FISH-CULTURAL INVESTIGATIONS IN TEXAS. 
69 
Buffalo Bayou. — This bayou heads in the western part of Harris County, flows 
eastward past the city of Houston, and empties into the northern part of Galveston 
Bay. In general, it may be said to be a rather narrow, sluggish stream, usually pretty 
deep, and navigable as far as Houston, to which place the effect of the tide extends. 
There is very little current, and the bottom is of mud full of snags. Throughout its 
entire course it flows through sand or clayey country, there being little or no hard rock 
anywhere. Indeed, wells sunk to a depth of 700 feet in this country do not strike any 
solid rock. The water is moderately clear and cool. The banks are well wooded, the 
principal kinds of trees being pine, cedar, oak, magnolia, elm, sycamore, etc. Tillandsia 
usneoides is not common here. 
We fished Buffalo Bayou at Shepherd’s dam, about 2£ miles west of Houston or 
about 60 miles above its mouth. The stream at this place is about 20 feet wide and 3 
feet deep. There are holes which are much deeper. The water was very low, as there 
had been no rains for some time. At times this stream is said to rise as much as 20 
feet above low- water stage. We also fished at a poiut about 0 miles above Houston. 
Fish were quite abundant in this stream, both as to species and individuals. Such 
brackish-water genera as Gambusia and Gerres were found with such fresh-water forms 
as Lepomis , Etlieostoma , Aphredoderus, and No trop in. 
The temperature of the water at 11 a. m., November 17, was 61°; air, 49°; air at 
8:30 a. m. was 45°. 
Sims Bayou. — This is a small stream rising on the prairie southwest of Houston 
about 10 or 12 miles and flowing northeast to Buffalo Bayou, a few miles below Hous- 
ton. The lower portion of the stream is lined on each side by a strip of timber, 
chiefly pine, while the upper part is through prairie land. This stream in dry weather 
becomes reduced to long, muddy pools. One of these which we examined was about 
400 yards long, 10 to 40 feet wide, and 1 to 24 feet deep. During times of drought 
these pools supply drinking water to great numbers of cattle on the surrounding 
grazing lands, and as a result the banks and bottom are tramped and cut up and 
rendered very miry. The water is, of course, more or less foul. Its temperature at 
noon, November 18, was 58°, that of the air being 47°. At 6 o’clock in the morning 
the temperature of the air was 45°. 
Fish were found to be quite abundant here, the most common species being the 
pirate perch, sunfish, war-mouth, and Gambusia. A few crawfish, turtles, frogs, and a 
small bivalve ( Sphcerium transversum Say) were taken. 
Big White Oak Bayou rises a few miles northwest of Houston and joins Buffalo 
Bayou at the town. It is a small creek which, at the time we saw it, was dried up 
into pools less than 10 feet wide and but a few inches deep. Oaks and other trees 
cover its banks. The bottom is muddy and full of snags. Not many species of fish 
were found here — minnows, suckers, and a few darters being the principal forms. 
Hunter Creek is another small stream, a few miles in length, flowing into Buffalo 
Bayou from the north, about 8 or 9 miles west of Houston. This creek is very different 
from the other streams of this part of Texas, in that its water is exceedingly clear and 
rather cold. The temperature at 4 p. m., November 20, was 55°, the air being 70°. 
There is a good deal of limestone in the region through which it flows, and in this are 
numerous small springs whose uniting waters form the creek. The banks are usually 
rather high and steep, and are well wooded. The bed of the stream is 10 to 20 feet 
