342 REPORT OF THE 



silvery, luster; fins dusky or smoky brown, often quite reddish. The sexual dif- 

 ferences tire strong; males in spring usually with 3 large tubercles on each side of 

 the snout, and with the anal fin more or less swollen and emarginate. 



Common I\(Zdi}OrS(Zf—Jlfo.i'ostoma aurco/um {Le Sueur). 



The genus Moxostoina is distinguished from Catostoniiis, the genus which it 

 closely resembles, by having the air-bladder in 3 parts instead of 2, as in Catosiomus, 

 by its larger scales, and more silvery coloration. There are about 20 species of 

 Moxostoina in the United States, and all east of the Rocky Mountains. The only 

 species found in New York, or at least the only species at all common in this 

 state, is the Comm.on Redhorse, which is known also as the White Sucker, Mullet, 

 and Large-scaled Sucker. This species occurs in most streams and large lakes 

 from Vermont west to the Dakotas and south to Arkansas and Georgia. It is 

 particularly abundant in Lakes Ontario and Erie, where it is a food-fish of consid- 

 erable importance. It is taken chiefly in the pound-nets or with haul seines. It 

 reaches a length of 18 inches or 2 feet and a weight of 4 or 5 pounds. 



The young of 2 to 4 inches are regarded as pretty fair bait for large bass, 

 Pickerel,. Wall-eyed Pike and Muskallunge. They are hardy and live well on the 

 hook, and their white or silvery coloration makes them a fairly good trolling 

 bait. 



Head 4 to 5 ; depth 31^ to 4^ ; D. 12 to 14 ; A. 7 ; scales 6-45-5. Body stoutish, 

 varying to moderately elongate ; head rather long, rather blunt, broad and flattened 

 above ; lips rather full, the bluntish snout projecting be37ond the large mouth ; 

 greatest depth of cheek more than half distance from snout to preopercle ; eye 

 rather large ; dorsal fin medium, its free edge nearly straight, its longest ray shorter 

 than head ; scales large. 



Color, light olivaceous above, silvery on sides, belly white ; lower fins in the adult 

 red or orange. 



TVlcWifC, — Pouwlobus pseudo/iarengHS (Wilson). 



This interesting fish is a member of the herring or shad family {Chipeidd), a 

 large family with many species, most of which are true salt-water fishes, and several 

 others which are anadromous, that is, fishes which live habitually in salt water but 

 which run up fresh-water streams to spawn. A single species (the Skipjack or Blue 

 Herring, — Pomolobus chrysochloris) is practically a fresh-water fish. 



