The Dace Minnow and the Cat-fish, 255 



only phases of one fish ; at all events, the nearest description 

 of our chub is recorded under the head of the Leuciscus 

 nitidus by Dekay;* and what he calls the Bay Shiner 

 (L. chrysopterus), and Storer the "silvery dace,"f seem to be 

 only seasonal conditions of the same species. There is here 

 a fine field for the ichthyologist, as the study of the Cyprinidce 

 of America requires especial care and attention, being beset 

 with many difficulties, which only a large experience, and 

 comparisons of many individual specimens, will overcome. 



The New York Shiner (C. chrysolencas) of Mitchell is very 

 common in all the fresh-water streams ; it never attains 

 above six or eight inches in length, and is only useful as bait 

 in the capture of more savoury fish ; the same may be said 

 of that pest to the angler familiarly known as the Red-FIN 

 (L. cornutus), and its less beautiful but larger congener the 

 Roach Dace (L. pulchellus) of Storer. I have several times 

 captured with bait a small dace, olive green, with a golden 

 dorsal stripe, agreeing with the Banded Dace of Dekay. 



The smaller dace and minnows are numerous. I could 

 identify the BLACK-NOSED Dace or Brook Minnow (L. atro- 

 nasus). There is another small LEUCISCUS often found in 

 brooks, about three inches in length, eyes large and prominent, 

 irides silvery, pupils black, tail deeply forked ; above olive, 

 with a dark line down the back ; iridescent lines on sides above 

 the lateral line, which is single ; scales on body large ; lower 

 parts silvery white and shining ; tips of the fins orange. 



The Many and the Two Spined Stickleback {G. occi- 

 dentalis and biaculatus) are both plentiful, and like the dace, 

 chub, etc., deposit their spawn in July. 



The ugly Cat-fish {P. catus) sometimes attains a weight 

 of one pound. It is not plentiful, but is often found in the 

 same haunts with the Yellow Perch. Like some of the chubs, 

 it displays a wonderful tenacity of life, and, although frozen 



* " New York Fauna," p. 211, plate 30, fig. 95. 

 t " Fishes of Massachusetts," p. 90. 



