1L8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



brook, li miles above Nine Mile point, June 11, 189H; Mill 

 creek, Sacketts Harbor, Julj 2,1894; Cemetery creek \Yatertown, 

 Julv 5, 1894. The fish was most abundant at ^lill creek. 



Tlie tish spawns in the early spring. It is extensively used 

 for food along with the N o t r o p i s h u d s o n i u s . the so 

 called "smelt"" or "gudgeon."" It takes the hook very freely 

 during the spawning season. 



Genus pimephales Balinesque 



Body rather robust, little compressed; head short and 

 rounded, mouth small, inferior; upper jaw protractile; no 

 barbel; teeth 4-4, with oblique grinding surface, usually only 

 one of the teeth hooked; dorsal over ventrals, its first (rudi- 

 mentary i ray sejjarated from the rest by membrane, not joined 

 to them as usuai in minnows, this character most distinct in 

 adult males, in which the skin of the first rav is thickened; anal 

 basis short; intestinal canal elongate; peritoneum black; 

 pseiidobranchiae present; scales rather small; lateral line com- 

 plete or variously incomplete. Size small. Breeding males with 

 luuch black pigment and with large w^irts on the head. (After 

 Jordan and Evermann) 



(!7 Pimephales promelas Rafinesque 

 Fathead ; BMckhead Minnow 



rhiiriihalrs inoiiicltts Kafinesqte, Ichtli. Ohien. 53, 1820; KiirrLAM). Bost. 

 .r<nir. Nat. Hist. III. 475. pi. 27. fig. 2, 1841; Storek, Syn. Fish. N. A. 16ti, 

 lf^(i; Gr.xTHEii. Cat. Fish. Brit. Mas. VII, 181, 1868; .Jordan A: Gil- 

 bert. Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 158. 188*3; Beax. Fishes Fenaa. ;}5, 

 18!>a; .Jordan & Evermann, Ball. 47. T^. S. Nat. Miis. 217. 1896. 



The fathead minnow has a short, deep and moderately thick 

 body, and the head short with a very obtuse snout. The greatest 

 de])th of the body is equal to or slightly greater than length of 

 head and is contained from three and two thirds to four and one 

 fonrili limes ia total length without caudal. The least depth of 

 the ritadal p<(lamh- (Mpials the length of postorbital i>art of the 

 head. The head I'oiaiis about oik' f'ourlli of the total length to 

 base of caudal; tla- width of the head (Mjuals two thirds of its 

 lenglh. TIh' eye is as long as the snout and two ninths as Ions- 



