REPORT UPON THE FISHES OF KENTUCKY. 
275 
UPPER KENTUCKY RIVER. 
The Upper Kentucky River is formed by the union of three streams, namely: the 
South, Middle, and North Forks, and their tributaries. These branches all rise on the 
northern slope of the Pine Mountains, flow in a northwesterly direction, and unite in 
Lee County. The country is mountainous throughout. The steep hills are composed 
chiefly of sandstone, and contain great quantities of coal ; veins from a few inches 
to a few feet in thickness can be seen everywhere along the streams and mountain 
sides. The slopes of the mountains are covered with a heavy growth of timber ; small 
yellow pine, beech, maple, oak, walnut, birch, and tulip tree are the most common. 
Am ong the shrubs are the cucumber ( Magnolia macropliylla ), dogwood, papaw, wild 
plum, and two or three species of hawthorns ; while water birch, sycamore, elm, and 
cottonwood grow along the streams. Collections were made in Clay, Leslie, Perry, and 
Knott counties. 
THE SOUTH FORK. 
1. Horse Greek , Garratsville, August 20; water temperature, 72° F. Horse Creek 
is a long, narrow stream, tributary to Goose Creek, in which collections were made 
about 2 miles from its mouth. At the collecting station the stream is only about 25 
feet wide, shallow, and with but little current. It is composed of a series of short 
ponds, varying from 2 to 4 feet in depth, and connected by shallow ripples. The bot- 
tom is of sand and mud, the banks are low and steep, and the water is overhung with 
willows, sedges, and grasses. The station was not a good one for collecting, and but 
few species of fishes were taken. 
2. Goose Creek , Garratsville, August 20 ; water temperature, 70° F. Goose Creek 
is the largest western tributary of South Fork, and flows almost parallel with that 
river for 40 miles. At the point visited, which is about 15 miles from its mouth, the 
stream is from 15 to 20 yards wide. The bottom consists of shale and slate, with mud 
and sand in places. The ripples are short, swift, and rough. No plant life was dis- 
covered in the stream; no unios and only a few crayfishes and smaller crustaceans 
were taken. The creek was well stocked with fishes; suckers ( Moxostoma duquesnei 
and Catostomus nigricans) being especially abundant. 
3. Hector Greek , 5 miles west of Big Creek post-office; water temperature, 73° F. 
Hector Creek is a southern tributary of South Fork, or Redbird, as its upper course is 
called. The creek is narrow and rocky, nowhere reaching a width of more than 25 
feet or a depth of more than 4 feet. The bottom consists either of smooth flat rock 
or of broken stones and gravel. The stream, small as it is, contains an abundance of 
small fishes, and in no place were the commoner species more plentiful. Campostoma 
anomalum , Ericymba buccata, Catostomus nigricans , two or three species of Hotropis , 
and Pimepludes notatus were especially abundant. Darters were also quite common, 
and some flue specimens of Etheostoma spilotum were taken, these being the second 
specimens that have been found. 
4. Redbird Creek (South Fork), 1 mile west of Big Creek, August 22; water tem- 
perature 75° F. Collections were made at the crossing of the London road, and also 
about a mile farther down the stream. At the crossing there is a very long, shallow 
ripple, where most of the collecting was done. Redbird Creek is 75 or 80 miles long. 
