5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 39b A. 1915 



THE FISHES OF GEORGIAN BAY. 

 By B. a. Bensley, B.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.C. 

 Associate Professor of Zoology, University of Toronto 

 Plates I and II and six figures in the text 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Since the establishment of the Georgian Bay Biological Station in 1901, a 

 number of collections representing the local fauna and flora of Go Home Bay have 

 been brought together in successive seasons by various workers associated with the 

 laboratory. In this way a considerable amount of information has been accumu- 

 lated which it is hoped first to incorporate in separate reports on the individual 

 groups, and afterwards to extend and correlate in such a way as to give a compre- 

 hensive view of the life of the Georgian Bay area. 



The present report on the fishes of the region applies especially to the water 

 areas in and about Go Home Bay, where extensive collections and observations 

 have been made at all points within working distance of the laboratory. A few 

 observations, however, have been made on the more accessible parts of the Mus- 

 quash River system, which is the Georgian Bay outlet for the drainage area repre- 

 sented inland by the Muskoka Lakes, and at various points along the east and north 

 shores of Georgian Bay from its southern termination at Coldwater River north- 

 ward to Killarney*. 



In the study of these collections prominence has been given to the identifi- 

 cation of the various species and to their characters as shown in this region. This 

 analysis forms the basis of the present report, but there has also been included a 

 discussion of the factors of distribution, and various observations have been made 

 on the breeding habits of fishes and on their food-relationships. 



In the identification of certain more difficult species the writer has received 

 assistance which is heie gratefully acknowledged. To Dr. S. E. Meek of the 

 Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, he is indebted for the identification 

 of darters and Cyprinidce. Dr. Barton W. Evermann of the United States Bureau 

 of Fisheries, Washington, kindly undertook the identification of the whitefishes and 

 lake herrings. In addition, Mr. G. A. Boulenger kindly gave him permission 

 to examine the collections of Canadian fresh water fishes preserved in the British 

 Museum. 



* For the purpose of making the collections described in the present paper, permission 

 was kindly given by Mr. Edwin Tinsley, Superintendent of Game and Fisheries for Ontario to 

 use certain nets not commonly authorized for this area, or for which special license is required. 

 39b— I II 



