FISHES OP THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN. 419 



115. Eupomotis gibbosus (Linnauis). Common Smfish; Pond Sunfish. Osage River 



at Ottawa, Kaus. (Cragiu, 1885a); Spirit Lake (Meek, 1894). 



116. Micropterus dolomieu Lacepede. Small-mouthed Black Bass. Marais des 



Cygnes (Graham, 1885) ; Ozark region of Missouri (Call, 1887) ; Gasconade 

 River, Arlington, Mo. ; Little Piney River at Newburg and Arlington, Mo. ; 

 Osage Fork, Marshfield, Mo. ; Marais River, Dixon, Mo. (Meek, 1891) ; Spirit 

 Lake (Meek, 1894). 



117. Micropterus salmoides (Lace"pede). Large-mouthed Black Bass. Missouri 



River, St. Joseph, Mo. ; Blackwater, Brownsville, Saline County, Mo. ; Flat 

 Creek, Sedalia, Mo.; Grand River, Clinton, Mo.; Tabo Creek, Calhoun, Mo. 

 (Jordan & Meek, 1885); Kansas River at Lawrence (Graham, 1885); Soldier 

 Creek, Kaus. (Cragin, 1885a); Big Piney River, Cabool, Mo.; Little Piney 

 River at Newburg and Arlington, Mo. ; Osage Fork, Marshfield, Mo. ; Lock 

 Fork, Mansfield, Mo. (Meek, 1891); Floyd River at Lemars and Sioux City; 

 Platte and Elkhorn rivers at Fremont; Spirit Lake (Meek, 1894). 



This was not found at any point in South Dakota, and in Nebraska it was 

 found only at Norfolk Junction, Ewing, and Ravenna. Only young indi- 

 viduals were seen. Whether the black bass is native in any of these streams 

 is not absolutely certain. It has been planted extensively by the Nebraska 

 fish commission and it is not unlikely that it has been introduced into 

 these streams. At any rate the eastern parts of Nebraska and the Dakotas 

 quite certainly mark the western limit of the natural habitat of the large- 

 mouthod black bass. The numerous small lakes of these States seem to be 

 well suited to it and it will no doubt prove profitable to keep them well 

 stocked not only with the large-mouthed black bass, but with the rock bass, 

 warmouth, ring perch, and the various species of sunfish. East of the 

 Black Hills some of the tributaries of the Cheyenne are also well suited to 

 the needs of these species and they could be very properly stocked. 



118. Stizostedion vitreum (Mitchill). Wall-eyed Pike. Kansas River (Graham, 



1885) ; Soldier Creek, Ivans. (Cragin, 1885a) ; Big Sioux River (Meek, 1892) ; 

 West Okoboji and Spirit lakes (Meek, 1894). Found by us only in Crow 

 Creek near Chamberlain, in Rock Creek at Mitchell, Choteau Creek near 

 Springfield, South Loup River at Ravenna, Long Pine Creek at Long Pine, 

 and Clear Creek at Clermont. In all these places it is probably abundant, 

 though we secured only a few small specimens. Large ones were seen in 

 Choteau and Long Pine creeks, and we were informed that the wall-eyed 

 pike is found in most of the larger creeks and rivers of eastern Nebraska 

 and the Dakotas, and that it is the principal game fish. The larger lakes 

 and the larger, more open streams of this region are fairly well adapted to 

 the requirements of this fish ; the waters are not unsuitable and an ample 

 supply of desirable food is found in the various smaller fishes which, though 

 not very great as to number of species, are abundant as regards individuals. 

 The same is true of the next species, the sauger. We are of the opinion that 

 these waters are capable of supporting a much larger supply of these spe- 

 cies than now exists in them; judicious plantings of fry in the more suitable 

 streams would, iu a few years, result in a large increase in the abundance of 

 this valuable food-fish and the angler would find the region an attractive 

 one. Each of the 10 specimens examined possessed but 3 pyloric cceca. 



119. Stizostedion canadense boreum (Girard). Sand Pike; Gray Pike; Sauger. 



Milk River (as S. loreus, Suckley, 1860) ; Kansas River near Fort Riley (as 

 Stizostedimn americanum, Cope, 1865); Missouri River at Fort Benton and 

 elsewhere (as Lucioperea borea, Cope, 1879); Missouri River, St. Joseph, Mo. 

 (Jordan & Meek, 1885) ; Kansas River and Mill Creek, Kans. (Graham, 1885) ; 

 Big Sioux River (Meek. 1892) ; Poplar River, Poplar, Mont. (Eigenmann, 1894); 

 Spirit Lake, Floyd River at Lemars and Sioux City, and Platte River at 

 Fremont (Meek, 1894). 



