FISHES AND FISHING IN SUNAPEE LAKE. 49 



lorms. It belongs to tliat group of boreal sahiionicls properly desig- 

 nated as charrs, is one of the eharrs peculiar to North America 

 and has a comparatively restricted range even there. Its stated 

 geographical distribution is from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, 

 and the New England States to the Saskatchewan and northward to 

 Labrador; also in the Northern States west to northern Minnesota 

 and southward in the Alleghanies to the headwaters of the Savannah, 

 Chattahoochee, Catawba, and French Broad Rivers. 



The trout has numerous local names, as squaretail, red spot, 

 brook trout, etc., which like that of Sunapee Lake, serve, locally, at 

 least, to distinguish it from some other forms of Salmonidae. 



The distribution of S. fontinalis is governed mainly by the tem- 

 perature of the water, and in its natural habitat it seems not to 

 endure a temperature of over 60° or 65° F. In many of the long- 

 settled portions of the country where the woods have been cut from 

 the surroundmg area and from the banks of the streams, the trout 

 has practically disappeared. In the words of Dr. IlenshaU, which 

 are a graphic expression of a weU-known fact: 



The altered conditious of its aboriginal environment, owing to changes brought 

 about by the progress of civilization, have resulted in its total extinction in some 

 waters and sad diminution in others. In many instances the trout brooks of our 

 childhood will know them no more. The lumberman has gotten in his work; the 

 forests have disappeared, the tiny brooks have vanished. The lower waters still 

 remain but are robbed of their pristine pureness by the contamination due to various 

 manufacturing industries. In such streams the supply of trout is only maintained 

 through efforts of the Federal and State fish commissions. It is hoped by this means 

 the beautiful brook trout, the loveliest and liveliest of fish of all the fmny world, may 

 be preserved and spared to us for yet a little wliile. (James A. Heushall, in "Favorite 

 Fish and Fishing," 1908.) 



This article, as indeed most popular trout articles, pertains to the 

 trout as ''a brook trout." The trout, while naturally a permanent 

 resident of many brooks and streams, is also a resident of ponds 

 and lakes, in some of which it attains a large size, even more than 

 10 pounds m weight. The "progress of civilization" has also had 

 its effect on the lacustrine trout. As the fish, whenever possible, 

 ascends streams from })onds and lakes to spawn, the lumbcrmg 

 operations, by destroying the spawning places, liave been fuUy as 

 effective in the dimmution of lake and pond trout as of the brook 

 trout, especially in such ponds or lakes as have no suitable spa^^^lmg 

 grounds in them. 



But lumbering operations are not alone to blame for the disap- 

 pearance of trout or their decrease in numbers. As has been pointed 

 out in another place in this paper, excessive and untimely fishing 

 are most destructive, particularly the catching of fish on their 

 spawning beds and through tlic ice in the winter. Dr. IlenshaU, in 

 97705°— 13 4 



