44: IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



National Museum,* the others were both published in Iowa§", under Iowa 

 auspices and by an Iowa man. The first of these papers lists thirty species from 

 the Des Moines river, at Ottumwa, of which list two were new to science. The 

 two forms were Xot)-o))is gilberii and Ammocrypta clara. From the Chariton 

 river, at Chariton, there were listed in the same paper thirteen species. From the 

 Hundred and Two river, near Bedford, there were taken nineteen forms. The 

 latter stream furnished no new species while one, Etheostoma ioww, was found in 

 the Chariton. 



The second of these papers was preliminary to a complete account of Iowa 

 fishes and is not yet finished. It aims to present the main facts, reg'arding- species 

 and their identification, thus far gathered through personal observation and 

 collated from other sources. In it may be found certain notes on the geographic 

 distribution ot the more common forms, but recent investigations have already 

 rendered this feature of little value. But little may be found in it concerning the 

 forms that occur within our limit. 



The third paper deals only with the larger forms of Iowa fishes and mainly 

 with those that have food value. It also contains notes on geographical distribu- 

 tion, but this feature here likewise does not represent the facts as now understood. 



With this brief list the bibliography of Iowa fishes practically ends. Such work 

 ^s has been done and as has been published indicates that veiy much yet remains to 

 be accomplished before the list of Iowa fishes can be completed. To facilitate 

 this work and to secure as a basis for comparison in respect to richness in species, 

 abundance, and geographical distribution a list that would be fairly representative 

 of the strictly defined Iowa fish fauna the writer has collected and studied a great 

 many fishes from the basin of the Des Moines. The main facts i; which this study 

 has made known are made the basis of this preliminary paper. 



As yet the investigations of the area limited by the hydographic basin of the 

 Des Moines are unfinished. Practically only the streams of the central portion of 

 the area have been studied. These streams all present, as would be expected, a 

 great sameness of fauna, but at the same time they present a characteristic one. 

 Without exception they are all typical prairie streams with physical features com- 

 mon to all alike. Minor differences, such as greater clearness, less depth, more 

 •vapid current, rockier bottoms and a greater number of cold springs characterize 

 all as their source is neared. Correlated with this are certain forms found only at 

 or near the rivers' sources that have, therefore, a somewhat limited distribution. 



Several small streams, chiefly located within a few miles of the city of Des 

 Moines, have been examined with the greatest thoroughness and they have little 

 or nothing more to yield to continued exploration. These streams may therefore 

 stand as typical for all similar streams in Central Iowa. One of these, Beaver 

 Creek, will be further described in connection with the list collected therein and 

 this list, it is believed, will stand as a type of all similar ones based on so small an 

 area as a single creek. 



The physical features of the Des Moines river demand but a passing mention. Its 

 bed is ever varying from soft ooze to hard rock, grading in all ways from mud 

 through sand and gravel to coarse boulders. With these varying conditions there 

 is also a various fauna. Certain forms as the Sihiridae, the Acipenseridae and 



* Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 1885, Vol. VIIT. 

 § Bulletin from the Laboratories of Natural History of the State University of Iowa 

 Vol. I, No. 2, 1889. 

 ° Proceedings of the Towa Academy of Sciences, for 1889-00. 



