512 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



The chub is almost omnivorous, eating everything that a trout will eat and much 

 that the trout will not. Although toothless, it is a rather voracious fish eater. On August 

 12, 1905, in a "logan" at the entrance of the Androscoggin River, some fish that were 

 at first supposed to be pickerel were observed pursuing some smaller fish, perhaps 

 young chubs or other minnows. The smaller fish when pursued went skipping over the 

 surface like skipjacks. Several of the larger fish were caught and found to be chubs of 

 about one-half to i pound or more in weight, and were found to be feeding upon young 

 pickerel 2 to 2]A or 3 inches long. Thus, while the chub affords food to other fishes, 

 it takes a turn about. 



As a game or food fish the chub is not highly esteemed. When hooked, it fights 

 well for some time, but jdelds somewhat more quickly than the trout. It will take bait, 

 troll, or fly. It will bite more readily than the trout, but is, however, sometimes wary 

 and capricious. Sunshiny days are unfavorable for catching chubs. Small ones 

 usually take the hook more readily than large ones. 



That the chub is not esteemed as food is due rather to lack of flavor than to any 

 disagreeable taste and also because other more delectable fish usually occur where the 

 chub is caught. 



The breeding habits of the chub are very interesting. Along the quiet reaches of 

 streams or in shallow waters of ponds or lakes peculiar heaps of fine gravel or pebbles 

 have been noticed, probably, by everyone traversing such places. These are the nests 

 of chubs. In the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, vol. i, 1844, 

 p. 196, it is stated that at the meeting of September 4 "Dr. Wyman mentioned that 

 on a late visit to the Magalloway River he had noticed in the river bed mounds of pebbles 

 2 or 3 feet in diameter, which he was told were heaped up by a fish called chub at its 

 breeding season and that its eggs were deposited among the stones. He referred to 

 the statement of a similar fact with regard to the lamprey eel, in Dr. Storer's report, 

 and remarked that he was not aware of any other instance of the kind." Again, at the 

 meeting of September 18, "Some conversation arose on the subject of the mounds in 

 the Magalloway River, mentioned at the last meeting, supposed to have been built by 

 the fishes for the purpose of depositing their eggs within the pile. Dr. Bigelow stated, 

 on the authority of an experienced angler, that the stones are removed by the fish for 

 the purpose of depositing the spawn in the cavity thereby left in the sand." 



In the "Fishes of the Coimecticut Lakes"" a detailed account is given of observa- 

 tions made by Supt. Charles G. Atkins, United States Bureau of Fisheries station, Craigs 

 Brook, Me., May, 1878, from which the following is extracted: 



On May 8 a small chub was seen standing over a hollow at the lower end of a heap of gravel 3 feet 

 long and i foot wide, and he repeatedly drove off other chubs, but by and by there came another larger 

 male and drove away the little one and henceforth took charge of the nest. He was very vigilant, dash- 

 ing immediately and furiously at every approaching fish just as landlocked salmon do. After a while, 

 several times he was seen to take a pebble in his mouth and carry it to the heap and drop it. By and 

 by a female came swiftly along and was seen struggling in an erect position over the lower end of the 

 heap, with the male close to her, then she disappeared and the male remained alone over the nest. 

 On May 9 the same large male was seen on the nest, but near him another smaller one, apparently a 

 male, which the larger one did not this time drive away. The small one was later seen driving off 

 others, and when the large one was absent would pick up stones and place them on tlie heap. But 

 of all those that appeared to be females none lifted a stone. The large male was also at times seen to 



o Bureau of Fisheries, document No. 633. 



