FISHES OF NEW YORK 121 



The blunt-nosed minnow is a larger species than the fathead, 

 reaching a length of 4 inches, and its range extends from Quebec 

 to Delaware, west to Kansas and south to Mississippi. 



B. W. Evermann and B. A. Bean obtained it for the TT. S. Fish 

 Oommission in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdens- 

 burg, July 17, 1894, in abundance. They found it common also 

 at Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y. July 19, 1894, In the Lake On- 

 tario region the Fish Commission collected the species at Cape 

 Vincent, Grenadier island, Sacketts Harbor, Pointbreeze, Hunt- 

 ingtonville, Charlotte, Stony Island, Pultneyville, Chaumont, 

 Henderson bay^ and Salt brook. Livingston Stone obtained the 

 fish at Cape Vincent in the St Lawrence river, and presented it to 

 the state museum at Albany. It is found in large numbers in the 

 southern end of Cayuga lake, and in streams on the flats. Not 

 very abundant at the northern end of the lake and in streams 

 near Ithaca, above the falls, according to the records of Dr Seth 

 E. Meek. 



The blunt-nosed minnow ditfers from the fathead in its 

 larger size and in having a complete lateral line, but the sexual 

 difl'erences are similar in the two species. The males in spring 

 have the head black and the snout with many large tubercles. 

 The species is extremely variable and changes greatly with age. 

 It frequents small and muddy streams, and its food consists of 

 decaying vegetable matter. 



Genus semotilus Rafinesque 



Body stout, moderately compressed and elongate; mouth ter- 

 minal, wide, the upper jaw protractile; a small barbel just above 

 the end of the maxillary; in most American minnows the barbel 

 is at its tip; the maxillary barbel sometimes absent in young 

 individuals; teeth 2, 5-4, 2, hooked, without grinding surface; 

 scales rather large; lateral line complete; a short intestinal 

 canal; dorsal placed behind ventrals; base of anal short. 

 Vertebrae 22 -f- 20 = 42. Fishes of large size in clear, swift 

 streams from Canada to Virginia, west to Missouri and 

 Wyoming. 



