THE FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES AND NEIGHBORING 



WATERS, WITH NOTES ON THE PLANKTON 



ENVIRONMENT* 



Bv W. C. Kendall and E. L. Goldsborough. 



INTRODUCTION. 



For a number of years the United States Fish Commission con- 

 ducted biological and physical investigations of the inland waters 

 of Maine; and appreciating the great importance of such work in 

 conjunction with fish-cultural operations, the Bureau of Fisheries 

 decided to continue it in other New England states. The Con- 

 necticut Lakes were selected for the next Avork " for several reasons. 

 Their proximity to the Vermont, Maine, and Canadian borders gives 

 I hem particular interest in their bearings on the geographic dis- 

 tribution of fishes; they are the largest lakes north of the White 

 Mountains in New Hampshire; they have received some fish-cultural 

 attention ; and they are the source of the Connecticut River, the larg- 

 est river in New England. The lateness of the season at which the 

 investigations w^ere taken up and the short time spent in the region 

 detract somewhat from the results. Most spring and summer breed- 

 ing fishes had nearly spawned when observations were commenced, 

 i.'ud the work was brought to a close before fall spawning had begun. 

 Therefore much desired knowledge on these points was not acquired. 



The geographic distribution of the fishes of this region, however, 

 was very well made out, also their relative abundance. The feed- 

 ing habits of some of the species were closely observed and the rela- 

 tions of the fishes to their surrounding conditions were noted so far 



a The authors and Mr. A. A. Doolittle, of the Central High School, Washing- 

 ton, D. C, constituted the investigating party. Doctor Kendall and Mr. Golds- 

 borough gave their attention chiefly to the fishes and a general study of the 

 local conditions. Mr. Doolittle studied the plankton environment and the 

 niacrosco|)ic invertebrates and flora. His report is published herewith, ap- 

 pended to the present article. 



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