448 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES PISH COMMISSION. 



Accepting the indications of success thus afforded, the United States 

 Commissioner of Fisheries determined to introduce the rainbow trout 

 into the headwaters of all the strums of Missouri, Arkansas, and the 

 Indian Territory, which have their sources in the Ozark Mountains. 

 The area to be colonized is more extensive than the famed Adirondack 

 region of Kew York. The streams are clear and cold, the temperature 

 of the waters not rising above 58° in the heat of summer. They have 

 every characteristic of good trout streams, and experiment has shown 

 their eminent adaptation to this purpose. It is a wonder that nature 

 has neglected so inviting a field, yet we are informed by the State com- 

 missioners of Missouri that no native species of trout is found in any of 

 the streams that rise in the Ozark range. The explanation will prob- 

 ably be found when the history of the development of the surface feat- 

 ures of the interior of the continent are known. Be this as it may, it 

 has devolved upon the Commission to utilize nature's neglected oppor- 

 tunities. In August, 1886, fish 4 to 6 inches long were planted: 



Eeferring to this subject, Dr. I. G. W. Steedmau wrote from Saint 

 Louis, Mo., April 6, 1886, concerning specimens of Salino irideus from 

 Verona, Lawrence County, Missouri : 



"The eggs from which these trout were hatched came from Baird, 

 Cal., through the U. S. Fish Commission. These eggs were hatched by 

 the Missouri Fish Commission at our Saint Joseph Hatchery, and dis- 

 tributed by our agent to Mr. Montgomery, the owner of the spring at 

 Verona, Mo. There are no trout of any species in the waters of Mis- 

 souri, naturally, so there can be no question of the authenticity of 

 these trout. This great spring at Verona is a tributary of the Neosho 

 Kiver (a branch of the Arkansas), yet geographically it matters very 

 little, as the White and Arkansas are parallel, and running through 

 the same scope of country, except that the Arkansas has its sources in 

 the Eocky Mountains, and this branch at Verona in the Ozarks of Mis- 

 souri. I fished with fly in the McCloud River at Baird in 1875. I 

 caught four different varieties of Salmo, namely, irideus, specfahllis 

 (" Dolly Varden," so-called), quinnat (California salmon), and a small 

 speckled trout which I cannot name. It was the most numerous and 

 common trout of the McCloud and Sacramento Rivers, and rarely ex- 

 ceeded one pound in weight. In collecting eggs at this station several 

 varieties may have been inadvertently shipi)ed to the East, viz, irideus, 

 spectabilis ('-Dolly Varden"), Salmo quinnat (California salmon), or the 

 small speckled trout which I have referred to above." 



