40 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



pond, creek, marsh aud shallow lagoon. Did such a check 

 not exist, the Gasterosteidas would, in favored localities, 

 cause a decrease in the supply of certain food fishes, not 

 directly indeed, but by preying on the forms supplying the 

 latter with food. 



Of the forty genera and two hundred species of the 

 -Cyprinidse found in North America, only six undoubted forms 

 are known to occur in New Brunswick. There must be more, 

 but identification of many members of this family is extremely 

 diflBcult, owing to uniformity in size, coloration, and habits, 

 as. well as to changes due to season and age. Then, again, 

 they are esteemed of no value as food-fishes — a general pass- 

 port to neglect. 



The shiner, or red-fin {Minnilus coi-nutus, Mitch.), is 

 found generally distributed over the whole province, occu?- 

 ring in streams and brooks, and shallow portions of rivers. 

 It is rarer in northern than in southern waters, a fact largely 

 due to the presence in the former of great numbers of trout 

 {Salmo fontinalis, Mitch.), which are extremely partial to 

 this brightly colored and attractive minnow. 



The pretty little black-nosed dace {Rliinichthys atronasus, 

 Mitch),) is found in all the inland waters of the province, 

 generally associated with the last species, but preferring 

 smaller streams and more shallow waters. For a similar reason, 

 it is, like the red-fin, less abundant in northern streams. 



The chub, or horned dace {Semotilus corporalis, Mitch.), 

 and the silver chub (*S'. buUaris, Raf.). frequent the larger 

 brooks and still reaches of rivers; but the latter is also found 

 in great numbers in many lakes, especially those of the 

 Miramichi, examined by the writer in the silmmer of 1890. 

 They sometimes grow to the length of eighteen inches, and 

 weigh from three to four pounds; but never show the max- 

 illary barbel, so characteristic of the fish in more southern 

 waters. In the Miramichi lakes the larger ones feed princi- 

 pally on red-fins and fresh-water clams, with the broken 

 shells of which their stomachs are often found gorged. 



