Oiuiila Lake risliis 469 



the youiij,' arc ready to scatter, that is, when thiy arc ahuut I'l imhts in liii;jih 

 (Keighard, ■06. p. 14). 



The numlier of young i)rodiiced through the efforts of a single male varies. 

 Bccman (24, p. 97) found hy actual count 10,868 fry from one nest, and gives 

 instances where larger numhers must have heen produce<I. Forljes an<l Richardson 

 ('oj, p. 2(if)) give the numl)er of eggs as 2,000 to 10,000 ]>er individual. The 

 numlK'r of mature eggs found in the ovaries of two female hass studied by 

 Keighard ('06, p. 21 ) was 3.f/)4 and 5.440 respectively. The time of hatching 

 of the eggs varies with the tem])erature. I.ydell ('04, p. 40) found the time to 

 be five days at 'j6° F, and the young would swarm uj) from the liottom in u to 

 13 flays. Beeman ('24, p. 102) says that com|)lete development, that is, up to the 

 time the fry are ready to rise frf)in the nes*., requires about 14 <lays at temiK-ratures 

 fmni '>4°-70* F, and if it is as low as 59--6o° the time will be about 21 davs. 



The rate of growth of the species varies with food, temperature and other 

 factors. Forl)es and Richartlson ('09, p. 206) quote Tisdalc. who gives the growth 

 rate as ^ pountls in si.v years, and a half pound a year till they weigh six ]>ounds. 

 Embo<ly ('15, p. 227) records growths in length as follows: 2'/i-t^ inches in 5 

 months : 4-5 inches in a year : and 7-8 inches in two years. The maximum size 

 reached according to Nichols and Heilner ('20, p. i) is 9 pounds, with a length 

 24 J^ inches. Gicncy ('97, p. 178), however, gives lo-ii'i pounds as the size 

 of some of these bass taken near Glens Falls. X. Y., and Henshall ( "03. p. 10) 

 evidently refers to this same record. Xash ( '08, p. 8i<') says its maximum weight 

 in Ontario waters is about six pounds. The fish matures when of rather small 

 size, when al)out two years of age and from 8-12 inches in length (Wright, 

 •<>2. p. 43.0. 



lluhital. This bass thrives best in clear and cool waters over a rocky and 

 saiuly bottom. Waters that are Mii)plie<l by springs, or cold, clear streams seem 

 especially favorable ( b'orbcs and Richardson, 'oij, j). 265; Henshall, "03. [1. 8. and 

 others). It commonly avoids sluggish or muddy water. Reighard ('15. ]). 234) 

 notes its absence in water deeper than 45 feet in Houglas I-ike. Michigan: that is. 

 it floes not fKcur lK'lf>w the thermocline there. In t~>neifla I.ake the extensive areas 

 f>f riK-ky liottom in both fleep ami shalltiw water fiffer fine feature f)f its favfiritc 

 habitat: tlic water is also clear ami for the most part witlmut flense vegetatifin. 

 The |)reference ff>r n^ky Iwittfims may In- flue to the presence in such jilaces of 

 the favorite food of this si>ccies. which is crawfish, for Baker ('18, p. H)4 1 notes 

 that the yfiimg crawfish prefer rtH-ky l»f>ttf)m in Oneitla I -ike. He flifl not fiml 

 crawfish in water flecpcr than 3' J fwt, aiifl it is kntnvn that the l»ass are mtist 

 abuiiflant in this water Zfine at least fluring the daytime. But we fibtainetl few 

 data f»n black bass in the fUejicr |)arts f>f the lake fir Cfmceruing their flaily 

 migrations. 



.\n intensive stufly fif the s|)cries in Oneifla I.;ike WfiuM Ik* worth while. 

 The yoinig fish uufler two inches in length were inuiierfius in the lake, but ntU in 

 anv one liHaliiy. They were very genf-rally clistributcfl in shallow water ami 

 usually over nxky or sanfly bf>ttf>m, aufl were usually either very close to slmrc 

 or to the margins of vegetatifin. .\t no tin»r were they in schools. The largest 

 numlier were seen aufl taken along the west sitle of Dimham Island on July 10, 



