118 FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



upper lip is nearly on a level with the upper margin of the pupil — less 

 oblique in males, in which level of upper lip is scarcely above that of 

 lower margin of orbit; maxillary a little longer than eye, reaching very 

 little past anterior nostril, 3.5 to 4 . 5 in head ; jaws about equal; isthmus 

 comparatively broad, its width greater than diameter of eye. Teeth 

 4-4 or 4-5; intestine 2 to 3 times the length of head and body; perito- 

 neum black. Dorsal fir I,* 8, low, placed directly over ventrals and a 

 little farther from muzzle than base of caudal; longest dorsal ray 1.2 to 

 1 . 6 in head, usually greater than 1.4; anal rays I,* 7; pectorals g t<> 

 ventrals, 1 . 2 to 1 . 5 in head; ventrals past front of anal in males, scarcely 

 reaching vent in females. Scales 8 or 9, 42-48, 5 or 6, much crowded in 

 front of dorsal fin, before which there are about 25-30 rows; lateral line 

 incomplete, sometimes almost wanting; when present, with a noticeable 

 downward curve anteriorly. 



This species has a general range from the northeast to the south" 

 west, but is not reported from the southeastern part of the United 

 States. It occurs throughout the Great Lake basin to Lake Cham- 

 plain, throughout the Ohio basin and up the Mississippi to the head- 

 waters of the Missouri, and thence northward to the Red River of the 

 North and the Saskatchewan, and southwest to the Rio Grande. 

 Its distribution in Illinois is a miniature copy of its general range, 

 being limited to the northern and western three fourths of the state, 

 leaving the southeastern part with no representation of this species 

 in our collections. It is, in fact, one of the fishes already frequently 

 mentioned, which are practically limited to the Mississippi drainage 

 in this state, and occurs in our collections from the tributaries of the 

 Ohio only from one group of four localities on the headwaters of the 

 Embarras where these approach most closely to the upper tribu- 

 taries of the Kaskaskia. Notwithstanding the general exclusion of 

 a large part of southern Illim >is fn >m its range, it enters the lower 

 Illinoisan glaciation in the branches of the Kaskaskia. It frequents 

 muddy waters freely, occurring there, indeed, in disproportionate 

 frequency, our ninety-five collections of the species giving us a 

 frequency coefficient of 2.08. Like most of our minnows, it is 

 relatively more abundant in creeks than in other waters (coefficient 

 2.68) and, next to these, in the smaller rivers (1.82). It is fairly 

 well represented, however, in rivers of the first class (.85), and 

 occurs not infrequently in lowland lakes and ponds (.23). It has 

 not been taken by us from our northeastern lakes of glacial origin 

 nor from Lake Michigan or from the drainage of its basin. 



We have found it commonest in the short muddy creeks con- 

 nected with the larger rivers, and especially abundant in the muddy 



' See key to genera of ( 'yprinidce. 



