0)niJa Lake Fislus 367 



\\ c found no eggs under stones in the lake although much search was made for 

 them. But few suitable stones occurred, most of them being usually so firmly 

 injltedded in the soil that no cavities existed Ijeneath them in the shallow water 

 where the minnows generally breed. This condition may be due jjartly to pressure 

 of ice in winter and may Ije the reason why Blunt-nosed Minnows are not more 

 numerous in the lake. 



The spawning season for this species ajjpears to Ix' rather long and late. 

 Wright and .Mien (,'13, p. 4) give it as May 15 to July 15. for Ithaca. X. Y. 

 Hankinson ("08, p. 205) found nests Ijetween May 22 and July 14. at Walnut I-ake, 

 Michigan. Forl>es and Richardson {'09, p. ui) give May 15 to June 15 as dates 

 for Central Illinois. Eigenmann ( '</>, p. .252) found eggs during the whole of 

 June and the greater jwrt of July. Kvermann and Clark {'20, p. 344) say the 

 breeding .season of this minnow is early in June, and they found nests under small 

 pieces of lx)ard or other flat objects lying on the bottom. Some evidence of a late 

 breeding season in < )ncida Lake is presented by the fact that we f<»und examples 

 al)out an inch in length. apj)arently yearlings of this si)ecies. common only in late 

 summer, on the foll(»wing dates: July 27. 1916 (No. 610), Septeml)er 2 ( No. tjo) 

 and Sei)teml»er 15 ( Xo. 87), 1915. Brief notes on the breetling of this sjxrcies 

 are given by Keighard ('15. p. 226}, Voris ('99, p. 2^^) and Fowler ('u. p. 472). 

 (ireeley ("27. p. 58) found eggs on the lower side of an old milk can top, in shal- 

 low water. 



Habitat. Most of the large collections of Blunt-nose<l Minnows taken by us 

 were from shallow water over or near sandy Ixittom (Xos. 83. 90. 422. 4^)3, 301. 

 ^22. 523. 585, 610). They were common in two streams, a tributary of (."hit- 

 tenango Creek (Xo. 9'J), and Douglas Creek (Xo. 413). On June 22, 1916. they 

 were numerous in very shallow water over a sod Iwttom on flooded groimd at 

 I nkciHirt Bay. 



Its habitat ap(Nrars to l»e of diverse nature, according to Forties and Richard- 

 - I I 'o^, p. I20t; Bean (92. p. 36) says it frequents small and niu<ldy streams; 

 H.uikinson ('08. p. 204) found it to prefer gravel Uittoms. in Walnut I^ike. They 

 appear to live more over sand ami gravel than over nuid. according to Forln-s ( "ng, 

 p. 428). Reighard ('15. p. 22^> | found them preferring stony shoals or mucky 

 ' ■•"111: the latter furnished f'MMl and the former bree<ling jilaccs. Keighard ('20, 

 i' -• p notes that they are e.\ce)itional among the minnows he has stu<iie«i. in that 

 they lireetl in jjuiet water. I-"veniiann and Clark ('20. p. 285) note a shoreward 

 migration of these minnows together with that of other six-cies. 



!-onil. Forlx's ('83. p. 125) and ForU-s and Richardson ( Vk). p. 121 » found 

 them eating chiefly mwl. with filamentous algae and miscellaneous vegetable 

 «leliris: Imt Hankinson ('08. p. 204) rejwirts that midges fomie<l their chief fiHxl 

 in Ajiril ami May in Walnut F.ake. Michigan, and they were taking in addition 

 filnmentous algae, desmids. entomostracans. and in one case, lieetles. They fe<l on 

 eggs of other fish ami were once observe«l eating newly hatchetl young of their own 

 sjiecies. Reighard ('15. p. 226) consi<lers this minnow a "mud cater." 



Tlie foo«l of sixteen Blunt-nosed Minnows wa-s rxaminetl by Hr. Knuneline 

 Moore ('20, p. 18). Daphnids. cbironomid lar>ac. rotifers, statoblasts. insect 

 remains, microscopic plants and grit were found in their intestines. I'.vemiann and 



