FOREST, FISH AND GAME COM.MISSION. 4O3 



by Mather and Dean in Great Pond, at Riverhead, up to 4 pounds in weight. It 

 occurs in moderate numbers at Water Mill, in a small tributary of }>Iecox Bay, and 

 in the fresh portion of ]\Iecox Bay. Young and adults were obtained there 

 August I, 1898. 



Family PCECILIIDiE. Killifishes. 



73. Bass Killy [Fiuiduliis inajaiis W'albaum). 



The Bass Killy is the May Fish of Schcepff, the New York Gudgeon of IMitchill, 

 the Striped Killifish of DeKay, and the Bass Mummy of Great South Bay, where it 

 is one of the commonest fishes. This is the largest member of its family. It is not 

 eaten, but forms a very considerable part of the food of market species and is 

 extensively used for bait. 



It extends from Cape Cod to Florida. Individuals measuring 8 inches in length 

 are recorded. According to Ayres, it is much less common in Old ]\Ian's Harbor 

 than the Common Killy, and is rarely seen during the winter. In Gravesend Bay it 

 is found all the year, spending the winter in deep mud holes at the mouths of 

 creeks. 



This fish frequently leaps out of the water at night while fishing with lanterns is 

 in progress, and its actions resemble those of the mullet so closely that it is often 

 mistaken for the mullet. 



A Killifish is reported by IMather and Dean in Lake Ronkonkoma, and killies of 

 more than one kind were recorded by them in Great Pond, at Riverhead. This 

 pond communicates with Peconic Bay, and hence contains brackish-water as well as 

 fresh-water forms of fishes. 



74. Killifish ; Mummichog KFuiidulus Jicteroclitus Linnaeus'). 



The Common Killifish is the Killifish of Schcepff, the Yellow-bellied and the 

 White-bellied Killifish of Mitchill, and the Barred Killifish of DeKay. The 

 Indian name. IVIummichog, is applied to this as well as to other killies, and some 

 persons call it the Salt Water IMinnow. In Great South Bay it is the ]\Iummy or 

 Chog Mummy. It is extremely abundant in all parts of the bay and serves as food 

 for larger fishes. 



According to Ayres, on the approach of cold weather, this fish leaves the other 

 parts of Old Man's Harbor and gathers in immense numbers in one or two narrow 

 creeks. In January and Februar}-, 1841, he found them collected so densely in one 

 of these places that when the tide left them nothing was visible but a mass of fish, 

 completely concealing the whole muddy bed of the creek. On dipping a common 

 hand net among them he repeatedly took more than 3,000 each time. They were 



