I 



m. A List of the Fishes Known to Have Occurred Within 



Fifty Miles of New York City. 



"What! will the line stretch out to the crack of doom? " — Macbeth. 



The following list includes two hundred and forty-seven species of 

 fishes which are definitely known to have occurred within fifty miles 

 of New York City, exclusive of those which may occur under more than 

 twenty-five fathoms of water. The region has not been exhaustively 

 studied and probably from time to time others will be added. Under 

 each species is given a brief statement of its abundance and the dates 

 between which our records show it to be present. Many species of fishes 

 have migrations almost as extensive and as well marked as to dates of 

 occurrence as are those of birds, but the migrations of fishes are com- 

 paratively little known, and that which we are able to say of them will 

 be subject to a correspondingly great amount of revision. It is hoped 

 that fishermen, or others who may chance to make observations of local 

 fishes which do not agree with this published list, will forward a state- 

 ment of their findings to the Department of Fishes of the American 

 Museum of Natural History. It is only by cooperation of this sort that 

 we shall finally gain an adequate knowledge of our fishes. 



Family PETROMYZONIDiE 

 (Ascending fresh- water streams) ^ 



1. Petromyzon marinus Linn. Sea Lamprey. Not uncommon. 



March to December 10. 

 2 Lampetra wilderi Gage. Brook Lamprey. Common locally. 



Spring. (Dean & Sumner, Trans. N. Y. Ac. Sci., XVI, 1897, 



321.) 



Family GALEID^ 



3. Mustelus canis (Mitch.) Smooth Dogfish. Common. June to 



December 13. 



4. Galeocerdo tigrinus Miil. & Hen. Tiger Shark. Casual in late 



summer (September 11). 



5. Prionace glauca (Linn.) Blue Shark. One record. A large speci- 



men taken near City Island, N. Y., in late October, 1911, was 

 presented to the American Museum of Natural History by Mr. 

 Alfred Frank, of New York. 



•As an aid to those consulting this list, the habitat of the species near New York, whether fresh- 

 water or marine, is given. This status does not hold absolutely, certain marine species occasionally 

 running into fresh-water, and vice versa. 



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