FISHES AND FISHING IN SUNAPEE LAKE. 71 



these, at least, differs from some other fresh-water smelts as much as 

 it does from the marme smelt, it seems more likely to confuse than to 

 clear up the matter to transfer and apply names mdiscriminately 

 without sufficient data upon which to base conclusions. 



The two apparent fresh-water races, previously alluded to, may be 

 only apparent on account of this same lack of knowledge. The ap- 

 parent differences are those principally of size and habits and to some 

 extent structure, so far as examination of specunens has proceeded. 

 In a number of Maine lakes there are (apparently) two distmct sizes, 

 with somewhat different breeding and feeding habits. One size reaches 

 a length of at least 15 inches and a weight of a pound, and even larger 

 ones have been reported. The smaller one existing in the same lake 

 seems not to reach a larger size than 5 or G inches at most, as indicated 

 by those constituting the breeding runs in the streams. The tuiie of 

 spawning differs more or less. The height of the period of the larger 

 form being at least a month earlier than the smaller one. The smaller 

 one usually ascends the streams as soon as they are free from ice, or a 

 little later. The larger one is known to ascend them, in some localities 

 at least, before the ice is out. 



In those lakes where there is apparently such an extreme difference 

 in size, only the larger form is caught with hook and line in summer 

 and through the ice in winter, this being due to the difference in feed- 

 mg habits, the large smelt subsistmg mainly upon smaller fish, for 

 the most part young smelts and the smaller form. The small smelt 

 subsists, so far as at present ascertained, almost wholly upon minute 

 crustaceans. This characteristic feeding habit obtams, however, only 

 where the two apparently widely distinct forms exist, as in some lakes, 

 Sunapee for instance, even little smelts only 4 or 4^ mches long are 

 taken on worm and fish bait. 



Then, again, there are lakes and ponds where the two distinct sizes 

 do not seem to exist and the smelts are of practically a uniform size 

 in the one pond, differing in size variously from those of other ponds, 

 according to the pond; and some of the ponds are closely connected 

 with lakes in which the two sizes exist, others are far remote from 

 other ponds with smelts. 



Some of the large and deep lakes contam only tmy, transparent 

 smelts, sexually mature when only 2 or 2^ mches long; while in a 

 neighboring body of water, at least within the same county, a much 

 smaller pond contains smelts 6 or 8 inches long. Also there is an 

 instance of a very large lake containing the two apparent extreme 

 sizes, with a tributary pond, the connectmg stream of which is not 

 over one-half mile long but at present obstructed by a dam, in which 

 the smelts are uniformly of from 2 to 3 inches m length and sexually 

 mature. Thus it appears that the smelt question is at present a very 

 puzzling one, especially regarding their specific identity, and they 



