American Fisheries Society 87 



The Illinois river was high and out of its banks all fall of 

 1907, and remained so practically all winter, and in fact, all of 

 spring of 1908. This gave an opportunity for general spawning 

 of fish in the back waters. The season showed up with great 

 quantities of black bass fry from off the nests fairly early, when 

 water had receeded to an extent that made collections possible, 

 we found great quantities of yearling bass, but in such places as 

 we found the yearling bass we found no fry, or in very limited 

 quantities, and when fry of 1908 were found in quantities, we 

 found no yearling or large bass. In the river proper along the 

 shores, one and two year old bass were taken anywhere on hook 

 and line and in great quantities, and the fry of the carp notably 

 scarce. 



Some immense catches were made. I note one particularly. 

 Three men took in three hours, at the mouth of a slough running 

 out from one of the flat lakes, 375 black bass, from one-half to 

 three pounds in weight. 



These fish were brought up to Meredosia and cleaned. I had 

 an opportunity to examine the stomachs of a large numljer and 

 I am safe in saying that the large percentage of food found in 

 them could be recognized, was of carp fry. The carp, of course, 

 spawn anywhere and the deposit of spawn great, making it possi- 

 ble not only for a- reasonable percentage of fry to escape and 

 reach maturity, but furnishes at same time a great amount of 

 food for other fish and it is presumed the bass get their share of 

 them and anything else handy, not overlooking when hungry. 

 their own young. 



There is perhaps no need to say to you who have liad as much 

 experience as I have had, that black bass are live feeders and feed 

 to feed and not for fun. An instance or two that may furnish 

 a straw in support of the theory advanced. 



One season (date not in mind) while collecting bass for the 

 United States Fish Commission at Meredosia, we concluded to 

 use for storage purposes a spring pond situated near our plant. 

 This covered ])erhaps a half acre, and while well filled with 

 brush, we tried to clean it out and did take out quite a number 

 of adult black bass and we found that the pond was well supplied 

 with bass fry of the spring hatching, just off the nests. ]\Ir. 

 Bawr made an estimate of the fry at 50,000. We were making 



