270 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
MAYFIELD CREEK. 
Mayfield Creelc at Hickory Grove, July 28; water temperature, 75° F. The col- 
lecting station was £ mile east and § miles soutli of tire railroad station, at “ Tlie Old 
Mill Pond” and “The Basin.” Mayfield Creek rises near tlie Southern boundary of 
tlie State, in Calloway County. It is about GO miles long, flows in a northwesterly and 
then in a westerly direction to the Mississippi River, which it joins in Carlisle County. 
The place examined is about 20 miles from its source. Here the stream is not more 
than 20 yards wide. The banks are low and steep, and the bottom is composed of 
sand and gravel, with a light coat of mud in places. The water, at the time the stream 
was visited, was very low and turbid, there having been no rain in that locality for 
eight weeks. Crayfishes were abundant, and a few unios were also found, but there 
was no plant life of any kind in the bed of the stream. The creek is well provided 
with a good variety of fishes, but no large food species were obtained, the places 
fished having recently been seined. The stream is said to be quite well stocked, consid- 
ering its size. The soil is of a recent geological formation (Quaternary), consisting of 
a poor white clay mixed with fine sand. The low, level country is densely covered 
with forest trees, the most common of which are hickory, oaks, ash, sweet gum, and 
birch, with some cypress, tulip trees, and cherry. 
FISHES OF MAYFIELD CREEK. 
1. Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). Fork-tailed cat ; Bluecat. Very abundant, but the specimens 
taken were all small. 
2. Ameiurus nebulosus (Le Sueur). Common bullhead. Not common. 
3. Ameiurus natalis (Le Sueur). Yellow cat. Five specimens taken. 
4. Noturus gyrinus (Mitchill). The most common variety taken. 
5. Noturus miurus Jordan. Only three specimens taken. 
6. Catostomus nigricans Le Sueur. Spotted or Hog sucker. Rare ; one specimen taken. 
7. Catostomus teres (Mitchill). Fine-scaled sucker; Brook sucker. Quite abundant. Lateral line 
68, 67, and 71. Although widely distributed and generally very common this is the only 
place in this part of the country where this species was taken in large numbers. 
8. Carpiodes velifer (Rafinesque). Quillback; Bony carp. One specimen taken. 
9. Moxostoma duquesnei (Le Sueur). Common redhorse; White sucker. By far the most common 
species of this family. 
10. Erimyzon sucetta (Lac6pede). Chub sucker. Common; but not found in other streams in this 
locality. Lateral line 43, crowded anteriorly ; back and shoulders broad and heavy. 
11. Hybognathus nuchalis (Agassiz). Silvery minnow. Very abundant; specimens large; lateral 
line, 40 or 41. 
12. Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque). Blunt-nosed minnow. Common. 
13. Notropisumbratilis cyanocephalus Copeland. Redfin. Common; the only species of this genus 
taken. The specimens averaged 58 millimeters long ; color rather light for this species ; spot 
before the dorsal very pale; lateral line, 46 to 48. 
14. Hybopsis amblops (Rafinesque). Silver chub. Rare; three specimens taken. Plumbeous band 
on sides pale; lateral line, 38. 
15. Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill). Creek chub. Not common. Lateral line, 55. 
