254 Field and Forest Rambles. 



The common SUCKING Carp of the larger rivers (in which 

 it is very common) agrees in every particular with the L. 

 cephalns or Chub Big-head of Kirtland.* It may be the same 

 as the Horned Sucker of Lesueur ; f but the description by 

 that author does not come up entirely to our fish in relation 

 to the exact position of the horny tubercles on the head, 

 which, as far as I can discover, are restricted to the male fish, 

 and only cuticular appendages, being easily rubbed off, and 

 evidently a seasonal condition, referable to winter and spring. 

 So various are the changes in some species, that I observe that 

 what were considered perfectly distinct are now proved to be 

 the same fish at different seasons of the year. The use of the 

 horns may be to scrape up the sand or mud when the female 

 deposits the ova ; at all events, this sucker, when captured in 

 June and the three following months, wants these tubercles, 

 and may be distinguished from any other of its congeners by 

 a black spot at the anterior base of the dorsal fin, a dark 

 band on the side of the body in the course of the lateral line, 

 with a golden band above it — the latter best seen immediately 

 after the fish leaves the water. This species takes bait, but is 

 often very sluggish and inactive, and may be seen in small 

 schools on the sandy bottoms of streams near their debou- 

 chures, and lying listlessly, so that there is no difficulty in 

 capturing them with dip nets. The flesh is certainly superior 

 to that of the common chub, red-fin, and the smaller dace, 

 although that may be paying it a small compliment. The most 

 common chub is seemingly subject to certain varieties, or 

 else there are two or more species very closely allied — so near, 

 indeed, that they, seem to run into each other, and yet the 

 extremes make what some naturalists call good species. My 

 impresssion on comparing a great many specimens of New 

 Brunswick chubs with descriptions of those of the Northern 

 States, is that authors have made distinct what appear to be 



* " Boston Journal of Natural History," vol. iii., pi. 5, fig. 2. 

 t "Journal Acad. Natural Science," vol. i., p. 93. 



