Food and Growth. 81 



per cent, of crawfishes, a few insects, and eighty-six per 

 cent, of small fishes. 



In regard to the small-mouth bass, Dr. Forbes says : 



" I have made full notes of the food of twenty-seven specimens 

 •^ three adult and the others young. I had none of these species 

 under an inch in length, but, judging from the general resem- 

 blance of the food of this arid the preceding bass at later ages, I 

 do not doubt that this will also be found to feed at first on 

 Efitomostraca, although insect food is possibly more important 

 to it from the beginning." 



Seven small-mouth bass, from one to two inches in 

 length, had eaten only five per cent, of Entomostraca, the 

 remainder of the food consisting of insects and their larvae. 

 Ten specimens, between two and three inches long, showed, 

 in addition to the insect food, five per cent, of fishes, and 

 in those ranging from three to four inches in length the 

 amount of fish food increased to fourteen per cent., the in- 

 sect food dropped to seven per cent., with seventy-nine per 

 cent, of Crustacea. The three adults had eaten thirty-eight 

 per cent, of fishes and sixty-two per cent, of crawfishes. 



Some allowance should be made for the character of the 

 different waters in which the specimens were collected, as 

 Entomostraca and other minute Crustacea are more abund- 

 ant in still water, while the larvae of certain insects are 

 more plentiful under the stones of rapid streams. 



Where food is plentiful the young grow rapidly, reach- 

 ing a length of two inches in a few months after hatching, 

 and at a year old, will measure, at least, four inches. At 

 two years of age, they will be found from eight to twelve 

 inches in length, weighing about a pound, and will grow 

 nearly or quite a pound a year thereafter, until they attain 

 their maximum weight. 



They arrive at maturity in from two to three years, ac- 

 6 



