1868.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 435 



NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF FISHES FROM THE MAUMEE 



VALLEY, OHIO. 



BY SETH E. MEEK. 



The following paper is based upon a small collection of fishes made 

 iu Defiance County, Ohio, by the writer in July, 1887. Less than one 

 day was spent in seining in each of the following localities : Mauniee 

 Biver and Gordon Creek, near Cecil ; Gordon Creek, near Cicero; Lost 

 Creek, about 2h miles southwest of Farmer; and in Forlow's Pond, 2 

 miles southeast of Cicero. The seining was done with a small Baird 

 seine. 



The Mauniee Biver flows through a nearly unbroken region, and with 

 a sluggish current. ISTear Cecil, Ohio, the current is swifter than usual 

 and the bottom of the river is sandy, or in a few places rocky. 



Gordon Creek is a northern tributary of the Maumee Biver, and it 

 empties into the river a short distance below Cecil. The creek is small, 

 aud in the summer it becomes nearly dry, with little or no running 

 water in it. 



Such was the case at the time of our visit, and so the seining was done 

 in a few deep holes by the road side about 1 mile above its mouth. 



Cicero is 10 or 12 miles farther up the creek. At this point the creek 

 is little more than a small brook, with a muddy bottom, with occasional 

 stretches of sand. 



Lost Creek is also a northern tributary of the Maumee Biver. It is 

 larger than Gordon Creek, its bottom being more sandy ; and, as it is fed 

 by springs iu the upper part of its course, it is seldom, if ever, without 

 running water. 



A few miles below Farmer the creek formerly lost itself in a large 

 marshy tract of land, which at that time was covered with a dense 

 growth of underbrush, hi later years the marsh has been cleared up, 

 and the water conducted through it by means of a series of large ditches 

 to the main channel of the creek below. 



Forlow's Pond is au artificial pool, made in 1882 for a reservoir to 

 supply water for the tile factory of Forlow & Co. The pond covers 

 about one-half acre. During high water in the spring it is in communi- 

 cation for a short time by means of ditches with Gordon Creek ; it is 

 also fed by au artesian well throughout the year. 



In formeryears a greater portion of Defiance County was very heavily 

 timbered. In the low lands black ash and oak were the predominating 

 trees, while on the upper lands oak, white ash, walnut, beech, and maple 

 predominated. Within the past thirty years much of the land has been 

 cleared up, while large tracts of woodland still remain, however much 



