NOTES ON THE FISHES OF EAST TENNESSEE. 



J. 



By BARTON WARREN EVERMANN and SAMUEL F. HILDEBRAND. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In September and October, 1893, the senior writer of this paper made an exami- 

 nation of a number of the springs and streams of east Tennessee for the purpose of 

 selecting a site for a Federal fish-cultural station in that State. 



The field investigations were begun September 24 and continued until October 19, 

 during which time Dr. Evermann was assisted by Dr. Revere R. Gurley, then of the 

 United States Fish Commission, and Dr. Josiah T. Scovell, of Terre Haute, Ind. 



In addition to an examination of numerous springs with special reference to their 

 suitability for fish-cultural purposes, many of the streams of east Teimessee were inves- 

 tigated with regard to the volume and character of their waters, the physical character- 

 istics of the country through which they flow, and the abundance and distribution of 

 the different species of fishes and other aquatic life which they contain. 



A full and detailed report on the fish-cultural phases of the investigations was made 

 to the Commissioner of Fisheries immediately upon the completion of the field work. 



Although the study of the fishes collected was begun at that time, a multiplicity of 

 other and more pressing duties intervened, and not imtil recently was an opportunity 

 presented for completing the report. 



GENERAL PHYSICAL FEATURES OF EAST TENNESSEE AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE REGIONS 



AND WATERS EXAMINED. 



The investigations were confined almost wholly to east Tennessee, and entirely to 

 the Tennessee River Basin. The valley of east Tennessee, as a continuation of the 

 great valley of Pennsylvania and Virginia, aids in forming one of the principal features 

 of the Appalachian Mountain system. It trends from northeast to southwest with 

 other members of the system and is between 50 and 60 miles wide. It is bounded on 

 the southeast by the Bald, Great Smoky, and Unaka Mountains which rise to an eleva- 

 tion of 4,000 to 5,000 feet. On the northwest it is bounded by the Cumberland Plateau, 

 which has an elevation of about 2,000 feet. The valley has an elevation of about 700 

 feet in the southwest, rising to about 1,400 feet in the northeast. 



The mountains on the southeast are of Lower Silurian, Cambrian, or older rocks, 

 while the plateau on the northwest is of Devonian and Carboniferous strata. The 

 rocks of the valley itself are mainly of the Upper Silurian. The numberless mountain 

 ridges which subdivide the great valley into many minor ones are mainly composed of 

 compact limestones and sandstones, while the valleys are of shales and fragile schists. 



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