282 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
4. Island Creek , Pikeville, September 1 ; water temperature, 69° F. The collecting 
station was 2 miles east of Pikeville and 1 mile from the mouth of the creek. Island 
Creek is a small southern tributary of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River, and 
is only a few miles long. The creek consists of a number of pools, connected by 
gravelly ripples. Nineteen species of fishes were obtained, minnows and suckers 
being most abundant. 
5. Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River, Pikeville, September 2 ; water temperature, 
72° F. The river at Pikeville is broad and shallow, and yet with sufficient depth to 
be navigable for small boats during low water. The bed, except at the ripples, which 
are not numerous, is of light, fine sand, constantly changing its position, and forming 
large sandbars at intervals. There are long stretches of deep water, but these are 
the exception, and in such places the bottom is covered with large sandstones. The 
bottom of the ripples is of stone, on which grow species of Potamogeton , both the sub- 
merged and floating kinds, but in no great quantities. The stream was seined at the 
town, but the station was not a good one, and only nineteen species were obtained. A 
great many fish were brought to town by fishermen, Ictalurus punctatus, Carpiodes 
velifer , and C. carpio being the most common. Our stay in Pikeville was made 
pleasant and the work more effective by the kindness and help received from Mr. 
Parsons and Mr. Conally, of that place. 
6. John Creek, Zebulon, September 5; water temperature, 69°. John Creek, the 
largest eastern tributary of the Levisa Fork, is about 80 miles long, and at the place 
visited, which is only about 20 miles from its source, it is 20 or 25 yards wide, crooked, 
very rocky, and swift. The greater part of the stream is composed of ripples, which 
are separated by short ponds with sandy bottoms. Darters ( Etheostoma ceeruleum, F. 
hlennioides , E. zonale ) were common, while among the minnows Notropis wliipplei, 
Ericymba buccata , and Hybopsis kentuckiensis were the most abundant. 
7. Coon Creek, Zebulon, September 5; water temperature, 71° F. This small 
tributary of John Creek has a sandy bottom, not reaching bed rock at any place. 
From it were taken 15 species of fishes, Lepomis megalotis and Ericymba buccata being 
quite common. 
8. Blaine Creek, Catalpa, September 8; water temperature, 73° F. The collecting 
station was 2 miles west of the railroad bridge. Blaine Creek has about the same 
length and width as John Creek, but is quite different in character, being very sandy, 
no rocks appearing at any place in its lower course. The stream seems to be almost 
devoid of animal and vegetable life, and only a very few fishes were secured. Spring 
Creek, a small muddy tributary of Blaine Creek, was fished, but only a few minnows 
were found in it. 
In the following list the different streams are designated by letters, as follows : 
Beaver Creek byBea; Robinson Creek by R; Shelby Creek by S; Island Creek by 
I; Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River by L; John Creek by J; Coon Creek by C; 
Blaine Creek by B. Some seining was done near the mouth of the Big Sandy River 
in September, 188S, by Dr. C. H. Gilbert and Dr. James A. Henshall. Species that 
were taken by them are included in the list, and are indicated by an asterisk (*). 
