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FOOD OF THE BLACK BASS. 
Following is a report on the food of the black bass, made by Prof. 
Stephen A. Forbes of the Biological Department of the State University: 
Hon. C. J. Dittmar, President State Game and Fish Conservation, Spring- 
field, Ill. 
DEAR SiR: In accordance with my promise to you I am sending you 
herewith a brief summary of our data concerning the food of 361 black bass 
collected in the Havana district during 1913 and 1914. The stomachs of 98 
of these fishes were empty, and the food data consequently relate to the 
other 263 specimens. They were taken from a great variety of waters and 
at various parts of the season from May to December. They ranged in 
weight from half a pound to seven pounds, and averaged just about a 
pound. 
These bass had eaten 367 fishes, 57 of which we could not identify. 
Highty-four of the remainder were sunfishes, 45 of these being what are 
known as “blue-gills;” 20 were black bass; 9 were perch, 3 were gizzard- 
shad; 2 were croppies; 1 was a wall-eyed pike, la skipjack, and 1 a chub- 
sucker. These 121 specimens were all fishes which grow to a considerable 
size. Of what would ordinarily be called minnows, there were 134 darters, 
37 silversides, and 18 minnows proper—189 in all of these small species. 
Besides the fishes in the stomachs of these bass, we found 116 insects (the 
larger part of them dragon-fiies or their larvae), 51 crawfishes, 21 river 
shrimps, and 51 small crustaceans commonly known as water woodlice. 
The remaining elements in the food were a snail, a leech, an earthworm, 
and fragments of water plants eaten by only three of the bass. 
You will see from the above that, counting by numbers only, 60 per cent 
of the food of these bass consisted of fishes, and 8.3 per cent of crawfishes; 
but in view of the small size of the other objects, it would be fair to say 
that 90 per cent of the whole mass of the food consisted of fishes and craw- 
fishes, and that the quantity of the first was about seven times that of the 
second. , 
The above seems to me a fair indication of the food preferences of 
the large-mouthed bass where it has the mixed animal life of the Illinois 
waters to choose from. It also shows what kind of a stock of food supplies 
should be provided if you were .to try bass culture, without artificial feed- 
ing, in Spring Lake or any similar enclosed waters. 
: Very truly yours, 
(Signed ) STEPHEN A. FORBES. 
THE GERMAN CARP. 
The German carp, introduced in our waters less than 40 years ago, 
is our most hardy, most prolific fish. Its quality as an edible fish takes 
very low rank. Still it is a cheap food product that compels recognition. 
Anglers and others interested in our better variety of fishes have 
such a marked dislike for the carp that they could wish to have him 
exterminated. They charge the carp with eating the spawn of other 
fish, of destroying aquatic plants and roiling the water with its rooting 
to such an extent as to drive away other fish regarded as of more 
importance. 
While there is some truth in the charges brought against the carp, 
the damage he does is not nearly as serious as his enemies would have 
us believe. In any event, the carp has virtues that more than counteract 
his alleged faults. 
This fish feeds largely on vegetation, molusks, crustaceans and in- 
sect larva, but does not prey upon the young of other fishes. He thrives 
in water where the better varieties of edible or game fishes will not do 
