INTRODUCTION. 
It is the object of this paper, first, to present a reasonably 
complete list of the fishes which occur in Lorain County, Ohio, 
with such notes on habits, distribution, etc., as may be helpful to 
future investigators, or in some degree additional to those in Jor- 
dan’s very complete report on the fishes of Ohio. (Geological 
Survey of Ohio, vol. IV.) 
Second, to give such characteristics of the families and species 
noted as will enable even the uninitiated to recognize the fishes 
that he may catch, by the ‘‘ear marks.” Indoing this I have taken 
the diagnoses given in Jordan’s paper mentioned above, as models, 
making such changes as the more restricted scope of my work allows. 
It should be borne in mind that these characterizations (printed in 
italics) are from a limited fauna, and that points good for this local- 
ity may be found in fishes which do not occur here, though an 
effort has been made to avoid this as much as possible. While it 
is hoped that this feature will simplify somewhat the difficulties in 
the way of making the acquaintance of our aquatic neighbors, it 
is not intended to replace the keys of more systematic works. 
Every student of natural history should have a Jordan’s Manual of 
the Vertebrates * at least. 
Jordan’s report in the Ohio Geol. Survey contains an account 
of the literature of Ohio fishes up to 1878, with very full synonymy 
of the species, and many notes on habits, to which the student is 
referred for much material not within the scope of this paper. To 
facilitate such reference, the species numbers in Jordan’s Manual and 
in his Report on the Ohio Fishes are given with each species. 
In his report, Jordan gives 165 species that are supposed to 
inhabit the waters of Ohio. Of these 96 are given as being found 
in Lake Erie and its tributaries, 123 in the Ohio river drainage, 
about 40 characteristic of the lake region, 56 common to both 
regions, and 67 found only in the river drainage. Of these lists 
Dr. Henshail says: ‘‘In an enumeration of this list recently sent 
*A Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United States, by D. S. Jordan; 576 pages, A. 
C. McClurg & Co., Chicago. $2.50, 
