28 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES 



lakes and not in the other, though both lakes had been stocked 

 with it. It was also taken in the lake with the most varied 

 shores. 



The statements in the last two paragraphs apply only to the 

 results as judged by the writer's gill net catches. Though they 

 doubtless fail to give a true picture in regard to various details, 

 they are believed to give a general idea of the factors which are 

 of importance in determining the distribution of the particular 

 species considered. 



The six lakes studied may also be compared on the basis of 

 the catches with trot-line and seine. This is not possible for 

 Lake Wingra where the shores are too muddy to use a small 

 seine and where a trot-line was not set. With the trot-line, 

 perch were more often caught than any other species in 

 Lakes Green, Mendota, and Michigan. Bullheads and cat- 

 fishes were regularly caught in Lake Pepin and perch were 

 not taken on trot-lines. In Lake Geneva one rock bass was 

 caught. 



The minnow seine gives a means for judging the relative 

 abundance of small fishes in shallow water. The following sum- 

 mary gives the leading fishes caught in each lake in order of 

 their abundance: 



Lake Mendota perch, largemouth black bass, pumpkinseed and blue- 

 gill, top minnow, shiners, rock bass, etc. 



Lake Geneva perch, largemouth black bass, smallmouth black bass, 

 bluegill, shiners, rock bass, etc. 



Green Lake smallmouth black bass, Johnny darter, largemouth black 

 bass, blunt-nosed minnow, top minnow, shiner, pickerel. 



Lake Michigan blunt-nosed minnow, shiner, perch, smallmouth black 

 bass, Iowa darter, etc. 



Lake Pepin log perch, shiners, pike, perch, largemouth black bass, blue- 

 gill and pumpkinseed, smallmouth black bass, etc. 



The perch is the most abundant shallow water fish in two of 

 the lakes and is among the species that are fairly abundant in 

 two of the others, but is absent from the catches in Green Lake. 

 A darter was the most abundant fish in Lake Pepin, but the most 

 painstaking search failed to show a single darter in Lake Geneva. 

 The two species of black bass were taken in considerable num- 

 bers in all the lakes. In general the seine hauls support the 

 conclusions drawn from the catches with gill nets. They also 

 give striking evidence of the "individuality" of the lakes. 



