28 



PAPERS ON ZOOLOGY OF MICHIGAN. 



forest. The water increases in depth very gradually from the shoals 

 along the shore. The bottom here is covered with a thin layer of de- 

 cayed vegetation and the yellow water lihes, Nymphaea americana, 

 Potomogeton, and Mijriophyllum are very abundant. This particular 

 habitat was studied from two standpoints: (1) to ascertain the relative 

 frequency of the various species belonging in this habitat, breeding and 

 feeding there, and (2) to learn what fishes come into the habitat to 

 feed. Several nests of the catfish, Amieurus melas, and the pumpkin 

 seed, Eupomotis gibbosus, were found both summers early in July with 

 the adults still guarding them. Several schools of small catfish were 

 seen all through the summer in the very shallow water near the bank. 



The frequency study of this habitat was made by placing a fyke net 

 in the bay, about 100 feet from the shore, with, the wings extending 

 almost to the shore on either side and with the open mouth of the trap 

 toward the shore. The trap in this position collected the fishes belong- 

 ing to the habitat,, and breeding and feeding there. The following 

 table gives the results of six days typical collecting. 



TABLE NO. 1. 



Species. 



Number. 



Average size. Frequency. 



1. Pumpkin seed, Eupomotis gibbosus. 



2. Blue gill, Lepomis pallidiis 



3. Sucker, Catostomus commersonii . . . . 



4. Cat fish, Amieurus melas 



63 



24 

 14 



7 



100 mm. 

 108 m.ni. 

 276 m.m. 

 177 m.m. 



.583 

 .223 

 .130 

 .064 



During the two summer's work, in addition to the species listed in 

 the table, two specimens of the yellow perch, Perca flavescens, and one 

 trout perch. Percopsis guttatus, were taken in the net. Both of these 

 species are from deeper water and were in this habitat presumably by 

 accident. 



To determine what species enter the habitat to feed, a gill net was 

 set across the bay just outside the fyke net. Particular care was taken 

 to note in what direction each fish entered the net, i. e., whether it was 

 coming in from the lake or going out into deep water. The following 

 table gives the results of six days collecting with the gill net: 



