﻿THE 
  LAKE 
  TROUT. 
  

  

  DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  THE 
  FISH. 
  

  

  This 
  handsome 
  species 
  {Cristivomer 
  namayciish), 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  the 
  

   trouts, 
  is 
  classed 
  with 
  the 
  charrs. 
  It 
  has 
  au 
  elongated 
  body, 
  the 
  length 
  

   being 
  about 
  4i 
  times 
  the 
  depth. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  large, 
  flat 
  above, 
  and 
  about 
  

   as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  deep. 
  The 
  mouth 
  is 
  large; 
  the 
  maxillary 
  bone 
  

   extends 
  beyond 
  the 
  eye 
  and 
  is 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  head; 
  the 
  jaws 
  

   have 
  strong 
  teeth. 
  A 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  the 
  vomerine 
  bone 
  distinguishes 
  

   this 
  fish 
  from 
  the 
  genus 
  Salvelinufi 
  ; 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  crest 
  provided 
  with 
  teeth 
  

   extending 
  backward 
  from 
  the 
  shaft 
  of 
  the 
  bone. 
  On 
  the 
  hyoid 
  bone 
  the 
  

   teeth 
  are 
  in 
  a 
  cardiform 
  band. 
  The 
  eye, 
  placed 
  near 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  

   is 
  contained 
  about 
  4i 
  times 
  in 
  length 
  of 
  head. 
  The 
  caudal 
  fin 
  is 
  well 
  

   forked. 
  Both 
  the 
  dorsal 
  and 
  anal 
  fins 
  contain 
  9 
  to 
  11 
  rays. 
  In 
  the 
  straight 
  

   lateral 
  line 
  there 
  are 
  about 
  200 
  scales. 
  Branchiostegals 
  11 
  or 
  12. 
  

  

  The 
  coloration 
  is 
  quite 
  variable 
  in 
  fish 
  from 
  different 
  localities. 
  The 
  

   general 
  color 
  is 
  usually 
  dark 
  gray. 
  The 
  body, 
  head, 
  and 
  fins 
  are 
  

   covered 
  with 
  small 
  discrete 
  rounded 
  spots, 
  usually 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  color, 
  but 
  

   often 
  tinged 
  with 
  reddish. 
  On 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  top 
  of 
  head 
  there 
  are 
  fine 
  

   vermiculations, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  brook 
  trout. 
  Examples 
  from 
  some 
  lakes 
  of 
  

   Maine 
  and 
  eastern 
  Canada 
  are 
  nearly 
  black, 
  and 
  Alaskan 
  examples 
  

   are 
  often 
  very 
  dark; 
  others 
  are 
  quite 
  pale. 
  

  

  That 
  variety 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  trout 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  siscowet 
  {Cristivomer 
  

   namaycuiih 
  siscoicet), 
  found 
  only 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  in 
  Lake 
  Superior, 
  is 
  

   shorter 
  and 
  paler 
  than 
  the 
  typical 
  fish 
  and 
  has 
  weaker 
  teeth 
  and 
  a 
  shorter 
  

   head 
  ; 
  it 
  is, 
  however, 
  chiefly 
  characterized 
  by 
  an 
  excessive 
  fatness, 
  which 
  

   greatly 
  reduces 
  its 
  food 
  value. 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  chapter 
  is 
  devoted 
  to 
  trout 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  and 
  the 
  

   methods 
  of 
  propagation 
  employed 
  at 
  the 
  station 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   Fish 
  Commission 
  at 
  Northville, 
  Michigan. 
  

  

  RANGE, 
  FOOD, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  The 
  lake 
  trout 
  is 
  found 
  throughout 
  the 
  chain 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  and 
  

   the 
  inland 
  lakes 
  of 
  northern 
  New 
  York, 
  New 
  Hampshire, 
  and 
  Maine; 
  

   the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  Cohimbia 
  and 
  Fraser 
  Rivers, 
  streams 
  of 
  Vancouver 
  

   Island, 
  and 
  even 
  waters 
  within 
  the 
  Arctic 
  Circle 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  contain 
  

   this 
  species. 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  whitefishes, 
  it 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  

   most 
  numerous 
  food 
  fish 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  and 
  formerly 
  none 
  exceeded 
  

   it 
  in 
  weight 
  excei)t 
  the 
  sturgeon. 
  Instances 
  are 
  cited 
  by 
  fishermen 
  and 
  

   others 
  of 
  lake 
  trout 
  weighing 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  125 
  pounds, 
  and 
  its 
  average 
  

   weight 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  at 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  30 
  pounds, 
  but 
  of 
  late 
  they 
  are 
  

   rarely 
  found 
  exceeding 
  18 
  or 
  20 
  pounds. 
  Possibly, 
  if 
  unmolested 
  by 
  

  

  103 
  

  

  