THE FOOD AND GAME FISHES OF NEW YORK. 



Bays and southward to North Carolina. It seems in some respects intermediate 

 between M. aureolum and M. crassilabre ; we cannot at present identify it with 

 either. 



28. Fallfish (Scniotiliis bullaris Rafinesque). 



Semotilus bullaris JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus., 222, 1883 ; BEAN, 



Fishes Penna., 50, pi. 24, fig. 41, 1893. 

 Leitciscns nitidus DEK.AY, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 209, pi. 33, fig. 105, 1842, Lake 



Champlain. 



The Fallfish or Dace is one of the largest of the minnow family in New York, 

 reaching a length of 18 inches, and it is one of the most beautiful species as well as 

 game in its qualities. As a food fish, however, this is not greatly esteemed. It is 

 extremely common in the Delaware River and its tributaries and moderately abun- 

 dant in tne Susquehanna. The Fallfish is found from Quebec to Virginia. Mitchill 



FALLFISH. 



had it from the Wallkill River and knew of its occurrence in the Hudson, near 

 Albany. Rafinesque recorded it from the Fishkill and ether tributaries of the Hud- 

 son. DeKay knew it from Lake Champlain and from New York Harbor. Ever- 

 mann and Bean collected it in Scioto Creek, at Coopersville, and in Saranac River, 

 at Plattsburg, in July, 1894; also in Racket River, at Norfolk, and the St. Lawrence 

 River, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, in the same month. 



In the Lake Ontario basin the U. S. Fish Commission parties found it at Sacket 

 Harbor, Centerville, Watertown, Oswego, Webster, Charlotte, Belleville, Henderson 

 Bay, Henderson Harbor, and Salt Brook, near Nine Mile Point. 



The Fallfish delights in rapid, rocky portions of large streams and in the deep 

 channels. On being hooked it fights desperately for a short time, but its resistance 

 is soon overcome. Thoreau describes it as a soft fish with a taste like brown paper 

 salted, yet the boy fishermen will continue to covet and admire this handsome and 



