Valley of the River Rouge, fyc, 275 



8. Leuciscus f A large fish, known as " the Carp," usually 

 about seventeen inches in length, and about two pounds in weight, 

 was abundant in all the lakes, and in the Rouge and Devil's River, 

 readily taking pork, smaller leu isci or any kind of flesh. On the 

 sides the scales have a beautiful bronze or golden lustre, and the 

 basal half and margin of each is black. The fin rays are as fol- 

 lows : Br. 3. D. 9. C. 20. V. 8. P. 16. "he anterior ray of the 

 pectorals is very strong and thick. In many specimens the snout 

 was armed with numerous small turbercles, but others were entirely 

 destitute of them or possessed them in a rudimentary state only. 

 On the 5th August I saw many heaps of small stones in shallow 

 parts of the Rouge, said to be piled up by this fish to cover its 

 spawn. They bite best about the middle of the day, and we found 

 them good eating, at least when we could obtain no trout. This 

 species may be Cyprinus corporalis, Mitchill, but does not agree 

 satisfactorily with any fish I have seen described. 



9. Leuciscus pulchellus, Storer. (Chub). — This was the most 

 abundant fish in all the lakes and rivers throughout the district* 

 Its usual length being between eight and ten inches. My speci- 

 mens agree very well with L. pulchellus as described by Thomp- 

 son in his " Natural History of Vermont," but there is considera- 

 ble discrepancy between his description and that given by De 

 Kay in his volume of the New York Fauna. 



10. Leuciscus frontalis, Agassiz. Abundant in streams flowing 

 into the small lake 11th Lot, 3rd Range, Montcalm. The speci- 

 mens collected agree exactly with the figure and description of 

 this species in Agassiz's " Lake Superior," with the exception that 

 instead of fourteen they have sixteen rays in their pectoral fins. 



11. Leuciscus ? A small species with three bony tubercles on 

 each side of the head in a line over the eye, was common in the 

 same stream with the last. I cannot find it described though 

 evidently a very distinct species. 



All the Lakes swarmed with the young of various Leucisci 

 which are called "Dace" and " Chub." Several species besides 

 those above mentioned were met with in Trembling and Three 

 Mountain Lakes, but as I had then no means of preserving speci- 

 mens I cannot determine the species. 



One small Leuciscus which I took in Chain Lake, Montcalm, 

 had the abdomen immensely distended, and on opening it I found 

 the whole cavity occupied by an intestinal worm. The fish itself 

 was but two and a quarter inches in length, and the worm when 



