FISHES OF THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN. 343 



volume of water, clearness, purity, and low temperature, it surpasses 

 any other stream in the State, of which we know. Natural food of the 

 trout is found in abundance; besides insect larvae, the smaller 

 crustaceans and mollusks abound, and several species of minnows are 

 abundant as to individuals and doubtless furnish excellent food to 

 better fishes. 



The numerous beautiful groves of hardwood trees and shrubs cov- 

 ering the little park-like tracts of bottom land found along- the stream, 

 or scattered over the hillsides and in the narrow Hanking canyons, make 

 this region one of surprising beauty and picturcsqueness. The trout 

 that were planted in this creek a few years ago have done unusually 

 well, and now Long Pine Creek affords excellent fishing to the anglers 

 of Nebraska and neighboring States. 



Verdigris River rises in the northwest corner of Antelope County, 

 Nebr., Hows northeast and then north, and empties into the Niobrara 

 River about 5 miles from its mouth. We examined it at the town of 

 Verdigris, where the stream below the mill-dam was 58 feet wide and 

 1 foot deep, with a current of 2£ feet per second. The temperature of 

 the air was 77° and that of the water 67°. The bottom was covered 

 with rather large rocks and the water was clear. 



The small unnamed creek which emptied into Verdigris River at Ver- 

 digris had a very little muddy water standing in pools and consequently 

 very few fish were found in it. 



Emanuel Creek was fished 3 miles northwest of Springfield, S. Dak. 

 It is quitea small stream, a tributary of the Missouri, with very muddy 

 water winch was not more than 3 feet deep at any place, and ranged 

 from 4 to 30 feet wide. There were some bushes on the banks, princi- 

 pally ash, and a great amount of algae in the bed of the stream. 



Bazile or Greighton Creek is small, rises in northern Nebraska, flows 

 north, and empties into the Missouri about 5 miles east of the town of 

 Niobrara. The current is swift, flowing a stream 30 to 40 feet wide and 

 18 inches deep over a fine gravelly bottom. Shrubs and small trees, 

 principally ash, are found along the banks. As many as 8 species of 

 fishes were taken, but none in great abundance. A pond which has 

 connection with Bazile Creek was fished at Creighton, Nebr. This pond 

 is at the edge of the town and contains 10 or 15 acres. On one side 

 there were a, few shrubs, but, for the most part, the banks were grassy. 

 The water was deep except at the edges and here it was almost com- 

 pletely Idled with the alga' and other aquatic vegetation. In some 

 places it was almost impossible to land the seine on account of this 

 mass of plant lite. Twelve species of fish, at least, were taken here, 

 among them Notropis topeJca, Wotropis cayuga, Apomotis cyanellus, 

 Etheostoma iowce, ami Fundulus seiadicus. 



Spring Creelc, a very small tributary of Bazile Creek, was fished at 

 Bazile Mills. This brook was interesting on account of the fact that 

 the water was cold. 5 1 : at 8 a. m., when the air was 68°, and that trout 

 had been planted there and were doing well. The only fish taken were 



