208 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



shiiiiug wbito front edge. The cautlal fin, which is cut oft' straight, is 

 of a brown-red color. During the spawning season these colors become 

 brighter, and at that season the bi"oolv trout conjpares favorably with 

 some of the niost beautiful of the finny tribe. In Zurich very successful 

 experiments have been made with the Salmo Jmitinalis. Four of these 

 fish, which were raised in the fish-cultural establishment of Dachsen, 

 produced last autumn about 200 eggs, and from these there have now 

 been hatched about GO or 70 lively and healthy young fish. 



We take occasion to exi)ress once more our hearty thanks to the 

 German Fishery Association for its valuable present. Let us hope that 

 there is a great future in store for this new citizen of Switzerland, which 

 has come to us from far-ofl' America. 



Zurich, Switzerland, 1886. 



68.- BI A BITS OF WlllTfllVC} OR FKOST.FBSmi (MEKLl €BUS BBI.BIVE. 



AKIS, Mit-.'h.). 



By WILI^AKD J\YE, Jr. 



These fish api)ear in our shallow waters duringOctober or November,* 

 according as the season is early or late. They come in to feed from sun- 

 set to sunrise, and are then seen, often where the water is not over two 

 inches deej). During the daytime they are never seen alive near the 

 shore, nor have I ever seen any at or near the surface in deej) water. 



They feed on the silver-sides or friar, which abounds here at this 

 season, and which, being chilled, is easily caught. The frost fish do not 

 come in schools proper, but scattered along shore — from a few to many 

 feet apart, and headed in all directions, moving slowly along— gener- 

 ally near the bottom, and now and tlien rising to seize a friar, which they 

 do by shooting ahead two or three feet quite rai)idl3'; if successful, they 

 then sink to the bottom and slowly swallow the small fish. 



Many frost-fish are speared by men and boys wading along shore with 

 lanterns. Quantities are caught in the fish-traps, and if the night haj)- 

 l>ens to be very frosty hundreds are left by the falling tide, this last 

 more freciuently hai)[)ening on the outer beaches, where there is a 

 little swash along shore. In size they vary generally from two or three 

 ounces to one pound ; those on the outside beaches are the largest, 

 while insid(! the moiitlis of rivers they are small. When seen in the 

 water at night they appear of a dull reddish color. Early in October, 

 while fishing for codfish in five or six fathoms, I have caught frost-fish 

 that would weigh two or three pounds; and in the trawl on the Alba- 

 tross I have seen s])ecimens that would weigh as much as eight pounds. 



New Bedford, Mass., Atigiist 20, 1886. 



*For a brief note on their appearance, see F. C. Bulletin for 1886, p. i:57. 



