Oiiiida Lake /'m/i.-.v 457 



aiul a small May-fly nymph in the stomach ..i a small Ulack-sidid Darter ini<lir two 

 inches lonj;, taken July 7. near Mt. Morris, \. Y. 



Distribution Records. The five specimens were taken as follows: No. 87, 

 small tributary of Chittenango Creek near the lake, 1 fish; Xo. 456, West I'otter 

 May. 2 fish: Xo. 5^^, Frenchman's Island, 2 fish. 



Economic Relations. The species a]>])cars to be of little economic value. It 

 may be used as bait, in the absence of anything letter (Kvermann, '01, p. 350). 

 .As an afiuarium fish, it is unsurpassed by any of its kindred, according to Bean 

 ('03, p. 508), who says that its sudden ancl remarkable changes of brilliant colors 

 during the breetling season render it unusually attractive. Jordan and Coiieland 

 ( "'/j, p. _'5 » say that "It is especially desirable for a((uaria, l)eing hardier than any 

 other fish as pretty, and prettier than any other fish as hardy." 



References. Hean, '03: Evermann, '01 ; Forbes and Richardson, 'oy ; Greeley, 

 '2-: Hankinson, '13: Jonlan and Copeland. \/^■, Jordan and Fvermann. '«/): Xash, 

 ■<)«: Oslx.m, '01 : .Shclfonl, '13: Turner, 'ji : Ward, '11. 



Percina caprodes zebra (.\ga.ssiz). Manitoi- 1).\rti:r. (See Figure 23-'.) 

 Darters are familiar to bait fishermen and others who observe or collect small 

 li-.li. because of their habit of resting ai)parently motionless on the bottom. i)ri>p])ing 

 themselves uji anteriorly with their large i)ectoral fins, and when disturl>ed. darting 

 to another i)Iace where they instantly come to rest. This habit is well described 

 by Jordan ami CoiK.-land ("</), p. 20), in recalling Iwyhmid days: "You tried some- 

 times to jnit your finger on a little fish that was lying ajjparently asleep, on the 

 bottom of a stream, h.ilf hi<I(Ien under a stone or a leaf, his tail l>ent around the 

 •>tone as if for sup])ort against the force of the current. You will remenil)er 

 tb.it when your finger came near the spot where he was lying, his l)ent tail was 

 straightened, and you saw the fish again resting, head U|)stream. a few feet away, 

 leaving you juizzled to know whether you had seen the movement or not." 



The M.inilou Darter and the Log I'erch {.Percina cafrodes). are the largest 

 of the flarters, sometimes reaching a length of 8 inches. Manitou Darters are very 

 common in < )nei<la Lake, but those that we took were rather small, all under 4 

 inches. These were from shallow water, but iMjssibly larger individuals dwell in 

 the ileeper [larts of the lake. Xotwithstanding the small size of our sptvimens 

 tliey were usually much larger than other darters taken. The rel.itively large size. 

 the broad heail. the i)ig-like snout and the vertical elongated bars or sjMits on the 

 sides of the ImmIv make it easy to distinguish this darter from others in Oneida 

 I -ike. 



Hreedinii lluhils and Life History. Detailed (»bservations were made on the 

 l>rer«ling habits of the Log Perch (Percina caf<rodes) by Reighard (■13a. p. 104: 

 "15. p. 2_\><). His description is here given: "During the eleven ilays lM*ginning 

 June j<). the fish were breeding on the pure sand Ixittom near the camp in water 

 from four to twelve inches deep. .\lMiut 150 fish were under observation. Sexes 

 are distinguishable when the fish are at liln-rty by the darker coloration and bv the 

 behavior of the male, and in ca|>tivity by the larger anal fin of the male. 



"The breeding males are found in groups of 15 or less, .\mong these arc a 

 few females, but most of the females are seen waiting in tlccix-r water or alxnit 

 the Imrders of the group. When a female enters the group she is at once pursued 



