151 



Concerning these figures Atkins remarked that they appUed only to the salmon of 

 Grand Lake Stream and that in other parts of the Schoodic waters the fish were of 

 various sizes; in some places larger and in other places smaller. He cited specific instances 

 of great differences of size of fish of different lakes of the region. 



Such diversity of size is not remarkable nor pecuUar to this particular fish. The same 

 phenomenon is exhibited by the 'brook trout,' the 'lake trout,' and various other fresh- 

 water fishes. Furthermore there are often considerable variations in size of the Atlantic 

 sahnon in difl'erent sections of the same river basin. There are doubtless periodical 

 fluctuations in size of fish in the same body of water as suggested by the following data 

 of Grand Lake salmon, giving the average number of eggs to a female. 



In 1878, 1,785 females averaged each 965 eggs. The average weight of 280 of the fish 

 was 2.2 pounds. In 1882, 1,004 females yielded an average each of 1,674 eggs. The 

 average weight of 308 of these females was 3.08 pounds. In 1883, 661 females, averaging 

 3.4 pounds each, yielded 1,618 eggs. In 1884, 808 females, of which 768 averaged 4.11 

 pounds each, yielded an average of 2,253. This was the largest average number of eggs 

 per fish from 1875 to 1923 inclusive (none taken from 1891 to 1896 inclusive), therefore 

 it may be inferred that in aU these years the females did not average over 4.11 pounds 

 in weight. In 1885, 611 females yielded each 1627 eggs and averaged 3.6 pounds in 

 weight. The average yield of eggs per female in 1884, was exceeded only in 1924, 1925, 

 and 1926. 



According to the anglers' records as reported by bulletins of the Maine Central 

 Railroad: in 1924, 35 fish ranged from three to 6}^ pounds and averaged 4.65 pounds; in 

 1925, 15 ranged from one to 6% pounds and averaged 4.16 pounds; in 1926, six fish 

 ranged from three to 73^ pounds and averaged 4.91 pounds. Thus there appears to 

 have been some fluctuations in average sizes of fish from 1875 to 1930, but on the whole 

 a sUght increase. According to the Maine Central Railroad records more relatively large 

 fish were taken than in the earUer years. The records also show that the fish taken by 

 anglers in the last few years at Grand Lake average from three to five pounds according 

 to the season, with apparently more large fish than formerly. 



In as much as practically aU the salmon angling at Grand Lake Stream is now done 

 on the lake instead of in the stream as in former years, it might be thought that the 

 apparent increased size of fish, or rather the more numerous relatively large fish, could 

 be accounted for by that fact, since it was seldom that the larger fish of any lakes made 



