XC11 FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



Illinois by the presence of the rare white sturgeon (Parascaphirhyn- 

 chus albus) , hitherto taken only in the Mississippi itself, and by a 

 southern darter and a western minnow already referred to. In the 

 Kaskaskia district we find another southern darter (Etheostoma squam- 

 iceps). The six fishes of the Wabash district not found in the Illinois 

 or its tributaries, are all southern species. The Big Muddy list con- 

 tains no species not found in the Illinois basin ; and the Saline River 

 district contains two southern darters {Etheostoma squamiceps and 

 E. obeyensc). And, finally, among the eight species by which the 

 Cairo district differs from the Illinois are three southern and two 

 western species, a cave-fish, and two species of general distribution 

 but rare in Illinois (Lampetra wilderi and Rhinichthys cataract®). 



Thus, of the twenty-three Illinois fishes not found by us in the 

 waters of the Illinois basin, eight are distinctively southern, six are 

 purely northern, if we include in this number the Great Lake fishes, 

 four are western, one is an extremely local cave-fish, and four are so 

 rare in Illinois that their appearance in any waters is a matter of 

 unusual chance. The limitation upon the range of these imperfectly 

 distributed species is thus climatic and general, and not geographic 

 or local. This state lies on the extreme borders of their proper terri- 

 tory, and they are not found more commonly in our waters because 

 climatic and other general conditions most favorable to their main- 

 tenance, here reach the vanishing point. 



Lists of Species distinguishing different Districts from the Illinois Basin 



galena district (2): kaskaskia river district (i): 



Hybognathus nubila (Western) Etheostoma squamiceps (Southern) 



Crystallaria asprella (Southern) 



WABASH DISTRICT (6): 



rock river district (3): Harelipped sucker (rare; Southern) 



Hybognathus nubila ( Western ) Pigmy sunfish (Southern) 



Hadropterus evides (Western) Eupomotis heros (Southern) 



Crystallaria asprella (Southern) Hadropterus ouachitce (Southern) 



Crystallaria asprella (Southern) 



Michigan district (9): Etheostoma squamicep s (Southern) 



Brook lamprey (rare) . 



Long-nosed sucker (Northern) saline river district (2): 



Whitefish (Great Lakes) Etheostoma obeyense (Southern) 



Lake herring (Great Lakes) E. squamiceps (Southern) 

 Lake troul (('.real Lake i 



Great Lake catfish (Northern) Cairo district (8) 



Nine-spined sti< I lebai 1. (Northern) Brook lamprey 



Cottus ricei (Greal Lakes) Hybognathus nubila (Western) 



Uranidea kumlienii (Great Lakes) Long nosed dace (rare in Illinois) 



Hat headed chub ( Western i 



Mississippi strip (3): , -hologaster papilliferus (subterranean) 



Whiti in (rare; Mississippi only i Pigmy sunfish (Southern) 



Hybognathus nubila (Western) Eupomotis hero', (Southern) 



Crystallaria asprella (Southern) Etheostoma squamiceps (Southern) 



