254 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
abundantly shown by the fact that two-thirds of the fishes enumerated in this list 
have eaten both terrestrial and aquatic beetles. Among the aquatic forms the 
Hydrophilidse serve as food more often than any of the other families, possibly 
because they are more numerous. 
Of the fishes included the bluegill is the most omnivorous, eating everything 
on the menu except the Haliplidse. However, if the terrestrial beetles were sepa- 
rated into families corresponding with the aquatic forms, the toothed herring would 
have to stand first, since it seems to eat anything and everything that comes its way. 
Forbes himself offered the following comment upon his list (1888, p. 484) : 
Larvae of aquatic beetles, notwithstanding the abundance of some of the forms, occurred in only 
insignificant ratios, but were taken by 56 specimens, belonging to 19 of the species — more frequently 
by the sunfishes than by any other group. The kinds most commonly captured were larvae of the 
Gyrinidae and Hydrophilidae, whereas the adult surface beetles themselves (Gyrinus, Dineutes, etc.) — 
whose zigzag-darting swarms no one can have failed to notice — were not once encountered in my 
studies. 
He was at fault, however, in this last statement, since he noted, on page 519 
(1888), that a common bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) had eaten gyrinid adults. 
Food of the shore fishes of certain Wisconsin lakes, by A. S. Pearse. 
[Figures in the food columns are percentages by volume, the entire food being 100.] 
Abramis crysoleucas, golden shiner 
Ambloplites rupestris, redeye 
Ameiurus melas, black bullhead 
Ameiurus nebulosus, common bullhead 
Catostomus commersonii, common sucker. 
Cyprinus carpio, German carp 
Etheostoma low®, Iowa darter 
Fundulus diaphanus menona, top minnow . 
Lepomis incisor, bluegill. 
51.8 
20 
31.8 
29.5 
48.5 
35.4 
Micropterus salmoides, large-mouthed black 1 
Perea flavescens, yellow perch 
Pomoxis sparoides, black crappie 
Salmo irideus, rainbow trout 
Saivelinus fontinalis, brook trout 
Schilbeodes gyrimus, tadpole cat 
Umbra limi, mud minn ow 
The relative amounts of beetle food given in this table seem at first sight so 
small as to be hardly worth considering, but such is by no means the case. The 
total number of fishes examined by Dr. Pearse (1918) was 1,576. In the general 
summary of foods eaten by these fishes the largest single item was that of insects, 
36.30 per cent, nearly twice the size of its nearest rival, the Entomostraca. The 
insects contributing the most food were the Diptera, those second in order were the 
