Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 
29 
with set-nets or lines, as few places will permit the operating of 
hauling-nets. In the small tributary brooks, the smaller and 
weaker cyprinoids are abundant and often occur in shoals within 
favorable little estuaries. Though great schools may sometimes 
be met with in such places they usually consist of but few species, 
sometimes entirely of one. Above Spartanburg the Pacolet 
River is a wide, muddied, stream at the mill dam. Following 
down from the dam are many shallow pools, the banks and portions 
of the stream choked up with bushes, logs, limbs, snags, gravel 
bars, etc. Many large rocks are also strewn about. The town 
has in no way improved the situation with its generous contributions 
of refuse, old tins, cast off utensils, and other trash. 
The Dan River at Danvi'le, Virginia, is obstructed by several 
concrete dams and spanned by as many long bridges. The dams 
result in a succession of shallows, and below the cascades the rocks 
are all worn down. The larger pools contain carp, suckers, cats 
and sunfish, etc. In two tributaries near the town, the water is 
of great clarity, and flows over a broad, gravelly or sandy bottom. 
Usually one meets with but few snags or roots here though every- 
where are shoals or bars. The fish in these streams are exceedingly 
abundant, frequenting mostly the little eddies or backwater pools, 
usually about the bends. A great variety of brilliant silver-fins, 
red-fins, painted-minnows, etc., were found, sometimes in great 
schools. 
The wild mountainous regions of the southern Alleghanies will 
always have a charm, all their own, to the naturalist or rambler. 
It was our fortunate experience, to see this country during 
the finest season of the year, October, when it was at its best. The 
long hot summer having passed there was just enough tone or snap 
to the air to render it exhilarating, if not actually stimulating. 
This, and the fact that the sun shone at least part of each day if 
not all day long, afforded us splendid weather afield. The great 
watercourses and their hosts of tributary streams, with all their 
wonderful array of fish-life, the richest in all the fresh-waters of 
the United States, will long remain to a large extent a terra incog- 
nita to the ichthyologist. He will require untiring energy and 
exertion to even partially explore this vast field. We therefore 
feel that our own modest effort will be crowned with success can we 
but induce others to carry forward where we have but momentarily 
paused. 
