FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES. 39 



It is related that years ago lumbermen used to net this fish in large 

 quantities during the spawning time in this place. It is said not to 

 be abundant now. 



In the summer this whitefish, like the other species, affects cool 

 water and consequently usually frequents the deeper water of the 

 lakes. In the early evening in calm weather it approaches the 

 surface, where it feeds upon insects that have fallen upon the water. 

 Its mouth is small, therefore it is not frequently taken on baited 

 hook or Hy. It ascends streams to spawn the last of October and 

 first of November. It is said that the spawn is emitted at the surface 

 of the water, one or more males accompanying the female during the 

 act. The eggs are at first semibuoyant, but gradually settle to the 

 bottom and are hatched in the early spring on rising temperature. 



The usual method of capture is by nets on the spawning grounds 

 or when the fish is approaching those places. This is an excellent 

 pan fish, and in city markets often appears as smoked whitefish 

 or lake herring, which, when baked or broiled, makes a delicious 

 breakfast dish. 



Pig. 1. — Whitefish. Length, 11 J inches. 



13, Great I^akes Whitefish. Coregonus dupeiformis (Mitchill). 



Plate VII aud fig. 1. 



Head 4.59 in length to base of caudal ; depth 4.34 ; eye 5.43 in head ; snout 

 4.35 ; maxillary 3.95 ; mandible 2.9 ; interorbltal 3.62 ; dorsal 12 ; anal 13 ; scales 

 10-83-S; gillrakers 10+18 and 11+17 on right and left sides respectively, the 

 longest about 1.64 in eye. 



Body rather long aud compressed, the back somewhat arched in front ; head 

 small and short ; snout short and blunt ; mouth small, nearly horizontal ; 

 maxillary short, broadly ovate; lower jaw included, the blunt snout somewhat 

 projecting; dorsal moderately high, about 1.45 in head; anal about 2.28 in head. 



Upper part of head and body dusky olive, puuctulate; throat and belly 

 white; membrane of all the fins black. 



The above description is taken from a spent female about 19.5 inches long 

 from Umbagog Lake, N. H., collected in the winter of 1903. This specimen is 

 selected because it shows the changes sometimes incident to transplanting and 

 which would most likely be the apioea ranee that the same species would assume 

 in the Connecticut Lakes. A male fish 15 inches total length had the following 

 proportional measurements: Head 4.24; dei^th 3.52; eye 4.86; snout 3.84; dorsal 

 11; anal 11; gillrakers 10+18 aud 10+17; longest 1.87 in eye. Color about as 

 in the other. 



