WATER BEETLES IN RELATION TO PONDFISH CULTURE. 



253 



up. It is not probable that a bass thus greedy could distinguish between a dobson 

 and a Hydrous larva when placed on a fishhook as bait. Accordingly, it seems 

 probable that the beetle larva would make fully as successful bait as the dobson. 



EVIDENCE FROM FISH STOMACHS. 



The data in the five tables in this section on the beetle food found in the 

 stomach contents of food and game fishes examined by scientific men in various 

 locaUties present ample evidence that beetle larvae and adults constitute an impor- 

 tant item of fish food. 



Food of the fishes of Illinois , by S. A. Forbes. 



Kind offish. 



Terrestrial beetles, 

 adults. 



Terrestrial beetles, 

 larvse. 



Undetermined aquatic 

 adults. 



Undetermined aquatic 

 larvse. 



HydrophiUdse, adults. 



Hydrophilidse, larvse. 



Dytiscidae, adults. 



Dytiscidse, iarvse. 



Gyrirddse, adults. 



Gyrinidse, larvse. 



HaUplidse, adults. 



ChrysomeUdse, adults. 



Abramis chrysoleucas, roach or bream 



-t- 

 + 



+ 



+ 









-f- 

 + 





+ 

 + 

 + 













Ambloplites rupestris, red-eye 



Ameiums nebulosus, common bullhead 



+ 









+ 



+ 









Ameiurus nebulosus marmoratus, marbled bull- 

 head 









+ 



+ 









Aphredoderus say anus, pirate perch 



Aplodinotos grunniens, sheepshead or croaker 

 Argyrosomus artedi, cisco 









+ 



+ 











4- 







Catostomus nigricans, hog molly, stone roller 



+ 

 + 

 + 

 + 



+ 







+ 



















Chaenobryttus gulosus, warmouth bass 























Dorosoma cepedianum, gizzard shad 

























Eupomotis gibbosus, common pumpkin seed 









; ++++ i 

















Eupomotis heros, southern pumpkia seed 











+ 









4- 





Fundulus diaphanus, Menona top minnow 



+ 

 + 

 + 



+ 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 



+ 



















Fundulus notatus, common top minnow 









+ 















Hybopsis kentuckiensis, river chub 





















Hyodon tergisus, toothed herring 



Ictalurus pimctatus, channel cat 





+ 





4- 

 4- 

 + 



+ 



-f- 

 + 













Ictiobus bubaUs, small-mouthed buffalofish . . 



Ictiobus cyprioella, red-mouthed buffalofish 



Ictiobus urus, mongrel buffalo fish 



+ 

 + 





+ 



+ 















Lepomis cyanellus, green sunfish 



Lepomis megalotis, long-eared sunfish 







+ 





+ 













Lepomis palUdus, bluegill 



Micropterus dolomieu, small-mouthed black bass 

 Moxostoma aureolum, common red horse 



+ 







-f 



+ 

 + 

 + 



+ 



4- 



4- 

 4- 



4- 



+ 

 4- 





4- 

 4- 



Moxostomamacrolepidotum, large-scaled red horse 

 Notropis atherinoides, silverside shiner 



+ 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 



+ 









+ 









4- 

 4- 







Notropis cornutus, common shiner 



Notropsis hudsonius, spot-tailed minnow ... . 



















+ 





4- 



Notropis whipplii, silver-fin shiner 



Placopharynx duquesnei, pavement-toothed red 



horse 



Polyodon spathula, spoonbill cat 



Pomoxis annularis, crappie 



Roccus chrysops, white bass 



+ 

 + 









+ 



-1- 



-1- 

 4- 





4- 







Sclulbeodes gyrinus, tadpole cat 



Semotilus atromacuiatus, horned dace 



+ 



+ 







+ 













4- 



4- 



These records by Forbes (1888) are very valuable, since they include so many 

 of our food and game fish, and it is to be regretted that they do not contain more 

 data on the size of the fish and the relative proportions of the various beetle foods. 

 The larvse and adults of terrestrial beetles have been included, because the fish 

 that will eat them will probably not refuse aquatic forms when available. This is 



