FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION, 389 



40. Black-nosed Dace {RliinicJithys atronasus Mitchill"). 



Mitchill describes this fish under the name of Brook Minnow. DeKay also 

 describes it as the Black-nosed Dace. He says it inhabits clear fresh-water streams 

 and rivers, and is found abundantly in New York and the adjacent States. 



Mather and Dean mention this as a Long Island fish in their paper in the i8th 

 Report of the New York Fish Commission. Probably this record is based upon 

 the article by Ayres, in which he describes four new species of Long Island fishes, 

 among them the Black-nosed Dace. He does not, however, refer in this description 

 to Long Island specimens, but to an example taken in Massachusetts. 



41. Gold Fish [Carassius auratiis Linnaeus). Introduced. 



The Gold Fish has been introduced from China into Europe and from Europe 

 into the United States. DeKay says it was brought to Europe in the early part of 

 the seventeenth century, and probably found its way to the United States shortly 

 after. He says it breeds freely in ponds in New York and the adjacent States. 



The Gold Fish is reared at Cold Spring Harbor Hatchery and has been exten- 

 sively distributed in Long Island fresh waters. A number of remarkably large indi- 

 viduals were obtained from that hatchery some years ago. One was a typical fan 

 tail. Another resembling this in color had the form of the common gold fish ; sail 

 another was so deep-bodied that it could hardly swim in equilibrium. All of these 

 were from the same lot of eggs. 



42. Carp {Cj'priiucs carpio Linnaeus). Introduced. 



The Carp is a native of the lakes and rivers of the southern parts of Europe. 

 It was introduced into England about 300 years ago. According to DeKay it 

 was brought to New York by Henry Robinson, Esq., Newburgh, Orange county, 

 whose account of the introduction is thus given by DeKay : " I brought the carp 

 from France in the years 1831 and '32, some two or three dozen at a time, and gen- 

 erally lost one-third on the passage. I have probably put into my ponds six or 

 seven dozen. They soon increased to a surprising degree and I have now more 

 than sufficient for family use. I have not paid much attention to their habits, but 

 I have noticed that they spawn twice a year; first about the middle of May and 

 again in July. * * * During the period of spawning, which lasts about 10 

 days, it is very amusing to watch their operations. They come up to the surface 

 and the females deposit the spawn along the side of the pond among the grass 

 where they are impregnated by the males as they are emitted. During this process 

 they keep the sides of the pond in a foam with their gambols, and it is not difficult 



