270 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



of this vaciuity. The entomostraca were chiefly large cladocera {Simo- 

 cepJialas), cj'clops, and canthocamptus. To the alga?, the little fishes 

 have paid no attention wliatever, although they are well scattered 

 through the water. They have followed the smaller entomostraca 

 aronnd with growing interest from the first, occasionally making irreso- 

 lute efforts to capture them, but did not actually begin eating until to- 

 day. Now, howes'er, more than one-half of them have evidently taken 

 food. In the seven cases examined , this consisted entirely of cyclops 

 and canthocamptus, the smallest entomostaca in the water. The cla- 

 docera are evidently too large for them, and they even seem afraid of 

 them, although, of course, the former could do them no harm. 



The fishes all have visible remains of the egg within the body, but, 

 as their teeth are already well developed, they are doubtless at the 

 proper age to commence eating. This seems to me nearly conclusive 

 proof, taken with my previous observations, that the first natural food 

 of the whitefish is small entomostraca, especially cyclops {Canthocamp- 

 iuii occurs rarely, if at all, in Lake Michigan), but it may be worth while 

 to repeat my little experiment on a larger scale and uuder more natural 

 conditions. 



I have consequently taken steps to study a number of specimens kept 

 in the water of the lake and supplied with the organisms occurring in 

 the lake waters. 



It will be impossible for me to keep alive the few which I have, long 

 enough to tell how well they would flourish on the food supplied to 

 them. 



Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 



Normal, 111., Fehruary 20, 1882. 



SOME RESriiTS OF THE ABTIFIC'IAIi PKOPAGATIOW OF iflAIIVE AND 

 CAf.IFORIVf A SAI.:YI0IV IIV new EIVCH.A1\I> and CA3fAI>A, RECOR- 

 DED IIV THE YEARS 1S79 AIVD ISSO. 



[Compiled by the United States Fisli Commissioner.] 



New Bedford, Mass., May 20, 1879. 

 Prof. S. F. Baird: 



Sir : I have just been in the fish market and a crew were bringing 

 in their fish from one of the " traps." A noticeable and peculiar feature 

 of the fishery this year is the great numbers of young salmon caught, 

 especially at the Vineyard, although some few are caught daily at Soon- 

 ticiit Neck (mouth of our river). There are apparently two different 

 ages of them. Mostly about 2 iiounds in weight (about as long as a 

 large mackerel) and about one-half as many weighing from 6 to 8 pounds; 

 occasionally one larger. One last week weighed 23 iiounds and one 18 

 pounds. The fishermen think they are the young of those with which 

 some of our rivers have been stocked, as nothing of the kind has oc- 

 curred in past years at all like this. 



JOHN H. THOMSON. 



