THE LAKE TROUT. 243 



fall, when they leave the deep recesses of the lakes, to seek 

 the shoals for this purpose. The proportion of spawn 

 deposited is said to be about 2,000 ova for every pound in 

 weight of the female. The same uncertain chance attends 

 the hatching of the eggs as is seen in the cases of so many 

 other fish. If they escape the eyes of other spawners, 

 it is only to fall a prey in large numbers to the hungry and 

 greedy prowlers that are always on the lookout for just such 

 delicious bonnes boncJics. Once past this fateful time, how- 

 ever, the Namaycnsh grows lusty and strong, and increases so 

 mightily in size and weight as almost surpasses belief, although 

 his average weight is only about six pounds. In the Great 

 Lakes, the captains and mates of the schooners that trade from 

 port to port give startling records of catches made from the 

 decks of their vessels, and prove them by the fish. Thus Mr. 

 Cheney reports that in 1882 his brother saw on the deck of a 

 schooner at Muskegon, Michigan, nine Lake Trout, the small- 

 est of which weighed eighteen pounds. (I thank thee, O 

 Cheney, for leaving to the glorious uncertainty of conjecture 

 the weights of the other eight!) The same writer is authority 

 for the statement that Dr. E. Sterling of Cleveland, Ohio, 

 saw a Lake Trout taken at Thunder Bay, Lake Huron, that 

 weighed seventy pounds. My own companion of the yachting 

 trip, described later in this paper, "the captain," on one of his 

 trips caught a monster, Jiorresco refcrcns, so great as to defy 

 description! I can only report that he encased him tenderly 

 in icy bands of swathing, and sent him to the steward of his 

 club here in Chicago, with a preceding note of explanation that 

 he sent him "a fish" for the club; whereat the lordly steward 

 tossed high his head, and curled his patrician nose in scorn at 

 thought of "a fish" supplying even for a single day the gas- 

 tronomic wants of his many guests. Yet tradition has it 

 that there was enough and to spare, so that perchance even 

 the minions had taste of this wondrous fish. The record of 

 the smaller lakes also shows numerous well authenticated 



