FISHES OF TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE BASIN. 
71 
which is the Clear Fork of the Brazos, was found by Capt. Pope to be a large stream, 
heavily timbered, about 25 yards wide, and very deep; the water was excellent and 
abounded in fish. They collected a good many fish here, among them a “ gar-fish,” 
which they had not before seen. They described it as being “of a bright yellow color, 
and enveloped in a hard, scaly covering, more like shell than cuticle. It has a long 
pointed head, armed with a numerous and formidable set of teeth, well adapted for 
seizing and holding its prey” — probably the short-nosed gar, Lepisosteus platys- 
tomus. From there the route led across the Brazos at Fort Belknap, then the West 
Fork of the Trinity, Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Red, and Elm Fork of the Trinity, 
which was described as being clear and pure and very deep in some places, with plenty 
of perch, bass, sunfish, etc. The expedition arrived at Preston, on the Red River, May 
15, 1854, the distance traveled having been about 640 miles. 
The party under Lieut. Whipple made the “Exploration for a railway route, 
near the thirty-fifth parallel, from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean.” Attached to 
Lieut. Whipple’s party were Dr. C. B. R. Kennerly as physician and naturalist, Dr. 
J. M. Bigelow as surgeon and botanist, and Mr. H. B. Mollhausen as topographer 
and artist; and the collections of fishes obtained are due to the labors of these gentle- 
men. The party began its work at Fort Smith on the Arkansas River, July 14, 1853, 
from which they traveled westward, following closely the course of the Canadian 
River. On August 13 they camped upon a small branch of Coal Creek, which they 
describe as being “obstructed by ledges of rock, producing long and deep reservoirs 
of crystal water, abounding in fish.” On August 29 the party passed “Rock Mary, 
on the south bank of the South Fork of Canadian River, where some fishing was 
done.” On August 31 they “entered a pretty little valley watered by a rivulet, with 
pools abounding in fishes supposed to be of unknown species. We call the stream 
Gypsum Creek, from being the first of importance in that formation. It is finely 
wooded with red oak, post oak, alamo, and elm. The water is tinctured with magne- 
sia, and is disagreeable to the taste. The channel is deep, leaving, at the present low 
water, high steep banks difficult to pass.” A few miles west of this a small stream 
was crossed which received the name Elm Creek and from which some fishes were 
obtained. From here Lieut. Whipple continued to follow up the South Fork of the 
Canadian. The divide between the headwaters of the Canadian and those of the 
Pecos was crossed September 24, and on September 26 they crossed Hurrah Creek, 
where some fishes were collected. In this creek, which is a tributary of the Gallinas, 
the water stood simply in holes. About 15 miles more, and the “Rio de Gallinas, a 
creek of pure running water, but with neither wood nor grass upon its banks,” was 
reached. The Gallinas Creek is a branch of the Rio Pecos, which was reached at 
Anton Chico on the same day; and nine days later the party arrived at Albuquerque, 
on the Rio Grande. 
The total number of species mentioned in the Pacific Railroad Reports as found • 
within the limits of the region covered by this paper is 49, of which 8 are described 
as new. Most of the other 41 had already been described as new in the Proceedings 
of the Philadelphia Academy. 
