200 Dispersion of Fresh-water Fishes 



so narrow that the water moistening the gills cannot readily 

 evaporate, and endowed, besides, with an extraordinary degree 

 of vitality, like many Siluroids {Chlarias, Callichthys), eels, etc., 

 are enabled to wander for some distance over land, and may thus 

 reach a water-course leading them thousands of miles from 

 their original home. Finally, fishes or their ova may be acci- 

 dentally carried by water-spouts, by aquatic birds or insects, 

 to considerable distances." 



Fresh-water Fishes of North America. — We now recognize 

 about six hundred species * of fishes as found in the fresh waters 



* The table below shows approximately the composition of the fresh-water 

 fish fauna of Europe, as compared with that of North America north of the 

 Tropic of Cancer. 



Families. Europe. N. America- 



Lamprey Petromyzonidcn 3 species. S species. 



Paddle-fish Polyodoniida: — " s " 



Sturgeon Acipenscridcr 10 " 6 " 



Garpike Lepisosteidte — " •; " 



Bowfin Ajiiiido' — " i " 



Mooneye Hiodotttidn' — " 3 " 



Herrina: Cliipeidce 2 " c " 



Gizzard-shad Dorosomidcs — " i " 



Salmon Salmonidcn 12 " 28 " 



Characin Characinida; — " i " 



Carp Cyprinidcs 61 " 230 " 



Loach CobitidcB 3 " — " 



Sucker Catoslom-idce — " iji " 



Catfish Silurida: i " 2^ " 



Trout-perch Percopsida: — " 2 " 



Blindfish Ainblyopsida; — " g " 



Ivillifish Cypriitodontidu! 3 " r2 " 



Mud-minnow UmhridiP i " 2 " 



Pike Esocidts i " cj " 



Alaska blackfish Dalliida; — " j " 



Eel A iigiUllidiS 2 " I " 



Stickleback Gasterosteida; 3 " y " 



Silverside Atlicrinidce 2 " 2 " 



Pirate perch Iphrcdoderida: — " i " 



Elassoma Elassoiiiidcr — " 2 " 



Sunfish Centrarchidcr . ... — " ^7 " 



Perch Pjrcida; ^ 1 1 " Iji. 



Bass bcrranidte i " ^ " 



Drum Sciaenidm — " j " 



Surf-fish Embiotocid(S — " j " 



Cichlid Cichlid(£ — " 2 .< 



Goby Cobiidcv 2 " 6 " 



Sculpin CottidcF 2 " 21 



Blenny Blcnuiida; 3 ■' I_ .. 



Cod Gadida i " j .. 



Flounder Plcnroncctidue i " .< 



Sole Solcidj: i " j 



Total; Europe, 21 families; 126 species. North America, 34 families* 



590 species. A few new species have been added since this enumeration was made' 



According to Dr. Giinther (Guide to the Study of Fishes, p. 243), the total 



number of species now known from the temperate regions of Asia and Eiirrine 



