FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 
417 
during the winter they often may be taken in considerable numbers in the deeper 
channels within these waters, and more sparingly on grassy flats. These young spots, 
and frequently larger ones, are common off Beaufort Inlet during the winter. In 
fact, the larger ones that remain there, although rather small, often are caught with 
sink nets and marketed during the winter, when more choice fish are scarce. 
In January, 1927, the water temperature at the laboratory pier, taken daily at 
5 p. m. dropped as low as 5° C. on the 9th day of the month, and it remained there 
until the 14th when it came up to 9° C. On the morning of the 14th, the last day of 
the cold spell, many spots of the I class became numb and drifted ashore on Pivers 
Island and elsewhere in the vicinity which appears to show that they are unable to 
endure a very low temperature, 5° C. probably being close to lethal. It was not 
noticed that the young of the new year class suffered a similar mortality. However, 
as these fish were still quite small when the cold snap occurred, even a considerable 
mortality might have escaped notice. It is the opinion of the writers, though, that 
the recently hatched young are less sensitive to the cold than the older fish, as the 
former have been taken in large numbers in the harbor in an apparently active condi- 
tion during cold snaps when larger spots had become scarce in the shallow waters. 
It is evident from the foregoing remarks that adult spots, at least, make definite 
migrations. It is still an unanswered question, however, where the schools of large 
spots that appear in the inshore waters during the fall come from. It is true that 
small quantities of large spots are taken within the shallow waters during the summer, 
but the number is so small that it seems entirely unreasonable that they could form 
the large schools which appear suddenly in the fall and which are caught in large 
quantities. One is almost obliged to conclude that these fish come from the sea. 
If that were true, what would be the purpose of the migration? This is difficult to 
answer, especially as it is a migration of short duration and, as stated elsewhere, it 
evidently is not definitely a spawning migration, for spawning does not appear to 
take place within the sounds and harbor. A limited outward movement of the smaller 
and younger fish (I class) is indicated also. That the latter, at least, do not go far 
is shown by their quick return, for they reoccupy the harbor and estuaries between 
cold snaps. The accompanying length frequencies in Table 7 appear to show that 
some of the larger individuals of the O class probably move away from the shallower 
water for the winter along with the older and larger fish. This subject will receive 
further consideration under the subhead Growth. 
That the adult fish do not go far after leaving the shallow inshore waters seems 
to be shown by the presence throughout the winter of numerous very small fry near 
the outer shores and also within the harbor and estuaries, as shown subsequently. 
Under the discussion on “spawning” it is shown, furthermore, that the principal 
spawning quite certainly takes place after nearly all the adult fish have left the shal- 
low waters. It is deduced from these facts that the adult fish spawn only a short 
distance offshore. If this were not true it would seem highly improbable that the 
very small and comparatively helpless fry, only a few millimeters in length, would be 
common in the inshore waters. Since spawning appears to take place during most 
of the winter (p. 418), the indications are that the winter home of the adult spot is only 
a short distance offshore. 
SPAWNING 
The eggs of the spot, if taken, were not recognized. Numerous males with 
running milt were seen, but no females ripe enough for stripping were found. If the 
eggs were taken in the tow, which seems to us unlikely, they were not recognized, 
