﻿362 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  differ 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  but 
  definite 
  respects, 
  these 
  differences 
  being 
  greater 
  

   with 
  greater 
  distance 
  or 
  greater 
  time 
  since 
  the 
  original 
  physical 
  

   separation. 
  This 
  fact 
  is 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  Jordan's 
  Law 
  of 
  Geminate 
  

   Species, 
  so 
  termed 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Joel 
  A. 
  Allen, 
  the 
  distinguished 
  ornitholo- 
  

   gist, 
  and 
  accepted 
  by 
  all 
  careful 
  students 
  of 
  taxonomy 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  

   geographical 
  distribution. 
  This 
  " 
  law 
  " 
  as 
  laid 
  down 
  in 
  1908 
  reads 
  as 
  

   follows 
  : 
  

  

  Given 
  any 
  species 
  in 
  any 
  region, 
  the 
  nearest 
  related 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  likely 
  to 
  

   be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  region 
  nor 
  in 
  a 
  remote 
  region, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  neighboring 
  district 
  

   separated 
  from 
  the 
  first 
  by 
  a 
  barrier 
  of 
  some 
  sort 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  by 
  a 
  belt 
  of 
  

   country, 
  the 
  breadth 
  of 
  which 
  gives 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  a 
  barrier. 
  

  

  When 
  I 
  was 
  a 
  boy 
  and 
  went 
  fishing 
  in 
  the 
  brooks 
  of 
  western 
  New 
  

   York, 
  I 
  noticed 
  that 
  the 
  different 
  streams 
  did 
  not 
  always 
  have 
  the 
  

   same 
  kinds 
  of 
  fishes 
  in 
  them. 
  Two 
  streams 
  in 
  particular 
  in 
  Wyoming 
  

   County, 
  not 
  far 
  from 
  my 
  father's 
  farm, 
  engaged 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  my 
  

   special 
  attention. 
  Their 
  sources 
  are 
  not 
  far 
  apart, 
  and 
  they 
  flow 
  

   in 
  opposite 
  directions, 
  on 
  opposite 
  sides 
  of 
  a 
  low 
  ridge, 
  an 
  old 
  glacial 
  

   moraine, 
  a 
  mile 
  or 
  two 
  across. 
  The 
  Oatka 
  Creek 
  flows 
  northward 
  

   from 
  this 
  ridge, 
  while 
  the 
  East 
  Coy 
  runs 
  toward 
  the 
  southeast 
  on 
  

   the 
  other 
  side 
  of 
  it, 
  both 
  flowing 
  ultimately 
  into 
  the 
  same 
  river, 
  

   the 
  Genesee. 
  

  

  It 
  does 
  not 
  require 
  a 
  very 
  careful 
  observer 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  in 
  these 
  

   two 
  streams 
  the 
  fishes 
  are 
  not 
  quite 
  the 
  same. 
  The 
  streams 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  are 
  similar 
  enough. 
  In 
  each 
  the 
  waters 
  are 
  clear 
  and 
  fed 
  by 
  

   springs. 
  Each 
  flows 
  over 
  gravel 
  and 
  clay, 
  through 
  alluvial 
  meadows, 
  

   in 
  many 
  windings, 
  and 
  with 
  willow 
  and 
  alders 
  "in 
  all 
  its 
  elbows." 
  

   In 
  both 
  streams 
  we 
  were 
  sure 
  of 
  finding 
  trout, 
  and 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  

   the 
  trout 
  is 
  still 
  abundant. 
  In 
  both 
  we 
  used 
  to 
  catch 
  the 
  brook 
  chub, 
  

   or, 
  as 
  we 
  used 
  to 
  call 
  it, 
  the 
  "horned 
  dace" 
  {Semotily^ 
  atromacu- 
  

   latus) 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  both 
  were 
  large 
  schools 
  of 
  shiners 
  {Luxilus 
  cornutus) 
  

   and 
  of 
  suckers 
  {Gatostoinus 
  commersonii) 
  . 
  But 
  in 
  every 
  deep 
  hole, 
  

   and 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  mill 
  ponds 
  along 
  the 
  East 
  Coy 
  Creek, 
  the 
  horned 
  

   pout 
  {Avieiwms 
  melas) 
  swarmed 
  on 
  the 
  mucky 
  bottoms. 
  In 
  every 
  

   eddy, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  deep 
  hole 
  worn 
  at 
  the 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  elm 
  trees, 
  could 
  be 
  

   seen 
  the 
  sunfish 
  {Eupomotis 
  gihbosus), 
  strutting 
  in 
  green 
  and 
  scar- 
  

   let, 
  with 
  spread 
  fins 
  keeping 
  intruders 
  away 
  from 
  its 
  nest. 
  But 
  in 
  

   the 
  Oatka 
  Creek 
  were 
  found 
  neither 
  horned 
  pout 
  nor 
  sunfish, 
  nor 
  

   have 
  I 
  ever 
  heard 
  that 
  either 
  has 
  been 
  taken 
  there. 
  Then, 
  besides 
  

   these 
  nobler 
  fishes, 
  worthy 
  of 
  a 
  place 
  on 
  every 
  schoolboy's 
  string, 
  we 
  

   knew 
  by 
  sight, 
  if 
  not 
  by 
  name, 
  numerous 
  smaller 
  fishes, 
  darters 
  

   {Gatonotus 
  fiabellare 
  and 
  Boleosoma 
  olmstedi) 
  and 
  minnows 
  

   {Rhinichthys 
  atronastis) 
  , 
  which 
  crept 
  about 
  in 
  the 
  gravel 
  on 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  of 
  the 
  East 
  Coy 
  but 
  which 
  we 
  never 
  recognized 
  in 
  the 
  Oatka. 
  

  

  There 
  must 
  be 
  a 
  reason 
  for 
  differences 
  like 
  these, 
  in 
  the 
  streams 
  

   themselves 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  fishes, 
  The 
  sunfish 
  and 
  the 
  horned 
  

  

  