﻿XCVI 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  wonderful 
  of 
  tlie 
  natural 
  attractious 
  of 
  America. 
  It 
  is 
  approximately 
  

   circular 
  iu 
  shape 
  and 
  about 
  5 
  miles 
  in 
  diameter. 
  It 
  lies 
  in 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  

   Mount 
  Mazama, 
  and 
  is 
  completely 
  encircled 
  by 
  a 
  bold 
  escari)ment 
  

   rising 
  from 
  500 
  to 
  2,000 
  feet 
  almost 
  vertically 
  from 
  the 
  water's 
  edge. 
  

   So 
  steep 
  are 
  the 
  walls 
  that 
  in 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  places 
  is 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  descend 
  

   to 
  the 
  lake. 
  Crater 
  Lake 
  is 
  the 
  deepest 
  American 
  lake, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   deepest 
  in 
  the 
  world. 
  The 
  greatest 
  ascertained 
  depth 
  is 
  2,000 
  feet, 
  a 
  

   large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  being 
  practically 
  a 
  level 
  floor 
  of 
  tliis 
  depth. 
  

   With 
  a 
  few 
  limited 
  exceptions 
  there 
  is 
  practically 
  no 
  shore 
  and 
  scarcely 
  

   any 
  shallow 
  water, 
  the 
  surrounding 
  walls 
  extending 
  vertically 
  beneath 
  

   the 
  w^ater 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  several 
  hundred 
  feet. 
  In 
  Eagle 
  Cove 
  on 
  the 
  

   south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  lake, 
  in 
  Cleatwood 
  Cove 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side, 
  and 
  about 
  

   Wizard 
  Island 
  are 
  found 
  the 
  only 
  considerable 
  areas 
  of 
  shallow 
  water, 
  

   the 
  depth 
  ranging 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  100 
  feet; 
  and, 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  streams 
  

   flowing 
  into 
  the 
  lake, 
  the 
  best 
  conditions 
  required 
  for 
  spawning-beds 
  

   would 
  probably 
  be 
  furnislied 
  at 
  these 
  places. 
  

  

  The 
  water 
  was 
  ascertained 
  to 
  be 
  suiflciently 
  jiure 
  and 
  of 
  proper 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  for 
  trout, 
  and 
  to 
  contain 
  a 
  fairly 
  abundant 
  supply 
  of 
  fish-food, 
  

   consisting 
  chiefly 
  of 
  small 
  crustaceans, 
  insect 
  larva^, 
  and 
  mollusks. 
  

   While 
  the 
  conditions 
  do 
  not 
  seem 
  favorable 
  for 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  au 
  

   abundant 
  fish 
  life 
  in 
  this 
  lake, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  a 
  limited 
  number 
  of 
  

   trout 
  would 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  maintain 
  themselves 
  in 
  it, 
  especially 
  the 
  species 
  

   of 
  black-spotted 
  trout 
  found 
  in 
  Lake 
  Tahoe 
  {Salmo 
  mylciss 
  henshawi). 
  

  

  COAST 
  RIVERS 
  OF 
  CALIFORNIA. 
  

  

  In 
  May, 
  1897, 
  Dr. 
  Charles 
  H. 
  Gilbert, 
  with 
  four 
  assistants 
  from 
  

   Leland 
  Stanford 
  Junior 
  University, 
  was 
  engaged 
  to 
  make 
  an 
  ichthy- 
  

   ological 
  canvass 
  of 
  the 
  coastal 
  streams 
  of 
  California, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  

   of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  inquiry 
  was 
  still 
  in 
  progress. 
  The 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  investi- 
  

   gation 
  was 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  streams 
  with 
  reference 
  

   to 
  their 
  distribution, 
  abundance, 
  spawning 
  habits 
  and 
  grounds, 
  etc., 
  

   particular 
  attention 
  being 
  paid 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  economic 
  value. 
  

  

  FLORIDA. 
  

  

  In 
  October 
  and 
  November, 
  1896, 
  certain 
  investigations 
  were 
  carried 
  

   on 
  in 
  the 
  coastal 
  waters 
  of 
  Florida 
  in 
  resi)onse 
  to 
  a 
  resolution 
  of 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  Senate, 
  dated 
  February 
  15, 
  1895, 
  requiring 
  the 
  Com- 
  

   missioner 
  to 
  make 
  an 
  inquiry 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  extent, 
  methods, 
  and 
  present 
  

   condition 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  especially 
  the 
  sponge 
  and 
  

   oyster 
  fisheries. 
  Prof. 
  B. 
  W. 
  Evermann 
  and 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  C. 
  Kendall 
  repre- 
  

   sented 
  this 
  division 
  in 
  the 
  party 
  sent 
  by 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  

   necessary 
  examinations. 
  Special 
  inquiries 
  were 
  made 
  at 
  Key 
  West, 
  

   Biscayue 
  Bay, 
  Tampa, 
  Tarpon 
  Springs, 
  and 
  other 
  places, 
  having 
  for 
  

   their 
  object 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  com- 
  

   meicial 
  sponges 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  causes 
  of 
  the 
  decrease 
  in 
  their 
  

   abundance 
  and 
  the 
  j)ossibilities 
  of 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  ; 
  also 
  a 
  deter- 
  

  

  