262 Roosevelt Wild Life Annals 



streams for spawning purposes, connected with the lake. The marshy or swampy 

 borders (Figs. 193, 195, 198) favor the muhiphcation of Carp, Chain Pickerel, 

 Common Pike and Mud Minnows. The extensive submerged beaches and other 

 shallow areas help bring about suitable breeding conditions for at least sixteen 

 species of fish common in the lake. These are: Blunt-nosed and Spot-tailed 

 Minnows, Golden Shiner, Yellow Bullhead, Common Bullhead, Stonecat, Barred 

 Killifish, Brook Silversides, Rock Bass, Common Sunfish, Long-eared Sunfish, 

 Large-mouthed Black Bass, Small-mouthed Black Bass, Manitou Darter, Tessel- 

 lated Darter and Common Sculpin. 



Then too, there are some species abundant in the lake, for which there appear 

 to be no breeding conditions such as have been found most favorable for these 

 species in other localities. For example, the Tessellated Darters are usually found 

 spawning on a bottom containing loose stones to the underside of which they 

 attach their eggs; but the stones in Oneida Lake are usually embedded in the 

 bottom soil, so that the species here probably lays its eggs in other situations. The 

 only eggs of this species we found were on the lower side of a piece of rusted tin, 

 on the bottom of the lake. 



Small-mouthed Black Bass likewise are numerous in Oneida Lake, but the 

 gravel bottoms which they seem to prefer for nesting, are scarce. Artificial 

 planting may account for a large number of these fish; or they may at times, 

 perhaps, nest on solid rocky bottoms, or on sandy bottoms (Wright and Allen, 

 '13, p. 6). A few other species also are scarce in the lake, notwithstanding the 

 fact that favorable breeding places appear to be extensive ; these are, Bowfin, 

 Calico Bass, and Bluegill. 



Certain species found in the Great Lakes and other neighboring waters seem 

 to be entirely absent in the Oneida Lake drainage system, although breeding places 

 of the kind they ordinarily select appear to exist there in abundance. Important 

 among such species are: Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvcsccns Rafinesque ; Long- 

 nosed Gar, Lepisosfeus osseus Linn. 



The breeding habitats in the part of the Oneida Lake drainage system 

 studied are of three main types. These are: (1) Oneida Lake; (2) bordering 

 swamps or marshes; and (3) tributary streams. The lake breeding grounds may 

 be conveniently divided into (a) the shallow-water or shoal area; (b) the inter- 

 mediate region; and (c) the deep-water region. None of these, obviously, can 

 be accurately defined, but we arbitrarily considered the shallow or shoal area to 

 be that area with water not much deeper than five feet, that is, with a depth not 

 too great for supporting rigid and partly submerged aquatic plants, like rushes, 

 sedges and cat-tails. The deep-water region has a depth greater than ten feet. 

 Between these two, the intermediate region is found. It is here that potamogetons 

 and other wholly or almost wholly submerged aquatic plants thrive best. 



The majority of the Oneida Lake fishes evidently i^refer the shallow-water 

 area for breeding, but little information is ,-it haml tn show the extent to which 

 the other areas are used. Tullibecs spawn in the intermediate region, according 

 to data furnished by Mr. J. D. Black, who thinks tli.it in stormy weatlier they seek 

 the dee]) water for this purpose. White l'.;iss, lUiibut and Pereli prnli;il>ly breed 

 principally beyond the shallow-water /one in tlie lake. 



