NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF COLD-BLOODED 

 VERTEBRATES FROM ONTARIO. 



BY S. . MEEK AND H. W. CLARK. 



The following paper is based on a collection of fishes, batrachians 

 and reptiles made by the senior author and Mr. L. V. Kenkel in Ontario 

 the last three weeks of June, 1900. The collection of batrachians and 

 reptiles is not large. It was too early in the season and too cool for 

 them to be out in any considerable numbers. The collection of fishes 

 is more complete, in fact it is the only collection of any importance 

 ever made in this region, and it gives us a fair idea of the fish fauna 

 of Ontario and extends our knowledge of the geographical distribu- 

 tion of several of the smaller fishes. 



Northern Ontario is exceedingly well watered: its numerous lakes 

 and streams are so connected that altogether they form practically 

 one great drainage system. The larger streams usually have broad 

 deep channels and flow with a gentle current. The changes in level 

 are made by falls, cascades and rapids, many of which fishes cannot 

 ascend. Our study of the fishes of Ontario indicates that altitude 

 plays a considerable part in distribution. Gull Lake is about three- 

 fourths of a mile from Muskoka Lake, but is 60 feet higher. The 

 outlet of the former flows into the latter ; it contains falls and cas- 

 cades that fishes are unable to ascend. A whitefish, a herring (the 

 species of which we do not know) and the wall-eyed pike (Stizostedion 

 vitreum) are found in Muskoka Lake and not in Gull Lake. Of the 

 small fishes the log perch (Percina caprodei) and the black-tailed 

 shiner (Notropis hudsonius) were found by us in Muskoka and not in 

 Gull Lake, though the latter lake was more extensively explored 

 than the former. There is a fall of 18 feet at the head of the 

 outlet of Muskoka Lake ; the river then flows in a broad deep chan- 

 nel with a gentle current for about 4 miles to a second falls ; there 

 are other falls about the same distance farther down. The pickerel 

 (Lucius lucius}, the muskallunge (Lucius masquinongy) and the rock 

 bass (Ambloplites rupestris) are found below the second and third falls 



