NO. 1G77. XJ'JW WHITEFI8II FROM OREdON— JORDAN A ND ,SXYDER. 427 



the presence of a remarkable «2:aine fisli thens which is locally known 

 as the " Chisel-moulh Jack." The present writers supposed this to 

 be the Chisel-month Chub, Acroeheilus alutaceus. At our suggestion, 

 however, ]\Ir. Bassett brought home a fine siK^cimen of the game fish, 

 and it proves to belong to the group of Corc<jonhi<v or white fishes. 

 The species reaches a length of about 18 inches, is extremely swift 

 and gamey, takes the hook readily, and is reputed to be very destruc- 

 tive to the spawn of salmon. After the receipt of the original speci- 

 men from JNIr. P)assett we secured numerous others, also from the 

 jMcKenzie River, through the courtesy of Mr. H. C. MacAllister, 

 master fish warden of the State of Oregon. Numerous young ex- 

 amples Avere found in the collection of Stanford TTniversity, from 

 Weiser River, at "Weiser, Idaho (Coll. J. O. Snyder), and Payette 

 River, at Payette, in Idaho (Coll. C. H. Gilbert No. 2127, Stanford 

 University), and from Willamette River at Corvallis, Oregon (Coll. 

 J. O. Snyder). 



From a letter of Mr. Bassett dated September lo, 1908, we quote 

 the following: 



I have never looked to ascertain the contents of the stomach of the " Chisel- 

 mouth Jaclc," but as the fish rises to natural and artificial flies, I presume they 

 take about the same feed as the trout. They feed at the same time and at the 

 same places as the Rainbow and Cut-throat Trout, and take the same artificial 

 flies. 



The river from which this fish was taken, the ]McKenzie, heads near the Three 

 Sisters in Lane County, Oregon, and is the outflow from a small snow-fed lake, 

 about 100 miles northeast of its junction with the Willamette River at Coburg. 

 It is in the main a rapid-flowing river, but witli stretches of an eighth or quarter 

 of a mile of quieter water, well shaded with willow, cottonwoods, maples, cedars, 

 and pines ; width from 150 to 300 feet, depth 3 to 6 feet, and much de.-per in 

 the pools; cold and clear water carries besides this the Dolly Yarden, Rainbow, 

 Cut-throat Trout, Suckers, and a Lamprey. 



The "Chisel-mouth Jack" or "Chisel Bill," as they are often called locally, 

 are quite plentiful, and are persistent in rising to the natural or artificial fiy, 

 and will often strike eiglit or more times if not successful sooner in taking 

 the lure. They make about the same struggle to escape that a Rainbow does. 

 ;My largest capture weighed 21 pounds, but old residents told me they had 

 taken them weighing 4 pounds, and I think this statement can be relied on. 

 They are a good table fish, preferred by many to the trout. The flesh when 

 cooked is a light pink, about the same as the trout in color, but of a distinct 

 flavor. 



The flsh when flrst taken shows yellowish brown above median line and white 

 below. I presume they spawn in the small streams emptying into the McKenzie, 

 a great number of which furnl.sh good spawning grounds for fish, as they are 

 brushy, cold-water, continuous flowing streams. The specimen you have was 

 taken near Deerhorn post-office, about 30 miles up the river from Coburg. 



Eugene City is the nearest point l)y rail to reach the McKenzie, stages run- 

 ning from there to Belknap and Foley Springs, 00 miles distant. 



The river carries an abundance of feed, and eleven years ago, when I first 

 visited it, was full of fine, fat, lively trout. Constant fishing by numbers of 

 anglers from abroad, and by the loggers engaged in driving logs to the mills 



