284 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



During 1893 and 1894 Mr. Richard Rathbun, of the United States 

 Fish Commission, as the representative of the United States Govern- 

 ment upon the International Fisheries Commission, conducted extensive 

 inquiries and made large collections of the fishes found in the Great 

 Lakes region of the United States. Among these collections were large 

 series of the various species of whiteflshes which constitute the prin- 

 cipal material upon which this paper is based. 



In order to determine the geographical distribution of each species 

 of whitefish in the Great Lakes basin, we have studied not only these 

 collections, but also those contained in the National Museum, and have 

 examined and made notes upon multitudes of specimens in the field 

 and at the various fish markets and fish companies' houses. In this 

 paper are presented the results of these studies and the conclusions 

 reached. 



The following persons connected with the Fish Commission collected 

 specimens of whitefishes from the localities named : Mr. Richard Rath- 

 bun, Lake of the Woods, Lake Superior, and Lake Huron; Mr. A. J. 

 Woolman and Mr. U. O. Cox, Lake of the Woods and Lake Superior; 

 Dr. J. T. Scovell and Mr. D. C. Ridgley, Lake Huron; Mr. Cloudsley 

 Rutter, Lake Erie; Dr. R. R. Gurley, Lake Ontario; Prof. Barton W. 

 Evermann and Mr. Barton A. Bean, Lakes Ontario, Champlain, and 

 Memphremagog; Mr. Charles H.Stevenson and Mr. Ansley Hall, Lake 

 Michigan ; Mr. W. A. Wilcox, Lake Huron. 



For other valuable specimens of whitefishes the Commission is 

 indebted to Mr. Charles H. Strowger, of Nine Mile Point, N. Y., who 

 forwarded us many specimens from Lake Ontario. Mr. Strowger has 

 devoted many years to the study of the fishes of Lake Ontario, and has 

 furnished us with a large amount of interesting information regarding 

 the habits and abundance of the species found near Nine Mile Point. 

 Hon. L. D. Miles, of Newport, Vt., has kindly sent us specimens from 

 Lake Memphremagog. Mr. Woolman also forwarded market specimens 

 of whitefishes from Lake Winnipeg and from small lakes in northern 

 Minnesota. 



The descriptions given in this paper of Alaskan species are based 

 partly on the hitherto published descriptions and partly upon a re- 

 examination of the specimens now in the National Museum. All the 

 other descriptions have been drawn up from fresh specimens, in most 

 cases numerous individuals of each species having been examined, 

 including large series from the Great Lakes and considerable material 

 from Lakes Champlain and Memphremagog and Lake of the Woods. 

 We have also had a number of fresh specimens of the sisco of Lake 

 Tippecanoe (for which we are indebted to Prof. P. H. Kirsch), and of 

 Williamson's and Coulter's whitefishes. 



Desiring to make this paper as useful as possible to the fishermen 

 and others who make no claim to technical knowledge, we have avoided 

 the use of uncommon technical terms whenever it seemed expedient and 



