FISHES OF THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN. 345 



Enemy Creel', which empties into the Dakota River C miles southeast 

 of Mitchell, is a small stream made up of connected pools and just 

 enough running- water through the narrow connecting channels to 

 allow small fish to pass from one pool to another. The bottom in that 

 part examined was gravelly, and the water did not contain as much 

 plant life as was found in the others. We did not find as great a 

 variety of fishes here as in the other streams, the principal species 

 being suckers, yellow perch, sunfish, and catfish. 



Prairie Creek, a western tributary of the Dakota, River, was exam- 

 ined about 4 miles east of Scotland, S. Dak. The creek was nearly 

 dry, with the exception of a few small pools, but these were deep and 

 contained so much plant life that seining was difficult. No trees or 

 shrubs were found on the banks. The country about Scotland is of the 

 same general character as that around Mitchell. The aquatic animals 

 that we found, other than fish, were crawfish, clams, and frogs. 



Platte Fiver. — The North Fork of the Platte liiver rises in western 

 Wyoming, and flows a little southeast through Wyoming and Nebraska 

 until it joins the South Fork in the southwestern part of the latter 

 State. Platte liiver proper, formed by the joining of the two forks, 

 flows east through Nebraska and empties into Missouri River. The 

 point nearest its head, at which the North Fork was examined, was 

 Casper, Wyo. The stream at this place varied from 150 to 200 feet in 

 width, has a very swift current, and was in some places from 6 to 7 feet 

 deep. The temperature was ( ><U°, and the water was clear. Along 

 the banks were a few scattered cottonwood, willow, and box-elder trees. 



We next examined the North Platte at Gleurock, Wyo., where we 

 found the temperature, current, size, and general appearance about the 

 same as at Casper. 



, At Douglas, Wyo., we found the North Platte the same swift, sandy 

 stream, and not any larger than before, owing to the dry region through 

 which it flows. 



Our next station was on the Platte Kiver proper, at Grand Island. 

 At the time of our visit, August 11, the water was very low and ran 

 in several small and shallow channels, the depth at no place being more 

 than 2£ feet, consequently only very small fish could live in it. The 

 temperature of the water was 79°. Several minnows were taken, as 

 well as young wall-eyed pike, yellow cattish, a buffalo, a moon-eye, and 

 a sturgeon. 



On October 23, 1892, we examined the Platte at South Bend, Nebr., 

 but made no collections except specimens of Etheostoma iowce from the 

 State fish-hatchery waters near South Bend, where this small darter is 

 very abundant. 



Garden Creel; a little mountain stream discharging 250 gallons of 

 water per minute at the mouth of the canyon, is the tributary farthest 

 up the North Platte that we examined. In fact, it is a tributary only 

 during high water, for during the dry season all the water is used in 

 irrigation and not a drop of it reaches the river. At the mouth of the 



