176 
Journal of the Mitchell Society [. December 
As a means of identifying- any fish that may be taken in 
any waters of the State, artificial keys have been prepared 
based on the external characters that commercial fishermen 
and anglers may readily appreciate and, further, there is a 
copious index of common names which gives a further clue to 
all the species whose size makes them objects of capture. 
As Dr. Smith states: “Although the fish life of North 
Carolina is not of a new or distinctive type and bears a 
rather close resemblance to that of the adjoining States, it 
does nevertheless have some features of exceptional interest.” 
On account of the great variation in the topography of the 
State, the number, length and volume of the rivers and 
streams, the large, shallow sounds which fringe the coast, 
the long coast-line, and the wide variation in climatic con- 
ditions, there has been developed in North Carolina a fish 
fauna rich in both species and individuals. Some of the 
species found in North Carolina are peculiar to this State, 
while others which were first identified in this State, have 
later been found elsewhere. Other species exist in much 
greater greater abundance in this State than in others. 
Among the more prominent features of the fish fauna in 
North Carolina, Dr. Smith mentions the following: 
“(a) The abundance of certain anadromous fishes, whose 
numbers are scarcely surpassed in any other waters, the chief 
of these being the shad, the alewives, and the striped bass. 
“(b) The variety and abundance of suckers, minnows, and 
sun-fishes in the fresh waters generally, and of darters in the 
headwaters of the streams on both sides of the Alleghanies. 
“(c) The occurence in the sounds and along the outer 
shores of immense schools of mullet, squeteague, menhaden, 
blue-fish, croaker, spot, pig-fish, pin-fish and other food 
fishes. 
“(d) The extension to the North Carolina coast of many 
species which are characteristic of the West Indies or 
Florida. 
“(e) A few species of the Atlantic coast reach their south- 
ern limit in North Carolina (such as the cod and tautog) or 
