464 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



of Salmo quinnat were liberated iu a few of the rivers, and now doubtful 

 fish are frequently taken, but no one seems to be able to identify them 

 with certainty. S.fontinaUs do remarkably well in captivity, but are 

 not being seen as yet in the streams in which they have been liberated. 



In many of the large rivers the ;S^, fario has changed its habits very 

 much, growing very rapidly (2 pounds a year), and frequently in brack- 

 ish and sea water, where it becomes in appearance very like a sea trout 

 {Salmo trutta), and frequently weighs 20 pounds and upwards. 



The rivers are teeming with fish-food, larvae, flies, and millions of a 

 small native smelt {Retropinria), as well as various forms of Galaxias 

 which force the growth of imported SalmonidcB wonderfully. This ex- 

 cess of food seems to alter their habits and appearance very much. 



The water that supplies the hatchery at Mastertou is an overflow from 

 a river that filters underground tlirough a gravel formation for some 

 miles, coming out of a terrace with a strong flow. Hatching opera- 

 tions have been very successful iu this water, though during the summer 

 the temperature has sometimes reached 59° F. As they can at pleas- 

 ure turn on the stream water, full of insects, they have been able to 

 rear fish in the ponds with but little loss. 



The Government is trying to import herring, crabs, lobsters, and 

 other valuable marine life. 



Penobscot salmon planted. — In February, 1885, 100,000 Penob- 

 scot salmon eggs were sent from Bucksi)ort, Me., to Mr. E. B. Ilodge, 

 •Plymouth, N. H., where they arrived Februaiy 20. During hatching 

 765 eggs died. These, together with a loss of 634 young fish, left 

 98,601 young to be planted. Of these, 5,000 were planted in the Mo- 

 hawk Eiver, at Golebrook, Coos County, IST. H.; 15,00f) in the Oliverian 

 Eiver, at Haverhill, Grafton County, IST. H.; 10,000 in the Lower Am- 

 monoosuc Eiver, at Littleton, Grafton County, N. H. (all tributaries 

 of the Connecticut Kiver) ; and the remaining 08,001 were planted by 

 the Vermont commissioners in eight tributaries of the Connecticut. 



Landlocked salmon planted. — On March 28, 1885, Mr. E. B. 

 Hodge received at Plymouth, N. H., from Grand Lake Stream, Maine, 

 25,000 landlocked salmon eggs, of which but 13 were found to be dead. 

 During the hatching 375 more were lost, which with 725 young fish that 

 died made a total loss of 1,113. The remainder were ])lanted June 18, 

 1885, in Clyde Kiver, Derby, Vt., about five miles from Lake Mem- 

 ph rem agog. 



Mackerel movements. — John F. Holmes, keeper of Gurnet's Life- 

 Saving Station, wrote on September 18, 1885, that during the previous 

 four weeks very few large bodies of mackerel had been seen, but there 

 were more or less broken schools that had remained there during the 

 summer. On Tuesday, September 15, large schools of mackerel made 

 their appearance, followed by about twenty vessels of the mackerel 

 fleet. He thought that these mackerel were part of the eastern school 

 on their way south. On September 20 the body of mackerel appeared 

 to have passed by. 



