SUN-FI8E. 167 



in the gravel in shoal places in ponds; their movements caa 

 be watched through the ice. On tlie other hand, the sun- 

 fish or bi'eam (Ujqjomoiis aureus) spawns in the summer 

 time, making a nest, which it scoops out of tlie river bot- 



FiG. 211.— The Blue-flsh, Pomatomus saltatrix, one sixth natural size. 



torn. The banded sun-fisli [Mesogonistius chcetodon) occa- 

 sionally scoops ont a little basin in the sand, in which it 

 deposits its eggs late in the spring. The spotted sun-fish 

 {E7ineacantlms ohesus, Fig. 212) lives in muddy streams^ 



Fig. 312.— The Spotted Sun-flsh, Enneacanihus obesut. 



burying itself in the mud in winter. Of similar mud-lov- 

 ing habits is the mud-minnow {Melanura Kmi Agassiz), 

 which spawns in the spring. The pirate perch {Ajphredo- 



