REPOET UPON THE FISHES OF IOWA. 
227 
IV.— THE IOWA RIVER. 
The Iowa Eiver rises in the north-central part of the State. The country near its 
source is a slightly undulating prairie, becoming more and more broken toward its 
mouth. The river was visited at Garner, Belmond, Amana, and Iowa City. At Gar- 
ner the water was confined to a few holes, rather distant from one another, in which 
grass was so abundant that it was quite impossible to seine. We succeeded, however, 
in taking a few bullheads (A. melas) and the mud minnow ( U. limi). The great scarcity 
of water was due to a prolonged season of dry weather, and was an unusual occur- 
rence. The stream at this point was not bordered by timber. 
At Belmond the river is from 20 to 40 feet wide. A dam at this place backs the 
water for some distance above. We collected below the dam, where the bottom was 
gravelly and sandy. There is much vegetation in the river a short distance below the 
dam and a weak growth of timber along its banks. The water was clear, the current 
rather slack, and the river unusually slow. When the mill was in operation there 
was but little water flowing over the dam. Pickerel seemed quite plentiful in the 
grass, but only a few were caught in our nets. Small fishes were abundant, especially 
just below the dam. The temperature on July 29 was 73° F. 
At Amana the river is much larger than at Belmond. Aquatic vegetation is 
very scarce and the bottom sandy. There is not much timber along the banks. A 
small creek empties into the river at this point, and when we were there the water in 
the creek was confined to a few holes. From these holes large pickerel were taken, 
and also many crappies, P. annularis and P. sparoides. At the mouth of the creek 
the water was from 4 to 7 feet deep, and the bottom muddy. The examination at 
Amana was made September 11. The temperature is about the same as in the Cedar 
River at Waverly. 
At Iowa City the river has about the same characteristics as at Amana. It is 
somewhat larger and deeper, and in some places is bordered by rather low cliffs. There 
is also more timber along its borders. A small creek with a very muddy bottom 
near its mouth flows into the river near Iowa City. Collections were made in the 
river and in the creek by Prof. C. C. Nutting and the writer in October, 1889. I was 
informed by a fisherman that in former years the larger catfishes, pickerel, buffalo, 
and bass were very common in the river, and that fishing for the markets in the 
spring was then quite lucrative. These larger fishes are still taken, but in much less 
numbers. 
Through the kindness of Prof. Nutting I have been able to examine the collection 
of fishes from the Iowa River in the museum of the Iowa State University, and the 
additional facts gained thereby have been utilized in the preparation of the following 
list. 
