388 Roosevelt Wild Life Annals 



and small crustaceans in two Mud Alinnows from Black Creek, Monroe Countv, 

 N. Y. 



Distribution Records. In shallow water near shore we got two collections 

 with this species, No. 569, Poddygut Bay, I fish; and No. 594, Eaton Bay, i fish. 

 Stream collections are No. 81, Johnson's Bay Creek, i fish; No. 116, creek west 

 of Little Bay Creek, 5 fish; No. 511, Oneida Creek, i fish; No. 621, Johnson's 

 Bay Creek, i fish ; and No. 82, from an isolated pool near Johnson's Bay, i fish. 



Enemies and Disease. A Mud Minnow was found in the stomach of a young 

 Chain Pickerel caught at Three Mile Bay, July 3, 1916. Bean ('92, p. 88) says 

 that it is of value as food for other species of fish. Abbott ('90, p. 391), in 

 describing its habit of burying itself in the mud during draught and among moist 

 grass roots, quotes Zadoc Thompson to the eflfect that in these situations vast 

 numbers of this species are devoured by birds, muskrats and foxes. Hankinson 

 ('16, p. 148) found one in the stomach of a pike, Esox lucius, caught in a small 

 lake at Whitefish Pdint, Michigan. Wilson ('16, p. 355) notes that a ])arasitic 

 copepod, Arfiuhis aiiierieanus ^^^ilson, infests the Mud Minnow. 



Economic Relations. Mud Miniujws are superior to all of our other small 

 fishes for bait only in their tenacity of life. Evermann ('01, p. 344) describes this 

 quality as follows: "So persistently do they cling to life that it is really difficult 

 to kill them. In a live-box (for which any old barrel answers admirably), 

 minnow-bucket, or on the hook, it will live indefinitely; indeed, unless seriously 

 bitten or swallowed outright by some game-fish, a single Mudfish can be fished 

 with for several days if not for the entire season! Its unexcelled tenacity of 

 life is, however, about the only thing it has to recommend it as a bait minnow. 

 Its somber, unattractive color prevents it being readily seen by game-fishes, and 

 its tendency to pull down or get to the bottom also militates against it. But bass 

 and pickerel and pike do sometimes take it, and. in spite of its deficiencies, the 

 Mudfish is a good thing to have in one's minnow pail." 



Its ability to live under many conditions makes it easy of transfer from a 

 natural habitat to an aquarium, where it is attractive in appearance and has some 

 interesting features of behavior (Gill, '04, p. 300), as when it suspends itself 

 ap]jarently motionless above the bottom and assumes various peculiar attitudes of 

 body. It takes food readily here (l.c), including small shreds of meat as well as 

 natural food, and it will leap above water and take temjiting morsels from the 

 han.l. 



On account of its ability to hide and the impenetrability of its usual habitat, 

 it is not likely that it is very important as food for the valuable large fishes in 

 Oneida Lake. P'ettit ('02, p. 9) noted mosquito larvae scarce in pools where 

 Mud Minnows were found, in comparison with those where they were absent. 



References. Abbott, '70, '90; Bean, '92; Everni; 

 '06; Forbes and Richardson, '09; Gill, '04; Greek 

 Jordan, '82; Nash, '08; Pear.se, '16, 'iS; Pettit, '(i. 

 Wilson, '16; Wright and Allen. '13. 



Esox niger LeSueur. Ctiaix Pickikii., I'.as 

 Pickerel (Plate 4) is the common i)ickerel of Onei 

 there as the "Gra^s rickcrel." It has also been ca 

 Oneida Lake" (i'.e.un, '03, p. 2>,-}. This pickerel 



