1256 On the Habits of Certain Sunfish. (December, : 
anywhere in open water I should have found them before this, 
A puzzling fact that haunted me whenever I went fishing, until — 
very recently (September, 1883), was, that I never found any very — 
young “ bandies,” as I usually call them. I had often scooped up : 
scores of the mud-loving Enneacanthi, found in the same quar- — 
ters, but with never a “bandy” among them. Hoping ever for 1 
better things, I continued to search for them, and at last success : 
crowned my efforts. Early in September last I found scores of 
little ones, some not more than half an inch in length. It is safe 
to say, therefore, that the ova are deposited in May or June, Just 
where, remains to be determined. Bho 
A very constant companion of the preceding, to which I have 
briefly referred as the spotted sunfish (Exneacanthus simulans) has, 
one would think, essentially the same habits as the banded fish. 4 
I have seldom, if ever, found them dissociated. They are even = 
more numerous. The relative abundance of the two is about — 
two to five, the larger number referring to the Enneacanthus. 
Like all centrarchoids they are ċarnivorous, and feed upon living os 
prey. During a recent ramble along Watson’s creek, I saw quite ‘ 
a commotion in the shallow water near shore, and on approaching 
the spot I discovered that three of these spotted sunfish had at- e 
tacked a crayfish which had just cast its shell. The battle lated 
but for a moment after I became a spectator. One by aE pe a 
limbs of the crustacean were torn off, and portions of them 7 4 
voured by the fish in full view of their tortured victim. W3 
see such sights as these, I cannot but think that there 15 4 screw 
loose in nature—that nothing is perfect, and animal life 15 0 
reaching out towards perfection. a a 
I have said that these two sunfish have apparently the a 
habits, but it is a case wherein appearances are misleading : 
sidering that they are so very dissimilar in color, and pe 
distinct, it recently occurred to me to determine, if possible, ; 
there were not points of difference which I had overio’™ 
Gathering a large number of specimens from the same loc : 
noticed that with a seine drawn ‘over a considerable 5 
many of the two fishes were taken; but, wh 
used, if a cluster of spatter docks (Nuphar luteum, Va: F 
was covered, I ordinarily captured specimens of the banded 
fish, and the spotted sunfish were taken from masses: p 
phyllum of different species. This was not invariably ms 
en a scoop 
