FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 209 



19. Pumpkin Seed Sunfish {Eupomotis gibbosus Linnaeus). 



20. Rock bass {Amblopites rupestris Rafinesque). 



21. Small-mouthed black bass {Micropterns dolotnieu Lacepede). 



22. Large- mouthed black bass (Microptertis salmoides Lacepede). 



23. Wall-eyed pike or sand pike (Slizostcdion vitreum Mitchill). 



24. Northern pike or sand pike {Stizostedion canadcnse Smith). 



25. Perch, yellow perch or common perch (Perca flavescens Mitchill). 



26. White sea bass or striped bass (Roccus chrysops Rafinesque). 



2 7. Fresh- water drum, silver perch or sheep-nose (Aplodinotus granniens Rafinesque). 

 28. Burbot, ling, aleky trout, lawyer [Lota maculosa Le Sueur). 



It will be seen that this list includes practically all of the fresh-water species of 

 fishes of New York that are large enough to be attacked by this blood-thirsty parasite, 

 and among them are almost all of the desirable food and game fishes of the inland 

 waters of the State. It will be observed that the brook trout* and a few others of 

 streams are not in the above list. This may be due to the fact that the adult lampreys 

 are rare in the streams at the time when they can take food. However, on March 31, 

 this year, we dissected an adult female lamprey with unripe eggs, which was caught 

 on a white sucker some distance up the inlet, and of which the alimentary canal was 

 yet large and functional and filled with the blood of its victim. 



The fishes that are mostly attacked are of the soft-rayed species, having cycloid 

 scales; the spiny-rayed species with ctenoid scales being most nearly immune from 

 their attacks. We think there may be three reasons for this: 1st, the fishes of the 

 latter group are generally more alert and more active than those of the former, and 

 may be able to more readily dart away from such enemies; 2d, their scales are thicker 

 and stronger and appear to be more firmly imbedded in the skin, consequently it is 

 more difficult for the lampreys to hold on and cut through the heavier coat of mail to 

 obtain the blood of the victim; 3d, since the fishes of the second group are wholly 

 carnivorous, and in fact almost exclusively fish-eating when adult, in every body of 

 water they are more rare than those of the first group, which are more nearly omnivorous. 

 According to the laws and requirements of nature, the fishes of the first group must be 

 more abundant, as they become the food for those of the second, and it is on account 

 of their greater abundance that the lamprey attacks on them are more observed. 



There is no doubt that the bull-head or horned pout (Amehirus nebulosus) is by far 

 the greatest sufferer from lamprey attacks in Cayuga Lake. This may be due in part to 



* Since this manuscript was prepared Mr. Charles Carr, of Union Springs, N. Y., has reported to 

 11s an unquestionable instance of the brook trout [Salmo fontinalis) having been attacked by a 

 lamprey; and Mr. Perry, of Ithaca, showed us a rainbow trout [Salmo irideus), in Cayuga Lake, 

 killed by a lamprey. — H. A. S. 



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