EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. IxXlil 



all along' our northern frontier, is variously ctilled salmon-trout, lake- 

 tront, tog'ue, &g. The exact number of species, if actually more than 

 one, yet remains to be determined. It is a valtiable food-fish, and is 

 especially prominent in this connection in Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie 

 and Ontario. As affording sport to the angler, it is far inferior to other 

 members of the genus ^alnio, but, from its size and ease of manipulation 

 and transfer, has already attracted much consideration. It has for 

 some years been the subject of attention on the part of the Incw York 

 State commissioners and of their agent, Seth Green, who every autumn 

 collects millions of eggs from the fisheries on the Canadian side of Lake 

 Ontario to be hatched at Caledonia, N. Y., for distribution to the lakes 

 in the interior of New York. The experiment has lately been made of 

 planting the young fish in running water, as the Susquehanna, «&c.; but 

 it yet remains to be seen how they will thrive. 



The lake-trout is eminently worthy the attention of States along the 

 great lakes, since, with the white-fish, it constitutes by far the moSt 

 important element in the great fisheries. 



8. — The hucJio or Damibe salmon, (Salmo hucho.) 



Another species which promises to be of value in the United States is 

 Salmo hucJio, or the salmon of the Danube. This fish has been warmly 

 recommended as admirably suited for the Mississippi River, since, unlike 

 the true salmon, it appears to spend most of its time in the river, seldom, if 

 at all, making its way into the salt water. Opinions differ, however, in 

 this respect, as to whether all the Danube fish spend a part of their life in 

 the Black Sea, or whether it is those only which belong to its immediate 

 vicinity that run into it. The hucho is of good quality for the table, and 

 attains a weight of from forty to sixty pounds. It passes at the proper 

 season into the smaller tributaries of the Danube, and is taken through- 

 out its extent in immense numbers. It is a voracious fish, however, and 

 feeds exclusively in the river, devouring other fishes with great avidity. 

 In my judgment, it would be inexpedient to introduce this fish into waters 

 where the true salmon live ; the latter having the excellent quality 

 of not disturbing the existing inhabitants of the rivers, but deriving 

 the material of its growth, after the first few months of its existence, 

 from the ocean. Unless the Sacramento salmon can be naturalized in 

 the Mississippi, no other species but that of the Danube is likely to 

 find suitable quarters there ; and the question of its introduction will, 

 therefore, be taken into consideration, after more full information in 

 regard to the habits of the fish can be obtained. Further details respect- 

 ing the hucho will be found in the article by Mr. R. Hessel on page 161. 



9. — Small American trout. 



I have already referred to the various questions connected wath the 

 propagation of the eastern brook- trout, {Salmo fontinalls,) and which, in 

 view of the extent to which it is cared for by the States and by private 



