354 Roosevelt Wild Life Juiials 



Notropis rubrifrons (^"upej. Kosv-i-aced AIixmiw. This minnow is 

 abundant in Oneida Lake and in streams connected witli ii. Hix-L-ding individuals 

 found in streams and to some extent in the lake, with their Imdies flushed with 

 red and with glistening steel-blue lateral stripes, are perhaps the most lieautiful 

 smair fish of the region. The species resembles the Emerald Minnow closelx'. hut 

 it has a longer, more pointed snout, and usually a more slender body. The dorsal 

 fin is noticeably farther back than the pelvic fins, as in the Emerald Minnow. 



Breeding. It probably spawns in spring or early summer in streams connected 

 with the lake, for we found fish with breeding colors, nuptial tubercles, and highly 

 developed reproductive glands abundant in these streams at that time ( Xo. 4_'5, 

 Dakin Bay Creek. June 23, 1916; No. 460, Black Creek, June 2j, 1916; No. 413, 

 Douglas Creek, June 22, 1916; No. 593, creek entering North Bay, July 21, 1916). 

 No breeding s])ecimens of this species were included in our collections made in 

 early .Se])tember. Forbes and Richardson ('09, p. 134) state that the breeding 

 males have many fine tubercles on the head and fore part of the Iiody, and that 

 weak tubercles are sometimes possessed by breeding females also. This cor- 

 responds in general with our observations, except that males have tubercles over 

 the whole body, even on the bellv in some cases, and thev are similarly distributed 

 in females: and in the case of two female specimens which we closely examined 

 they were as large but not so numerous as those on the males. Dan Miller. 

 Foreman of the Constantia Hatchery, reports that spawn came out very freely 

 from minnows of this species that he was using for bait on July 20, 19 14 (Bean, 

 '15- P- 351)- Osburn ('01, p. 58) observed females with ripe eggs, in large 

 schools over clear, gravelly places on riflfles. on Alay 24. 1898, a date which 

 agrees with the observations of Forbes and Richardson ("09, p. 154). 



Habitat. These fish were much more common in our lake collections made 

 in September, 191 5, than in those made in June and July, 1916. These collections 

 were made in shallow water, no data being obtained on the sjiecies in deep water. 

 We found it common in the creeks at all times. It is evidently more of a stream 

 fish than a lake fish (Forbes and Richardson, "09. j). 154; l-'owler. '08. p. 343: 

 Jordan and Evermann, '96, p. 293). W'c fnund them \cry abunflant on the sandy 

 shallows of Sylvan Beach, associated with .\'. alheriiuiiilc;. Se])tember i), njJj 

 (No. 4271). 



Food. Three specimens ( Xo. 4(10) dut (if seven examined I'mm Black Cvei'k. 

 Cleveland, were found to contain food. Two were males and one a female: all 

 had pearl organs and highly developed gonads. Insects, including adult and jiniial 

 chironomids, had been eaten by all of them. Two Nematodes, proliably parasites, 

 were found in one fish, and some filamentous algae had been taken by another. 

 Three young, about an inch long, were examined by Greeley ( "27, p. 60) who 

 found in their intestines caddice worms, 30^^ : May-fly nym])hs. 20',' : adult midges, 

 20% ; black fly larvae, 20% ; and green algae {Spirogyra). 10' , . 



Distribution Records. The following were taken in Sc])irnil'er. 11)13. in the 

 shallow marginal water of the lake: No. JJ. Bullhead Bay: Xo. 78. I'.akcr i'nint: 

 No. 86, Poddygut Bay: Nos. 90, 92, :^laple P.ay : No. 103. Musknit Hay. Many 

 of these minnows (41 to 90 specimens 1 were in each of the above mentioned 

 collections. exce])t Nos. 86 and (p which contained 8 ;ind 3 respectively. In 



