NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF FISHES MADE BY DR. 

 EDGAR A. MEARNS FROM RIVERS TRIBUTARY TO THE 

 GULF OF CALIFORNIA. 



By John Otterbein Snyder. 



Of Stanford University, California. 



Wliile in charge of the biological section of the survey of the 

 Mexican boundary of the United States, from January, 1892, tiU 

 September, 1894, Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, major and surgeon, United 

 States Army, made a collection of fishes from the various streams 

 encountered along the route. Those secured from the Gulf of 

 California drainage are of particular interest, for although considerable 

 has been written on the fishes of the region,^ there are yet many 

 questions regarding their habits, relationships, and distribution which 

 are open to investigation. 



The collection made by Doctor Mearns contains specimens from 

 the Colorado River and some of its tributaries, from the headwaters 

 of the Yaqui near the international boundary, and also from the 

 Altar and Sonoyta Rivers, each of which rims an independent course 

 to the Gulf of California. The following list will indicate the re- 

 lationships of the streams examined: 



Colorado River. 

 Gila River. 



Verde River. 

 Oak Creek. 

 Beaver Creek. 

 Santa Cruz River. 

 San Pedro River. 



Sonoyta River. 

 Altar River. 



Bear Creek. 

 Yaqui River. 



Bavispe River. 



San Bernardino River. 



Cajon Bonito Creek. 



The faimas of the Sonoyta, Altar, and Yaqui Rivers are not yet 

 weU enough known to justify any very definite statements as to 

 their relationships. It appears, however, that the fishes of the 

 Yaqui have been largely derived from the Rio Grande. It also 

 seems safe to infer that the barrier of salt water which now separates 

 the Colorado and Yaqui Rivers has been continuous with the exist- 

 ence of the latter, thus preventing the Colorado fauna from extending 



» Evermann and Rutter; Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., No. 14, 1894, pp. 473-486. Gilbert and Scofield; 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 20, 1898, pp. 487-499. Meek, Seth Eugene; Field Columb. Mus. Publ. 93, zool. 

 ser., vol. 5, Rio Yaqui System, p. XXXVHI. Ellis, Max M.; Univ. of Colorado Studies, vol. 11, No. 1, 

 1914. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol 49— No. 2125. 



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