue until 

 the latter part of September, this long period due, probably, 

 to the fact that individual females develop their ova at dif- 

 ferent times, the males seeming always ready. It seems 

 probable that the older and larger females spawn earlier than 

 the smaller and younger ones, and it is apparently established 

 that a single male will occupy the same bed continuously for 

 weeks and even months, accommodating several females 

 during the time. 



The writer took up experimental work with the sunfish, 

 in 1909, too late to accomplish much, having been engaged 

 earlier in the season in the study of the speckled catfish 

 (Ameiurus nebitlosits) , which is generally called the marbled 

 catfish in the north, where it is clouded or marbled. It was 

 soon discovered that the late-hatched individual sunfish 

 of the year before were preying on the young recently 

 hatched. All of these yearlings, and there were but few of 

 them in each pond, were immediately removed and close 

 watch kept on the larger ones of the current year's hatch. 

 It was then discovered that these were about as destructive 

 as the yearlings. At least they were watching for and de- 

 vouring these of the late hatch, as very reasonably was to be 

 expected, for they were about a quarter of an inch long and 

 no larger than most of the animalcule on which the larger 

 fish were feeding when they could find them. 



Many experiments had been made at this station in 

 feeding the fry and adults of the sunfish with corn mush, 

 and with mush made with fine middlings and ground liver in 

 many combinations. The results were always negative. 

 The fish would take these foods for a time, say a few days, 

 and then reject them entirely. At the opening of this sea- 

 son the writer was looking about for some food that might 

 offer possibilities, when finally there was received a sample 

 of so-called "Prepared Fish Food" from a firm at the stock- 

 yards in Chicago. It was a fine dry meal of yellowish 

 brown color and, judged by appearances, made from fresh 



