334 REPORT OF THE 



Head 4}i ; depth 4; eye 3 ; D. 8 ; A. 8 ; scales 5-42-4; teeth 1,4-4,0 Body 

 rather long, somewhat compressed, the back a little elevated from the occiput to 

 the base of the dorsal fin, thence rapidly declined to the long and slender caudal 

 peduncle ; head short, compressed, the cheeks nearly vertical ; interorbital space 

 rather broad and flat, somewhat grooved ; eye very large, high up, nearly midway of 

 length of head ; preorbital bone large, oblong, conspicuous, and silvery ; mouth 

 rather small, horizontal, the lower jaw included ; edge of premaxillary below level 

 of eye ; maxillary not reaching orbit ; barbel conspicuous ; snout boldly and 

 abruptly decurved, much as in H. amblops, the tip of the snout thickened, forming a 

 sort of pad ; lateral line somewhat decurved ; rows of scales along back converg- 

 ing behind the dorsal, the upper series running out as in' the Common Silverside ; 

 fins rather high and falcate ; the dorsal inserted well forward over the ventrals ; pec- 

 toral fin pointed, not reaching ventrals ; ventrals not reaching vent ; caudal long, 

 deeply forked ; teeth hooked, without grinding surface ; intestine short. 



Color, translucent greenish above, sides and below brilliantly silvery ; cheek and 

 opercles with a bright silvery luster ; fins plain; a slight plumbeous lateral shade ; 

 no caudal spot ; no red at any time. 



This handsome minnow may usually be best known by the small size of the 

 head and the small mouth. 



River CI)^I>> — Hybopsis kcntzickiensis (Rafinesque). 



This interesting and important minnow is a species of wide distribution. It is 

 found from New England and Pennsylvania westward to Wyoming and southward 

 on both sides of the Alleghanies to Alabama, It is everywhere abundant in the 

 larger streams, seldom ascending brooks or entering lakes. It is one of the most 

 widely distributed and best known of American Cyprinidce. In different parts of 

 its range it is variously known as Hornyhead, River Chub, Common Chub, Horned 

 Chub, Indian Chub, Jerker, and Red-tailed Chub. It reaches a length of 8 or 10 

 inches, takes the hook readily, and is of all minnows the one which affords most 

 pleasure to the small boy during his early angling days. 



Of the many minnows and other small fishes used as bait, the River Chub is 

 the one which is best known and most highly esteemed. It is par excellence the 

 bait minnow for all kinds of American fresh-water game fishes. Those of small 

 size, say 2 to 3 inches in length, can not be surpassed for Crappie, Calico Bass, Rock 

 Bass, and medium-sized Large-mouth and Small-mouth Black Basses. River chubs 

 of somewhat larger size are not surpassed for the larger basses and Wall-eyed Pike: 



