408 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



were observed for some time. The young were quite minute, 

 transparent objects, the eyes being the most conspicuous part of 

 them. They hugged the bottom quite closely, but were pretty 

 active. Now and then one of them appeared to take a notion to 

 leave the nest, and would swim up toward the surface. Quick as 

 a flash the parent fish would snap it up, and it appeared at first 

 glance as if it were devouring its young, but it was soon discovered 

 that each time it had taken in a young fish it immediately went 

 down to the bottom of the nest, head downward, and spat the 

 young out into the nest near the ground. 



In 1906, numerous nests were seen in shallow water near Chad- 

 wick's pier, with the parent fishes guarding, and two individuals 

 were seen mating. 



The nesting fishes appeared to be remarkably small ; specimens 

 only 2.5 inches in length were fully mature. 



Young of this species were frequently caught while seining for 

 minnows along shore. On June 19, 1901, examples 1.5 inches 

 long were caught, probably young of the previous year. 



Head 3 to 3.25 in length; depth 1.75 to 2; eye 4 to 4.5 in head; 

 snout 4.5 ; D. X, 10 to 12 ; A. Ill, 10 or 11 ; scales 6-40 to 47, pores 

 35 to 45, 4 rows on cheek; body short and deep, compressed, the 

 profile steep, convex, usually an angle above the eye; head rather 

 small; mouth small, oblique, the maxillary scarcely reaching verti- 

 cal with front of eye; dorsal spines rather high, the longest 2 to 

 2.5 in head, as long as eye and snout, the soft rays higher; pec- 

 toral long, as long as head ; scales large ; gillrakers short and soft, 

 smaller than in any other sunfish except Lepomis megalotis, X + 8 

 to 10 ; pharyngeal teeth all bluntly rounded, paved, the bones very 

 broad, somewhat concave. One of the most brilliant of our fresh- 

 water fishes, the colors somewhat variable. The following are 

 color notes taken from a specimen 7.5 inches long (male) and 

 weighing 5.75 ounces, caught at the Weedpatch September 12, 

 1907: 



Back and upper part of sides with 8 vertical bars of dark blue 

 green alternating with the same number of lighter golden bars; 

 bars of each set, especially the latter, with scattered old-gold spots; 

 cheek brassy or golden, with about 6 irregular pale blue oblique 

 bars; opercle jet-black, edged with blood-red; belly rich orange or 

 brassy ; caudal and dorsal dusky with some iridescent green ; anal 

 pale wine; ventrals pale orange; pectoral pale; colors exceedingly 

 brilliant. 



