284 AMERICAN FISHES. 



woe it is less scarce, being caught sometimes in pound-nets, and more 

 frequently in the River. At Milwaukee, the Muskellunge occurs in the 

 lake but rarely ; it is never caught in gill-nets. In 1868 Mr. Schultz took 

 one in a small seine, in the old harbor, weighing one hundred pounds. 

 This is believed by Mr. Kumlien to be a fact, having been testified to, as 

 he says, " by so many reliable persons." He adds: "Formerly, fish of 

 this kind weighing eighty pounds were far from rare." 



On the 9th of April, a fish of this species four feet in length was taken 

 at Racine ; head to operculum, ten inches ; to eye, four inches ; greatest 

 circumference, twenty and one-half inches ; over eye, eighteen inches; at 

 gills, eighteen inches ; weight, forty-five pounds. These fish are never 

 here taken in the gill-nets ; they are resident in the lake about Racine in 

 winter. A very few have been known to occur at Waukegan. On the 

 southeastern shore of Lake Michigan, including the fisheries of Saugatuck, 

 South Haven, and St. Joseph, this fish is reported as always being of a 

 large size. At Ludington, farther north, only one instance of capture is 

 on record ; it is also said to be very rare at Grand Haven. 



But little has been reported regarding the occurrence of the Muskel- 

 limge upon the numerous fishing grounds along the north shore of the 

 southern peninsula of Michigan, between Little Traverse Bay and Thunder 

 Bay. It is generally rare through the Straits of Mackinaw, only about 

 half a dozen being taken each season ; and most abundant of all at Les 

 Cheneaux Islands. Capt. Coats caught one here, in 1874, weighing 

 sixty-two pounds. These fish are rarely taken in pound-nets, and are 

 chiefly caught with hook and line about the Les Cheneaux and Drummond 

 Islands. Capt. Dingman has caught only one in his pound-net in the past 

 fifteen years. All caught, of which he has heard, have been large. In 

 Thunder Bay, about a dozen, on an average, are taken in twelve months. 

 In Saginaw Bay, they are taken in about the same numbers as in Thunder 

 Bay. Here too they are always large fish. A few are taken in seines 

 along the coast between Port aux Barques and Port Huron. A few also 

 are taken annually in the St. Clair River; iK>rhai)s a dozen or two alto- 

 gether in this region during a year. Between Toledo and Detroit River, 

 Lake Erie, a specimen of this fish is taken now and then in the pound- 

 nets. \\'hen taken, it is always large. The same remark will ai)ply to 

 the vicinity of Toledo and Maumee Bay.* 



* Mr. Fred Alford states that he procured a Muskellunge from ]\Iaumee Bay, in 1864, weighing eighty-five 

 pounds. 



