Aiitcricdii Fisheries Societij. 147 



A FEW POINTS ON THE BLACK BASS— 

 FOR DISCUSSION. 



■ BY J. B. LAMKIN. 



In the sprinii' of 1 !):»() thv l)ass at Cold Springs, (la.. Station. 

 commenced spawning on April 13th, in 1901 they were two 

 weeks earlier, heginning on ]\[arch 31st, while this year. 1!)03, 

 they commenced ^larch 10th, three weeks earlier than last year 

 and five weeks sooner than the year before. One would naturally 

 suggest that the temperature regulated this difPereiu-e. hut the 

 average 3Iarch water tem]3eratures for the three years are as fol- 

 lows : 1900. (;i.-2r)-. 1901, 6-3.7; 1902, 58.5. Xot niucli atten- 

 tion was paid to tlu' two weeks difference last season, especially 

 as it was noticed that the ^larch water temperature was slightly 

 warmer tlian tlic ])revious year, l)ut this season, with live weeks 

 difference in spawning and witli a colder March water tempera- 

 ture of nearly three degrees over that of 1900 it naturally at- 

 tracts the attention of those interested in Fish Cultui'e. 



i\.nother peculiarity in regard to the spawning, is that we 

 have fewer nests per capita each year. In 1900 we had more 

 than twice as many nests as fish in the ponds, and the s])awniiig 

 period extended over several months, running into August. Last 

 year, 1901, although it was impossible to keep a complete record 

 of all nests, as the fish were transferred to larger ponds, it was 

 conceded tjy all the station force that much less nesting resulted, 

 and that the spawning period covered a shorter time, the fish not 

 spawning any after the middle of July. This year the scarcity 

 of nests has been very noticeal)le, and the ])rinci]>al spawning was 

 done in a batch, very little having occurred since April. In 1900 

 we only had twenty-eight breeding fish, in two ponds. In 1901, 

 eighty-seven breeding lisli in three ponds. In 1902, 212 breed- 

 ing fish in five ponds, the majority of them l)eing two and three 

 year olds. In 1 !»;)() and 19)1 the breeding fish consisted entirely 

 of wild l)ass, collected fi'oin iieighhoring ponds and streams, a 

 portion having 1)een brougJit u]) from Florida. This year two 

 and three year olds, which wi're raised at the station were addc'd 

 to the brood stock. 



