358 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



26. Lepomis pallidus (Mitchill). Blue Hunfish. Minnesota River at Oitonville, 



o specimens. Kare in the rivers of this region; specimens all small. 



27. Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque). Blue-gill. Wheatstone Creek at Millbank, 



rare; Ponnne <le Terre River at Appleton, 3 specimens. 



28. Micropterus salmoides (Lac6pede). Large-mouth Blade Bass. Minnesota River 



atOrtonville, common ; Chippewa River at Montevideo, (5 specimens ; reported 

 by local fishermen very abundant in the Chippewa River and ecjually so 

 above the dam at Montevideo. 



29. Micropterus dolomieii Lac6pede. Small-mouth Black Bass. Chip])ewa River 



at Montevideo, rare; very few specimens were taken. 



30. Etheostoma nigrum Ralinesque. Johnny Barter. Minnesota River at Orton- 



ville, 25 specimens ; Wheatstone Creek at Millbank, 1 ; Pomme de Terre River 

 at Appleton, 1; Chippewa River at Montevideo, 38; Minnesota River at 

 Montevideo, 4. This is by far the most abundant darter in the streams 

 of this region, which seem to be particularly adapted to its growth. 



31. Etheostoma aspro (Cope & Jordan). Black-sided Darter. Minnesota River at 



Ortonville, 1 specimen; Chippewa River at Montevideo, 45. Not widely 

 distributed in this region, nor large except at the last-named station. 



32. Etheostoma iowee (Jordan & Meek). Pomme de Terre River at Appleton, 12 



specimens; Wheatstone Creek at Millbank, 3. 



33. Perca flavesceiis (Mitchill). Yellow Perch; Bing Perch. Minnesota River at 



Ortonville, common ; Wheatstone Creek at Millbank, abundant ; Pomme de 

 Terre River at Appleton, 4 specimens. 



34. Stizostedionvitreum (Mitchill). Wall-eyed Pike ; Pike Perch. Minnesota River 



at Ortonville, 3 specimens ; Minnesota River at Montevideo, 2. 



THE DAKOTA OR JAMES RIVER. 



The James Eiver is essentially a prairie stream rising in the south- 

 western part of Nelson County, North Dakota, near Devil Lake, and 

 flovving in a general southerly direction for nearly 400 miles before 

 joining the Missouri Eiver. It makes its way between a low ridge or 

 elevation on the west side and the Plateau du Coteau des Prairies on 

 the east. The former separates it from the Missouri, and the latter 

 from the Minnesota. It is one of the chief tributaries of the Missouri 

 in North Dakota, but its drainage area is much restricted by the eleva- 

 tions on either side, and hence the amount of water it discharges is 

 relatively small. The stream was examined at two points. La Moure 

 and Jamestown. 



La Moure, N. Dale.., July 27. — La Moure is on the Fargo and South- 

 western branch of the Northern Pacific Eailroad, 100 miles southwest 

 of Fargo and over 250 miles from the mouth of the river. Here the 

 valley is not more than 10 or 15 miles wide, the hills rising gently 

 on either side to a height of about 150 feet. The immediate valley or 

 flood-plain of the river is about 2 miles wide, level, and very fertile. 

 The width of the stream will not exceed 15 yards, and its depth will 

 average 3 or 4 feet. Tlie current is slow, not more than half or three- 

 quarters of a mile per hour. The stream is very crooked and has low, 

 steep banks. The bed of the stream is of fine mud, several inches deep, 

 which is overgrown with a thick mat of pond vegetation, consisting of 

 bladderwort, water milfoil, chara, etc., which in places grow entirely 



