Stranahan. — Sunfish Culture 187 



1,000 or less, probably about 800. In the former case the 

 parent fish had his brood near shore. They were very small, 

 not having been off the bed more than two or three days, 

 and the school was in compact form. Some of the new fish 

 food was scattered over a small area, probably not over two 

 feet across, embracing a small tuft of weeds. The whole was 

 within a few feet of the bank so as to be well observed. The 

 fry swam about the area referred to as long as fresh meal 

 was put out at frequent intervals, in spite of the frantic 

 efforts of the parent fish to get them away into deep water. 

 They were so small that they could not be seen in the very 

 act of taking the food, but there was no question as to the 

 fact that they were doing so. 



The case of the other brood is far more instructive and 

 closer to the point of fish culture. Numerous exhaustive 

 experiments have been made at this station by the writer in 

 handling black bass fry in small ponds. All conceivable or 

 attainable foods have been used, including plankton in quan- 

 tities procured from adjoining wild ponds, and all with the 

 most complete failure, as was also the result with this species 

 under even more favorable conditions in Ohio under the 

 auspices of the State Fish Commission. The fry in this 

 pond have been fed nothing but the Chicago feed from the 

 start to date, nearly two months, and although they have not 

 made as rapid growth as was anticipated, they are, to all 

 appearances, all there and doing well, there being no "big 

 heads" or signs of cannibalism. 



We believe that feeding can be carried on in the large 

 ponds by locating the broods and feeding them while yet 

 with the parent fish and that during the favorable weather 

 broods can be taken out and put into the fry ponds, there to 

 be held in readiness for shipment. We have often been 

 delayed days and even weeks in making shipments owing to 

 high winds and rain when, of course, broods cannot be 

 located in the large ponds and are, therefore, often broken 

 up and scattered about the pond to pursue their predatory 

 instincts on their little brothers. 



