﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE.' 
  181 
  

  

  absence 
  of 
  arch 
  on 
  back, 
  etc. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  abundant 
  of 
  the 
  white- 
  

   fishes, 
  being 
  especially 
  numerous 
  in 
  lakes 
  Erie, 
  Michigan, 
  and 
  Huron, 
  

   and 
  larger 
  quantities 
  are 
  taken 
  each 
  year 
  than 
  of 
  all 
  other 
  species 
  

   combined. 
  The 
  average 
  length 
  is* 
  12 
  to 
  14 
  inches 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  

   weight 
  is 
  under 
  a 
  pound, 
  although 
  a 
  maximum 
  weight 
  of 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  pounds 
  

   is 
  attained. 
  The 
  fish 
  is 
  generally 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  herring 
  " 
  but 
  has 
  numer- 
  

   ous 
  other 
  names, 
  among 
  which 
  are 
  cisco, 
  blueback 
  herring, 
  greenback 
  

   herring, 
  grayback 
  herring, 
  and 
  Michigan 
  herring. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  herring 
  begins 
  somewhat 
  later 
  and 
  

   terminates 
  sooner 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  whitefish. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  procured 
  

   and 
  hatched 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  are 
  those 
  of 
  C. 
  clupei/ormis, 
  and 
  

   require 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  for 
  incubation, 
  namely, 
  4 
  to 
  5 
  months, 
  

   depending 
  on 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  smaller 
  than 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  whitefish, 
  70,000 
  making 
  a 
  fluid 
  quart. 
  

  

  These 
  two 
  species 
  are 
  readily 
  hybridized 
  artificially. 
  The 
  milt 
  of 
  

   either 
  species 
  will 
  impregnate 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  as 
  effectively 
  as 
  if 
  

   there 
  were 
  no 
  cross 
  fertilization. 
  Large 
  specimens 
  of 
  apparently 
  hybrid 
  

   fish 
  of 
  this 
  character 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  in 
  Lake 
  Erie. 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  

   milt 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  herring 
  for 
  impregnating 
  whitefish 
  eggs 
  is 
  resorted 
  to 
  

   only 
  when 
  the 
  eggs 
  would 
  otherwise 
  be 
  lost. 
  

  

  The 
  round 
  whitefish 
  or 
  menominee 
  {Coregomis 
  quadrilateralis) 
  is 
  

   propagated 
  by 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Fish 
  Commission. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  widely 
  

   distributed, 
  ranging 
  from 
  New 
  Brunswick 
  to 
  Alaska, 
  and 
  is 
  abundant 
  

   in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  lakes, 
  where 
  its 
  eggs 
  are 
  taken 
  and 
  hatched 
  

   in 
  comparatively 
  large 
  numbers. 
  It 
  rarely 
  exceeds 
  a 
  pound 
  in 
  weight, 
  

   but 
  its 
  food 
  qualities 
  are 
  good, 
  and 
  it 
  i3 
  taken 
  for 
  market 
  in 
  considerable 
  

   quantities 
  in 
  lakes 
  Huron 
  and 
  Michigan. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  lakes, 
  where 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  frostfish, 
  the 
  

   spawning 
  season 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  November 
  to 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  

   January, 
  although 
  the 
  period 
  in 
  any 
  one 
  lake 
  is 
  less 
  {)rolonged. 
  The 
  

   eggs 
  are 
  heavy, 
  adhesive, 
  and 
  ^ 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter; 
  the 
  average 
  yield 
  per 
  

   fish 
  is 
  3,500, 
  but 
  12,000 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  from 
  a 
  If-pound 
  fish. 
  In 
  the 
  

   very 
  cold 
  water 
  of 
  these 
  lakes 
  the 
  incubation 
  is 
  protracted, 
  being 
  150 
  

   days 
  with 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  33° 
  F. 
  The 
  sac 
  is 
  absorbed 
  in 
  10 
  to 
  20 
  days. 
  

  

  THE 
  MUSKELLUNGE. 
  

  

  The 
  muskellunge 
  {Lucius 
  masquinongy) 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  rei)resentative 
  

   of 
  the 
  pike 
  family. 
  Its 
  maximum 
  weight 
  is 
  about 
  80 
  pounds 
  and 
  its 
  

   average 
  weight 
  25 
  or 
  30 
  pounds. 
  Its 
  range 
  includes 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  

   Upper 
  Mississippi 
  Valley, 
  Ohio 
  Valley, 
  and 
  lakes 
  in 
  Wisconsin, 
  Minne- 
  

   sota, 
  New 
  York, 
  Ontario, 
  and 
  elsewhere. 
  It 
  is 
  much 
  sought 
  by 
  anglers 
  

   and 
  is 
  of 
  some 
  value 
  as 
  a 
  food 
  fish. 
  Being 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  

   mouth, 
  armed 
  with 
  strong, 
  formidable 
  teeth, 
  its 
  food 
  consists 
  chiefly 
  of 
  

   living 
  fish, 
  which 
  it 
  captures 
  by 
  making 
  sudden 
  darts 
  from 
  its 
  place 
  of 
  

   concealment 
  among 
  the 
  water 
  plants 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  a 
  lake 
  or 
  stream. 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  is 
  artificially 
  propagated 
  by 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  

   at 
  Chautauqua 
  Lake. 
  Upward 
  of 
  3,000,000 
  fry 
  are 
  sometimes 
  hatched 
  

  

  