126 



The Fishes of the Missouri Kjver Basin. By Bartux W. Evermaxn ani> 

 j. t. scovell. 



In 1892 and again in 1893 I>r. Kverniann made extended investigations in 

 Iowa, Soutii Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming for tlie pnrpose of selecting a site 

 for a iish-cultiiral station somewliere in that region. In 1891 he iiad made 

 similar investigations in Montana and Wyoming and [)rimariiy for the same 

 purpose. 



While engaged in this work we e.xamined a great many streams and made 

 large collections of fishes representing a great many localities. 



Studying these collections very naturally led to a consideration of the entire 

 fish-fauna of the Missouri l)asin, and it is with some of the interesting features 

 <if this fauna that the present paper deals. That we may understand more 

 clearly the distribution of the fishes a few words concerning the characteristic 

 features of the basin may not be out of place. 



The Mmonri River Bamn. The Missouri is the longest river in North 

 America. Its headwaters are among the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Wyoming 

 and Colorado. At numerous places its sources are but a few miles from those of 

 the Saskatchewan, the Columbia and the Colorado. In northwestern Montana 

 are the sources of Milk Kiver wiiicli are said to be connected directly with those 

 of the Saskatchewan, while only a few miles to the westward the drainage is into 

 Flathead Kiver and thence into the Columbia. In southwestern Montana the 

 headwaters of the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Red Rock and Madison on one hand 

 closely approach those of the Bitter Root, Salmon and Snake on the other. In 

 northwestern Wyoming, just south of the Yellowstone National Park, the head- 

 waters of the Columbia and Missouri actually unite in Two-Ocean Pass, forming 

 a continuous waterway from the mouth of the Columbia to that of the Mississippi.® 



In Wyoming the Sweetwater, a tributary of the North Platte, and in Col- 

 orado the South Platte, rise within a few miles of streams which are tributary to 

 the Colorado of the west. 



The headwaters of these various tributary streams are 8,000 to 14,000 feet 

 above sea level. Gallatin, Montana, where the .leflerson, iladison and tiallatin 

 rivers unite to from the Missouri proper is 4,i;V2 feet altitude, the sources of 

 Madison River are over 8,300 feet above the sea, while Two-Ocean Pass is about 

 8,200 feet. 



For a full description of tiii.-; phenomenon anJ its be.-u-ing upon the distribution of 

 fishes see Evermann, in Popular Science Monthly, for .Tune, ISi'o. 



