FISHES OF THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN. 841 



farthest western station made on it by us, the stream was 20 feet wide 

 and 6 inches deep. The bottom was sandy, as is the case with the 

 bottom at every station made. In some places this sand is very loose 

 quicksand. The whole course of the river is through a dry, sandy 

 country, known as the sand-hill region of Nebraska. 



At Valentine, Nebr., the stream was 150 feet wide, 1 to 4 feet deep, 

 and with a very swift current, 2 A- feet per second, at least. We found 

 it very difficult to seine, on account of the velocity of the current. 



The temperature July 10 was Sl^°. There was much quicksand in 

 the bottom. The region at Valentine is a typical sand-hill country. 

 Very little vegetation other than grass and small shrubs was found 

 along the banks of the river. The water was clear and free from 

 vegetation. Only a few cyprinoids were found here. 



We fished the Niobrara again 15 miles north of Long Pine, Nebr., 

 and found still more quicksand than at either Marsland or Valentine. 

 The bed of the stream here was 800 feet wide. The current averaged 

 about 3 feet per second, and the stream ranged in depth from 1 to G 

 feet. The velocity and the quicksand bottom made it impossible to fish 

 in some places. The banks of the river at this place are quite heavily 

 timbered for a few rods on each side. The temperature of the water 

 was 80°. Only minnows and a few suckers were found. 



At Niobrara the Niobrara liiver is 1,000 feet wide, the water running 

 in many small channels over the sandy bottom at the time examined, 

 and averaging 10 inches in depth. The same characteristics that have 

 been given above apply to the river here. A narrow timbered strip 

 lines its banks, but the water is free from vegetation and is clear 

 wherever running. A few rods from the river we fished a small pond 

 and secured a few species of minnows. The pond was simply an old 

 bend in the river that had been cut off by a change in the direction of 

 the current. Some of the trees and shrubs of this region are cotton- 

 wood, elm. ash. cedar, two species Of oak, wild cherry, willow, box-elder, 

 grapevine, sumac, rose, poison ivy, JBJuonymus, prickly ash, elder, lead 

 plant, and basswood. 



Schlegel Creek is the tributary farthest up the Niobrara liiver which 

 we examined. It is a small creek, 15 feet wide and 2 feet deep, which 

 flows from the south and empties into the river about 4A miles south of 

 Valentine. Near the mouth the banks are broken and hilly and are 

 covered with shrubs. The stream itself was dammed in many places 

 by snags, which made seining very difficult. The bed of the creek was 

 sandy. Fishermen reported that trout had been taken in this brook, 

 and that it had been stocked up toward its head, where there are sev- 

 eral springs. The temperature of the water was 71°. 



Minneeliaduza Creek flows from the west and empties into the north 

 side of the Niobrara liiver at Valentine. It is a fine stream, averaging 

 20 feet wide, 1 foot deep, and having a velocity of 3 feet per second. 

 The bottom is covered with rocks and gravel, and several springs flow 



