I02 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



at all events its offspring — may prefer to remain in fresh 

 water, the change in habits and in appearance taking place 

 much more quickly than has hitherto been supposed, and the 

 dwarfing in size not taking more than a generation or two. 



The variation in the size of Trout bred, under different con- 

 ditions, from the same batch of ova, and the well-known dif- 

 ference in the size of Salmon in different rivers, are other 

 arguments for this view, which would dispose of the "land- 

 locking" theory, already shown above as being quite contrary 

 to the facts. This subject would, however, require a paper 

 to itself. I will only add that Sir James Maitland has found 

 that Salmon bred in lakes and not able to go to the sea, if 

 there were no charr for them to feed upon, seldom exceeded 

 four or five pounds in weight, and that Quinnat Salmon, from 

 the Pacific Coast, bred by Mr. Samuel Wilmot at the Canadian 

 hatcheries, when confined all their lives to the narrow limits 

 of the breeding-tanks, have become mature Salmon and repro- 

 duced their species, though not attaining a greater length than 

 eight or nine inches, while others more favorably situated 

 have reached the ordinary size. 



Any one who wants to study the Land-locked Salmon of 

 Lake St. John and the Saguenay will have to hasten, for the 

 opening of the region to fish-markets and to tourists, by a rail- 

 way, threatens their speedy e.xtinction, to which the careless 

 greed of settlers and the apathy of the governmeni; of the Prov- 

 ince of Quebec are contributing greatly. Already it is hard to 

 get a day's sport in water which formerly teemed with them. 

 From what I have said of their habits, it will be easily un- 

 derstood that the so-called "pools" were always very few in 

 proportion to the actual extent of water in the forty miles 

 length of the Grande Decharge. One consolation in this is, 

 that, as all the best water is private property, it can be and is 

 guarded carefully. But this does not preserve the spawning- 

 grounds. 



Only ten years ago there was no limit to the number of fish 



