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BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
XI.— THE UPPER IOWA RIVER. 
The Upper Iowa is a small river which rises in the northeastern part of Iowa, the 
distance from its source to its mouth being not more than 80 miles. In the upper half 
of its course it is a typical prairie stream, but farther down it passes through a much 
broken and timbered country and resembles somewhat a mountain stream. At Ches- 
ter it is little more than a small creek, with a sandy and muddy bottom. There is a 
dam across the river at this place, above which the river widens out to form a shallow 
lake having a muddy bottom. There is considerable vegetation in the lake, which 
seems to be fairly stocked with pickerel, black bass, and various species of sunfishes. 
W e were told that angling had greatly improved since the building of the dam. We 
collected both above and below the dam. The temperature was 70° F. 
At Decorah, the country is very broken, the river is more than twice as large as 
at Chester, and there is an abundance of timber along its banks; the current is strong 
and the bottom rocky or sandy. There are some caves near Decorah in which blind 
fishes are said to occur. I was unable, however, at the time of my visit, to explore 
any of them. Across the river from Decorah there is a high bluff or cliff, in which a 
fracture, parallel with the face of the cliff, has formed a cave, known as the Ice Cave. 
Ice is produced in this cave during the warm days of summer, but not at other times 
of the year. Its formation is due, no doubt, to evaporation from the cliff. I visited 
the cave in June, 1889, with Mr. Joseph White. The temperature of the air outside 
was 90° F. ; in the cave, about 10Q feet from the entrance, it was 32° F. Considerable 
ice was observed. Tradition says that the old Winnishiek chief utilized the cave to 
preserve meats and other food. 
The upper Iowa River was formerly a trout stream, but of late years, so far as I 
can learn, no trout have been taken from it. The collections at Chester were made 
on July 24, 1890, and at Decorah, in June, 1889. The species enumerated below are 
from both places, unless otherwise stated. 
FISHES OF THE UPPER IOWA RIVER. 
1. Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque). Bullhead. Decorah, rare. 
2. Catostomus teres (Mitchill). Common sucker. Not common. 
3. Moxostoma duquesnei (Le Sueur). Common redhorse. Chester, not common. Dorsal rays, 14 : 
scales, 45 ; color darker and less silvery than usual. 
4. Campostoma anomaluni (Rafinesque). Stone-lugger; Stone-roller. Not common. 
5. Pimephales promelas 'Rafinesque. Fat-head. Common. 
6. Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque). Blunt-nosed minnow . Common. 
7. Cliola vigilax (Baird and Girard). Silver-fin. Rare. 
8. Notropis deliciosus (Girard). Decorah, rare. 
9. Notropis whipplei (Girard). Decorah, rare. 
10. Notropis megalops (Rafinesque). Common shiner. Common. 
11. Notropis ardens (Cope). Bedfin. Common. 
12. Notropis dilectus (Girard). Emerald minnow . Common. 
13. Hybopsis kentuckiensis (Rafinesque). Hornyhead; River chub; Jerker. Rare. 
14. Rhinichthys cataractae (Cuv. and Val.). Long-nosed dace. Decorah, rare. 
15. Rhinichthys atronasus (Mitchill). Black-nosed dace. Rare. 
16. Eucalia inconstans (Kirtland). Brook stickleback. Chester, rare. 
17. Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque). Long-eared sunfish. Chester, rare. 
18. Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque. Johnny darter. Decorah, common. 
