:^02 AMERICAN CxAME FISHES. 



dized, the offspring being fertile and partaking of the charac- 

 teristics of both parents. There are undoubtedly places where 

 the Lake Superior waters rise in some large marsh, the marsh 

 extending for miles, the north part emptying into Superior, 

 the south part into Mississippi waters. There is now, within 

 a couple of miles of where this is being written, (in Northern 

 Wisconsin) a small marsh, but a few acres in extent, the 

 waters of which pass out of the north end, emptying into Lac 

 Vieux Desert, the south end emptying, by a similar stream, 

 into the Wisconsin River. Now if this happens here, it may 

 elsewhere. While this would not, of course, be proof positive 

 that these fish had gotten together in this way and crossed, 

 yet it furnishes what would appear a plausible explanation of 

 the occurrence of these several varieties of Mascalonge, and 

 the subject is certainly worthy of investigation. 



That these three kinds of Mascalonge are here and marked 

 as above stated cannot be denied; on the other hand it can be 

 substantiated by hundreds of good men who have caught them 

 in numbers. I am aware that the above statement is and 

 has been questioned by men who pretend to know, and who 

 claim to be authorities; but facts are stubborn things, and 

 the truth is sure to prevail in the end. 



These fine fish are to be found, as soon as the ice goes 

 out, near the shores, among the rushes and grasses, seeking 

 a proper place to deposit their spawn. This spawn is not 

 very glutinous (as in some kinds of fishes, the Pike, Perch or 

 Wall-eyed Pike, for instance), but are just enough so to cause 

 them to fasten to some weed or grass, in shoal water, where the 

 sun's rays can warm the water and thus hatch out the fry. 

 Mascalonge delight to lurk among weeds or in old tree tops 

 that have fallen in the water; there they will lie, for hours, 

 perfectly motionless. I have trolled past one, lying in a tree- 

 top, the spoon passing within a few feet of him repeatedly, he 

 taking no notice of it whatever until, finally, he would slip 

 away. 



