52 



FISHES OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 



abundant in salt and brackish water. The Mummichog is probably the 

 most abundant small fish in this vicinity. Its name, sometimes short- 

 ened to "Mummy," is of Indian derivation and signifies "going in 

 crowds." It swarms in shallow, salt and brackish waters and very occa- 

 sionally a specimen will be found in quite fresh water. It benefits 

 mankind by destroying quantities of mosquito larvse. Its head is broad 

 and blunt viewed from above, and generally it has no noticeable streaks, 

 though sometimes vertical light or dark ones are present. It thus 

 resembles the Fresh-water Killy, but its snout is blunter; it is less trans- 



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FRESH-WATER KILLY 



parent and its scales are larger, 35 to 38 instead of about 45. The Mum- 

 michog can undergo great changes of temperature and salinity in the 

 water, will live in water too foul for other species and for a considerable 

 time out of water altogether; in fact it is of all our fishes one of the most 

 tenaceous of life. The Fresh-water Killy replaces it in pure fresh water 

 and is at times abundant. It is a more delicate fish recognized by its 

 transparency and small scales. The Bass Killy is a more strictly salt- 

 water, generally less numerous species than the Mummichog with which 

 it is often associated. It reaches a somewhat larger size sometimes being 

 six inches long. Its head as seen from above is rather pointed, its sides 

 are whitish, a color never approximated by the Mummichog, and marked 

 by bold black streaks, vertical in the male, horizontal in the female. 

 Lucy's Killy is a small rare salt or brackish water species with broad 

 black vertical bars and may be recognized by a large black eye-spot 

 on the posterior part of its back fin. The Rainwater Fish, very seldom 

 reaching a length of two inches, may be recognized by the dark edges of 

 the scales, which make them stand out prominently. Aside from the 

 Sheepshead Minnow it is deeper than the others mentioned, the depth 

 contained only slightly more than three times in the length, and a small 



