84 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 
it, the “Horned Dace;” and in both were large 
schools of Shiners! and of Suckers.? But in every 
deep hole, and especially in the mill-ponds along 
the East Coy Creek, the Horned Pout® swarmed 
on the mucky bottoms. In every eddy, or in the 
deep hole worn out at the root of the elm-trees, 
could be seen the Sun-fish,* strutting in green and 
scarlet, with spread fins keeping intruders away 
from its nest. But in the Oatka Creek were found 
neither Horned Pout nor Sun-fish, nor have I ever 
heard that either has been taken there. Then be- 
sides these nobler fishes, worthy of a place on 
every school-boy’s string, we knew by sight, if not 
by name, numerous smaller fishes, Darters® and 
Minnows,® which crept about in the gravel on the 
bottom of the East Coy, but which we never recog- 
nized in the Oatka. 
There must be a reason for differences like these, 
in the streams themselves or in the nature of the 
fishes. The Sun-fish and the Horned Pout are 
home-loving fishes to a greater extent than the 
others which I have mentioned; still, where no ob- 
stacles prevent, they are sure to move about. 
There must be, then, in the Oatka some sort of 
barrier, or straimer, which keeping these species 
back permits others more adventurous to pass; 
and a wider knowledge of the geography of the 
region showed that such is the case. Farther 
1 Notropis megalops Rafinesque. 
2 Catostomus teres Mitchill. 
3 Ameiurus melas Rafinesque. 
4 Lepomis gibbosus Linnzeus. 
5 Etheostoma flabellare Rafinesque. 
6 Rhinichthys atronasus Mitchill. 
