Animals of the Mississippi Bottoms near Quincij. 141 



the levee farther north would have shown it common enough. 

 It probably does not often leave its retreats among the vege- 

 tation of quiet water for the current of the river. 



From Harkness Slough, example 12 inches long; Libby 

 Lake, several examples 8 inches long ; Long Lake, one example ; 

 pool south of Quincy, a half dozeu small examples. 



Little Pickerel {Esox vermiculatiis, Les.). 



Not common apparently. Seen only within the levee and 

 in Lily Lake. 



Harkness Slough, one example ; Claus Lake, occasional 

 examples five inches long ; Lily Lake, four small examples. 



Family Atherinid^. 



Lahidcsthes siccnlus, Cope. 



Probably more common in the sloughs than it seemed to 

 be, as its slenderness permits it to pass through most seines 

 when they are not encumbered with vegetation. The pools are 

 exactly suited to it. 



One small example. Long Lake ; four examples, Broad 

 Lake. 



Family Cyprinodontid.e. (Top Minnows.) 



Black-sided Top Minnow (Zi/r/onectes notatiis,Jiaf.). 



Frequent and generally distributed, but only a few taken 

 at any one time. Schools of about a half dozen individuals 

 were frequently seen in the bay. 



Localities : Harkness Slough, Quincy Bay, Willow Slough, 

 Long Lake. 



Family Clupeid^e. ( Shad. ) 



Hickory Shad, Gizzard Shad {Dorosoma cepedianum^ Les.). 



The bottom-land sloughs and lakes are pre-eminently the 

 spawning ground of this fish. Young of the year, 1.50 to 2 

 inches long and still wearing the black shoulder mark, occur 

 in countless numbers. Probably more than half of the in- 

 dividuals taken in the Fish Commission seines during the season 

 are these young shad. The temporary pools on the lower part 

 of the bottom-land were crowded with them. They were less 

 abundant farther back, but were still very common in Libby 



