American FisJicrics Society. 45 



THE HABITS AND CULTURE OF THE BLACK BASS. 



BY DWIGHT LYDELL. 



In this paper I shall try to set doAvn the experiences that I 

 have had in the nine seasons, heginning with that of 1894. dur- 

 ing which I have had charge of the Black Bass work of the 

 Michigan Fish Commission. This work was begiin at Cascade, 

 Michigan, and after four seasons was transferred to Mill Creek, 

 where it is now carried on. Since the methods of ^jond culture 

 that have been finally adoj^ted are based on a knowledge of the 

 breeding habits of the fish under natural conditions, I shall be- 

 gin by descrilnng these hal)its. Tlie account has reference to the 

 >Small Mouth Bass, unless the Large Mouth is specified. 



In studying the habits of the bass it is necessary to distin- 

 guish the males from the females at a considerable distance. 

 Ordinarily, it is not possible to distinguish them except by dis- 

 section, but just at the spawning time the female is distinguish- 

 able even at a distance of 10 or 20 feet on account of her disten- 

 sion M'ith eggs. By this means I have been able to make out the 

 part taken by each sex in nest building and the rearing of young. 

 I have several times, while watching the fish, verified my de- 

 termination of the sex by seining the fish in question and dis- 

 secting it, liave invariably found that I had determined the sex 

 correctly. 



I do not hesitate to say that the nests of the l)lack bass are 

 built by the male fish working alone. The small mouth prefers a 

 bottom of mixed sand and gravel, in which the stones range from 

 the size of a pea to that of one's fist. As the spawning season 

 approaches the male fish are seen moving about in Avater of 2 or 

 three feet depth seeking a suitable nesting place. Each male 

 tests the bottom in several places by rooting into it with his 

 snout and fanning away the overlying mud or sand with his tail. 

 If he does not find gravel after going down 3 or 4 inches, he 

 seeks another place. Having found a suitable place he cleans 

 the sand and mud from the gravel hy sweeping it with his tail. 

 He then turns over the stones with his snout and continues 



