290 



Dispersion of Fresh-water Fishes 



so narrow that the water moistening the gills cannot readily 

 evaporate, and endowed, besides, with an extraordinary degree 

 of vitality, like many Siluroids (Chlarias, Callichthys), eels, etc., 

 are enabled to wander for some distance over land, and may thus 

 reach a water-course leading them thousands of miles from 

 their original home. Finally, fishes or their ova may be acci- 

 dentally carried by water-spouts, by aquatic birds or insects, 

 to considerable distances." 



Fresh- water Fishes of North America. We now recognize 

 about six hundred species * of fishes as found in the fresh waters 



* The table below shows approximately the composition of the fresh- water 

 fish fauna of Europe, as compared with that of North America north of the 

 Tropic of Cancer. 



Families. Europe. N. America. 



Lamprey Petromyzonida 3 species. 8 species. 



Paddle-fish Polyodonlidce " j " 



Sturgeon Acipenseridce 10 " 6 " 



Garpike Lep-isosteida " 3 " 



Bowfin Amiidce " i " 



Mooneye Hiodonlida ' 3 " 



Herring Clupeidae 2 ' 5 " 



Gizzard-shad Dorosomidae ' i " 



Salmon Salmonfda; 12 ' 28 



Characin CharacinidcB ' i 



Carp Cyprinidce 61 ' 230 



Loach Cooilidce 3 ' 



Sucker Caloslomidce ' 51 



Catfish SiluridcB i ' 25 



Trout-perch Percopsidce ' 2 



Blindfish Amblyopsida ' 6 



Killifish CyprinodonlidcB 3 ' 53 



Mud-minnow Umbridce i 2 



Pike Esocidce i 



Alaska blackfish Dalliida 



Eel A nguillidce 2 



Stickleback Gasterosteidce 3 



Silverside Atherinidce 2 



Pirate perch Aphredoderida 



Elassoma Elassomidce 



Sunfish Cenlrarchidce 



Perch Percidce 1 1 



Bass Serranidee i _ 



Drum Sciaenidce 



Surf-fish EmbiolocidfB 



Cichlid Cichlidce 



Goby '. . . GobiidcB 2 



Sculpin Collidte 2 



Blenny Blenniida: 3 



Cod GadidfB i 



Flounder Pleuroneclidce i 



Sole Soleid<B i 



Total: Europe, 21 families; 126 species. North America, 34 families; 



590 species. A few new species have been added since this enumeration was made. 



According to Dr. Giinther (Guide to the Study of Fishes, p. 243), the total 



number of species now known from the temperate regions of Asia and Europe 



5 



i 



i 

 7 



2 



I 

 2 



37 

 72 



4 



i 

 i 



2 



6 



21 



