BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 335 



their well-being, or to have shortened their life ; provided, of course, that 

 the specimens which we examined were some of the original immigrants. 

 Undisturbed by all their enemies, man alone excepted, and seemingly 

 free from care as far as obtaining food was concerned, this quiet life has 

 possibly aided in lengthening their existence. On theother hand, tbeir 

 ofl'spring seem to be somewhat feeble, as is also the case with the sal- 

 mon in inclosed waters. A more thorough examination of the condi- 

 tions of temperature, food, saltness of rhe water, and a number of her- 

 ring of different age at different seasons of the year would be of great 

 interest, and would form an exceedingly valuable contribution to the 

 natural history of the herring; as it is highly probable that we have 

 here before us one and the same generation at a different age. 



As. there are several places in IsTorway where the conditions are the 

 same as in the Borgefiord, the editor of the journal from which we have 

 given the above extract has requested all persons interested in this 

 subject to furnish him with information in regard to it. 



16S.— FISH IN THE NATfONAl. 1»ARK AND TRIBUTARIES OF SIVAKE 

 RIVER— PROPAGATIOiV OF ^VIIITEFISH. 



By J. E. CUKTIS. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



I spent two months of the past summer in the Yellowstone National 

 Park, and while there an item concerning fish came to my notice, which 

 I would call your attention to. I have hope of your using your influence 

 that some effort may be made towards preventing the destruction of 

 certain kinds of fish. This seems to me would be the right and proper 

 thing for the Government to do, particularly in that portion of the coun- 

 try which has been dedicated to the people as a national park. There 

 is a lake there called Lake Henry, situated on the public road built by 

 the Government leading from the Upper Geyser Basin to Virginia City. 

 This lake is the headwater of one of the tributaries of Snake Eiver. I 

 spent some three or four days in a thorough examination of this lake, 

 and have become satisfied that it is the breeding ground of the salmon- 

 trout, which are so plentiful in Snake Eiver and its tributaries. There 

 was no boat on the lake, and of course I could get over it only on a clum- 

 sily constructed raft poled around by the men I had with me. The trout 

 in this lake were in schools three or four deep, one above the other, seem- 

 ingly packed as close together as fish could conveniently be, and these 

 schools extended as far as the eye could reach. There is going on 

 a terrible destruction of these fish by the visitors of this park by spear- 

 ing, and there is not only taken out as high as 000 to TOO pounds in one 

 pight, but they wound and mutilate nearly as many as they catch. 



