136 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part I. 



THE SHINER. 



THE BROOK MINNOW. 



History. — This fish is quite common 

 in "lake Chainplain and its tributaries. It 

 is readily caui>iit wltii the houk, and the 

 flavor of its tiesh is aiirceable, but it iss 

 so soft and filled with small bones that it is 

 not much valued as an article of food. 

 The length of those usually taken varies 

 from 5 to 12 inches, but they sometimes 

 grow to the length of 20 inches. 



where it is found associated with perch, 



bull-pouts and mud fishes. 



THE SHINER. 

 Lcuciscus cri/solcucas. — Mitchf.i,!,. 

 Traill, f-it. a-ul I'liil. Soc. of N. Y., p. 459. 

 Fauna Buroali Am r. Fishes, page 122. 

 Storur s llc-pnit, Fi^ihes ot Mass., page 88. 



Description. — Form ovate ; body deep 

 and thin, the depth contained 4 times in 

 the total length. Color greenish above, 

 lighter on the sides and yellowish white 

 beneath ; a very broad indistinct yellow- 

 ish or cupreous stripe along the side to 

 the middle of the tail. The fius of a dull 

 yellow color, with the extremities of the 

 dorsal, caudal and anal fins and the first 

 ray of the pectoral more or less black ; 

 cheek and operculum witli yellow and 

 silvery reflections; scales rather large, 

 radiated, crossed bj' concentric undula- 

 tions, or stria" ; the whole side exhibiting 

 blue, green, cupreous, 3'ellow and silvery 

 reflections, according to the direction of 

 the lis'ht. Eyes larae ; iris bright yellow. 

 Head and gill covers smooth, mouth in 

 front of the eyes, small, toothless,' and di- 

 rected upwards. Tiie lateral line com- 

 mences near the upper part of tlie gill 

 openinor, bends downwards and passes 

 aloncr nearly parallel to the curve of tiie 

 abdomen, to the tail, being only one third 

 as far from the belly as fr(uii the back at 

 the ventral fin. Swimming bladder in 

 two sacks. Length of the pectoral fins 

 to their height as 2 to 7 ; ventrals before 

 the dorsal with slender bracts above their 

 base; dorsal fin medial, its length being 

 to the heiirlit of the anterior part as ] to 2 ; 

 the anal fin commences under the termi- 

 nation of the dorsnl, its length being to 

 the height of the anterior part as 7 to 6 ; 

 tail large and forked. Length of the spe- 

 cimen beforfe. me 4.G inches ; depth 1.1. 



Rays, Br. 3, P. 17, V. 8, D. 10, A. 1.5, 

 C. 19. 



History. — This fish is quite common, 

 particularly in the small ponds and coves 

 along the shore of lake Champlain, and 

 about the mouths of our large streams, 



THE BROOK MINNOW. 



Leiiciscus atrotiasiis. — MiTciiELf.. 



Trans. Lit, and Phil. Sor. p. 4fi0. Storer's Report 

 on Fislics of^Mass., p. 92. 



Description. — Body rather thick and 

 deep through the abdomen ; head a little 

 flattened above, and narrowed towards 

 the snout. Color above brownish olive 

 spotted with black ; beneath white with 

 cupreous and silver}' reflections, and some- 

 times red ; a dark band passes round the 

 nose, crosses the eye^ passes along the 

 sides and through the middle of tlie tail, 

 which is forked ; above this band 4s us- 

 ually a yellowish stripe ; eyes middling 

 size ; iris bright yellow, where it is not 

 darkened by the above mentioned dark 

 band. The lateral line commences on the 

 nape of the neck, passes obliquely down- 

 wards across the dark band on the side 

 and along tiie lower margin of the band 

 to the tail. Nostrils large, double and 

 tubelar. Dorsal fin beliind the ventrals 

 and twice as high as it is long. Vent me- 

 dial and under the posterior rays of the 

 dorsal fin. Fins brownish yellow. Swim- 

 ming bladder in two sacks connected by 

 a tube. Length 2.^ inches ; head a little 

 more than one sixth of the total length. 



Rays, Br. 3, P. 12, V. 7, D. 7, A. 7, 

 C 19. 



History. — This species is quite com- 

 mon in most of the streams in Vermont, 

 and particularly so in tjiose that fall di- 

 rectly into lake Champlain. It is an ac- 

 tive, lively little fish, and on account of 

 the stripes on its sides, the colors of 

 which are changeable, according to the 

 direction of the light falling upon them, 

 it is one of our most beautiful fishes. 

 When fully grown this fish is only from 

 2h to 3 inches long, and, though found in 

 great numbers, its diminutive size ren- 

 ders it of no account as an article of 

 food. It is chiefly sought to be used as 

 bait for Pike and other large fishes. 



The Esoslossnn nio-resccns, described 

 by Rafinesque in the Journal of Academy 

 Nat. Sci., Phil., I — 422, which he says he 

 found in lake Chain))lain, and several oth- 

 ers of this family, which I know to exist 

 in our waters, I have thought it best to 

 omit, because I cannot speak of them 

 with confidence without further exami- 

 nation. 



