Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 99 



46. Exoglossum maxillingua, (LeSueur). — Cut-lips minnow. Common. Shal- 

 low warm streams usually in strong to moderate current over a hard hottom. 

 Males were seen building' nests of stones on June 30 in Cayuga inlet. Some 

 nests contained eggs at this date. 



47. Notemigonus crysoleucqs (Mitchell). — Golden shiner. Abundant. Oc- 

 curs in lakes, ponds and sluggish warm streams. Often found in weed beds. 

 Seems to prefer bottom of mud or muck. 



48. Hybognathus regius Girard. — Silvery minnow. Common. Lakes, 

 rivers and some of the larger streams usually over a- mud bottom. Taken in 

 moderate to stagnant current. 



49. Chrosomns erythrog aster Rafinesque. — Red-bellied dace. Rare. Limited 

 to several sluggish swamp streams in a few of which it was found to be the 

 most common fish. 



50. Hyborhynchus notatus (Rafinesque). — Blunt-nosed minnow. Abundant. 

 Lakes, ponds and warm streams usually over a mud bottom and in moderate, 

 sluggish or stagnant current. 



51. Pimephales promelas promelas Rafinesque. — Fat-head minnow, black- 

 ha.ifl minnow. Uncommon. Found in certain of the smaller creeks and ponds, 

 especially in swamp situations where the bottom was muck and the current 

 sluggish or stagnant. 



52. Cam-post om.a avomaliim (Rafinesque). — Stone roller minnow. Rare. Re- 

 stricted to the western part of the drainage where it occurs in warm shallow 

 creeks over a rubble, gravel or mud bottom in a strong to moderate current. 



Ameiurtdae Catfishes 



43. Tctalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). — Channel cat, spotted cat. Common 

 in the rivers, Cross and Oneida lakes. Two specimens have been recorded 

 from Cayuga inlet near Ithaca (Reed and Wright 1909) but it is possible that 

 these were escapes from the Cornell University Fish Hatchery. The spotted 

 cat is an important food ifish in parts of our drainage, and seems to be highly 

 esteemed. Probably spawns rather late. Female specimens were taken from 

 the Seneca river August 4 containing ripe eggs. Others taken then had 

 apparently spawned. 



54. Ictalurus sp. — A large very black catfish was taken on a set line August 

 4 from the Seneca river near Weedsport. It weighed 11 pounds and was 30 

 inches in length. In characters it is close to Ictalurus an gu ilia but does not 

 entirely agree with this species in all respects. It is probably distinct from 

 Ictalurus punctatus, being much wider across the head. More specimens of 

 this fish are greatly to be desired. 



55. Ameiurus nebulosus (LeSueur). — Common bullhead, hornpout. Abund- 

 ant throughout the region, in lakes, ponds and warm sluggish streams. An 

 important food fish. Specimens of eggs of this fish, in the Cornell collection, 

 were taken June 16, 1909 from Cayuga lake. 



56. Ameiurus natalis (LeSueur). — Yellow cat, pollywog bullhead. Un- 

 common. Seneca river, Cayuga and Oneida lakes and certain warm sluggish 

 weedy streams of the northern part of the drainage. In certain swamp 

 streams very black specimens were taken. The yellow bullhead is; a good 

 food fish but much less common than the ordinary bullhead. 



57. Noturus flavus Rafinesque. — Stonecat. Rare. Only three specimens 

 have been obtained from this drainage, two from Skaneateles lake. The other 

 specimen 2i| inches in length was taken from: Ganargua creek near Fair- 

 ville September 9, the prey of a watersnake 24 inches in length! 



58. Schilbeodes gyrinus (Mitchell). — Tadpole stonecat. Common in the 

 northern part of the drainage and is also present in Cayuga lake. Found 

 among weed beds usually in shallow water, where there is little or no 

 current. 



59. Schilbeodes insignis (Richardson). — Margined stonecat, mad-tom. Rare. 

 A specimen was taken in Keuka lake, and one was obtained in Canada creek 

 (near Lee Center). The species was found to be common under stones at the 

 headwaters of Tioughnioga creek (middle branch), a Susquehanna stream 

 that has been diverted artificiallv into the Oswego drainage. 



