Nos. 618-619] RESTOCKING INLAND WATERS 



feed for the most part on insects ; while those taken in the 

 lake eat minnows almost exclusively. The two taken 

 early in the spring (the ice did not break up until after 

 May first) had been feeding upon pumpkin seeds, cray- 

 fish and insect larvae. No molluscs were found. 



The food of the three species of minnows examined as 

 well as the suckers indicates that these fish live largely 

 on the same animals as the whitefish and the pumpkin- 

 seeds. The bullhead is the most general in its diet of any 

 of the fish studied, taking clams, snails, crayfish, minnows 

 and plants. 



A detailed study of the food habits of the fish in any 

 lake is necessary before one can tell just what the several 

 species of fish actually eat. It is to be regretted that in 

 this lake the number of organisms suitable for food for 

 fishes is so limited. The result is that each species comes 

 into competition with the other species for food. The 

 result of this competition for the one abundant fond, 

 daphnia-cy clops, prevents this lake from permanently 

 having large numbers of food fish. 



The consideration of the history of the lake, the specific 

 habitation of the fish, the noteworthy dearth of aquatic 

 plants, the actual food of the fish and the restocking that 

 has taken place during the past thirty years leads to the 

 conclusion that restocking has not been and cannot be a 

 success. In estimating how many fish any given body of 

 water will support, one must first consider the variety and 

 abundance of aquatic plants. There can not be any more 

 animal food for the small fish and fingerlings than ran 

 find subsistence on the aquatic plants of any given body 

 of water. 



In this connection a second question might be asked, 

 why stock any Adirondack pond with a distinctively food 

 fish? Whitefish when not taken in nets are caught at 

 baited buoys which are placed early in the spring by the 

 local fishermen. I have counted 25 buoys scattered 

 around the lake in early June. At these buoys a consid- 

 erable number of whitefish are taken by relatively very 



