144 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



the agency of birds. Even where lakes and ponds belonging to different 

 basins are made the summer home of fish and ova-eating birds, the 

 results do not appear to be different. In New Brunswick the St. John 

 river with its numerous branches and lakes seems favourably di?;posed in 

 this respect to receive forms from the contiguous head-waters and lakes 

 of the Androscoggin and other Maine rivers ; but there is no proof of 

 transmission by such means having occurred. It is true that twenty 

 odd years ago, the Eastern Pickerel, Eso.r reticulalus, LeS., a common 

 fish in the Maine rivers^ made its appearance in the St. John, but 

 inquiry revealed the fact that a few years before it had been artificially 

 introduced into the Meduxnakik, a branch of the St. John. Hence it 

 would seem more scientific to seek an explanation of the phenomena of 

 distribution Gaspé presents, in some general and far-reaching cause, 

 than to have recourse to a theory which seems inadequate to account for 

 the facts. 



Semotihis atromaculatus, Mitch. Horned Dace. 



This species was found in small numbers in the Grand Cascapedia, 

 Little Cascapedia, and Xew Carlisle lakes, but does not attain the size 

 it reaches in New Brunswick. Moreover, it presents some variations 

 from the usual type characters^ especially in the more pointed muzzle, 

 and the increased number of dorsal fin rays, which are eight instead of 

 seven. The latter at least is a modification characteristic of the influ- 

 ence of a highland habitat, for mountain forms usually show an increase 

 in these bony supports. The dace is partial to small streams and the 

 upper courses of rivers, where it mingles with the Black-nosed Dace, 

 R. atronasus et cataractœ, and hence is liable to pass from one river 

 system to another, and attain in time a wide and continuous distribu- 

 tion. Common in all the waters of New Brunswick. 



Phoxinus neogaeus, Cope. Minnow. 



In Bull. No. XIII., Nat. Hist. Soc. of New Brunswick, pp. 44-7, 

 will be found the first record of the occurrence of this little cyprinid on 

 the Atlantic slope of North America. It was taken by the writer from 

 a pond in the valley of the St. John at Maugerville, Sunbury Co., and 

 submitted to Dr. B. E. Bean, of the National Museum, Washington, 

 who identified it as this species. The writer subsequently collected it 

 from several small lakes near the month of the river in the vicinity of 

 St. John (Dark Lake, Water-works Lake, McDonald Lake); but, though 

 carefully sought after, it has not been found at any other station in the 



