Omida /.aki- lisli.s 511 



food of a Silversides. Pearsc ('15, p. 16) examined 50 sjiecimens in which about 

 half the food was insects and about a third entomostracans, projKjrtions similar to 

 thiise found by Forbes. Pearse found 10.5^ of the food to Ik' plants. (Jther 

 items noted by him were rotifers, DiffluyUi, and unidentified del)ris. Wilson ("20, 

 p. 22()) found an adult of this species which liad eaten drapm-fly nymphs, while 

 Evemiann and Clark ("jo, p. 378) found Hntomostraca in the stomachs of a few 

 specimens of the Silversides. 



Dekyke {'22, pp. 34. 39) found chiefly insect material in the foo<l of sixteen 

 Skipjacks fnmi Winona 1-ake, Indiana. He identified a wasp and some aphids 

 amiinjj this material. He noted their surface feeding and saw them jump for 

 wiiiijed insects. 



distribution Rtcords. .\s mentionc<l above, we found the species common 

 in the shallow water of ( )ncida I^ke only during Septenil>er. 191 5. The following 

 collections were made at that time: Xos. y~. ~i<, Hullhead Hay: Xo. 8^). Poddygut 

 H.iy: No. ()2. \Mkv\Htn Hay: Xos. <^j. i<x). Waliuii Point: Xn. loi. \m\i\ Hay; 

 Xn. 103. Muskrat Hay. 



Four specimens were taken at other times: Xo. 314, Hrewerton. ( >cti(lK.'r 18, 

 191O; Xo. 333, Hrewerton, .\pril 29, 1916; Xo. 585, Lower South Hay. 



Enemies and Disease. The many examples that we got in Oneida Lake 

 showed no evidence of disease. The sjiecies is preyed upon by larger fish ( Hean, 

 \j2. ]). loi : Xash. "08. \>. 71)). In some localities the mortality of Silversides is 

 great, due to stomis which wash large nunilxTS of them ashr)re ( Hverniann, '01. 

 p. 349). Kirsch ( '95, p. 330) notes that the Silversides constitutes a large jHirtion 

 of the fno<l supi>ly of the Imss and other food fishes of Indiana Lakes. I-'vermann 

 and Clark ( '20. \'ol. i, pp. j(>7, 7,-j) found it eaten by R<H-k Hass, pike ( /;. lucius). 

 hell-divers, terns and Kingfishers. Xineteen young of this fish were found in the 

 stoniachs of a HIack Tern. It is eaten by the Horned (irel)e (p. 487) and by the 

 Pied-I)ellie<l CtkW- (p. 490). .\ Red-breasted Merganser {Mertjiis serrator Lin- 

 naeus) shot at l^ike Maxinkuckee, in Xovemlier, had its oesophageal enlargement 

 packed full of small fishes, chiefly skipjacks. Water Dogs, Xeetums inaeulosus 

 (pp. (>2i, 6jf), 6j8) are also known to devour them. 



liconomic Relations. In r)neida I^ike the sixxies is prolwbly most useful as 

 fiMKi for larger fish. It is not first-class as a Iwit-minnow. yet s>'me success may 

 Ik- obtained with it in catching |)erch. Itluegills, and Calico H.iss. when use<l dead 

 and with two <ir three on a htnik. It d<K's not live well enimgh in the bucket to 

 Ik- useil to any extent as live Unit ( Fvennann, '01. p. 34<) 1. It may coni|H-te to an 

 im|Mirtanf extent with other and more useful fishes in Oneida I -ike. I>ccause of 

 its feeding extensively on plankton, K,n<lclilTe ("13. p. 131 says that it should l»e 

 of value in fiestroying mos«|nitcK's, but its sensitiveness would nwke it of little 

 use for st<n-king IxMlies of water where mos(|uitoes l>rer<l. It is interesting an<I 

 uiiic|ue for an :u|uarium, Init it is kept alive with much difticulty. nankins<in has, 

 however, kept them for several days in nnming-water .-ti|uaria. 



Referemes. H.nker. i'>: Hean. '<».'. 03: Hensley. '13; Cahn, 'J7 ; IleKykc. 

 '22: Figenmaim. '18; I'.verntann, "oi : Fvemumi and Clark, "jo; F-'orlx-s. "8^; 

 Forties and Kichar<Ison. 'o<): Hubbs. '_m ; Kirsch. 'i}^; Xa.sh, '08: (>sImit- 

 Pearse, "13: Ra<lclitTe. '13: Richanlson, "13: Wright and .Mien, '13. 



