A LIST OF THE FISHES OF RHODE ISLAND. 



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PLATES I TO XII. 

 BY HP:NRY C. TRACY, A. M., 



BROWX UNIVERSITY, PROVIDENCE, R. I. 



In the year 1898 the Commission of Inland Fisheries began a 

 "systematic examination of the physical and biological conditions 

 of Narragansett Bay." The~ importance of the study of the fish 

 faima, as a part of this investigation, is obvious from a practical as 

 well as from a scientific point of view. Such a knowledge of the 

 fishes of Rhode Island waters as would be given by a thorough 

 investigation of their distribution, times of occurrence, food, diseases, 

 enemies, etc., would furnish a body of facts in themselves of very 

 great value to the scientist, to the sportsman, and to the man prac- 

 tically interested in the commercial aspect of the fisheries; and, 

 furthermore, it is only Ijv the possession of such facts that important 

 problems regarding the life history and life conditions of an}' species 

 can be soh-ed. 



Since the biological study of Rhode Island waters was begun, 

 numerous isolated facts regarding the fishes of these waters have 

 come into the possession of the Commission, some of which have 

 been included from time to time in its annual reports. But the 

 only systematic contribution to this investigation which has been 

 published heretofore is the "List of Fishes of Narragansett Bay," 

 by Dr. H. C. Bumpus, which was contained in the report of the 

 Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for 1900. This was a bare list 

 of fishes, as the title indicates, with no notes or information regarding 



