THE WHITEFISHES OF NORTH AMERICA. 293 



Distribution. — The Rocky Mountain whitensh is of wide distribu- 

 tion. It is found throughout the Rocky Mountain region from central 

 Colorado and Utah northward through Wyoming, Idaho, western Mon- 

 tana, at least as far as the headwaters of the Columbia, and thence 

 westward throughout the Columbia Basin. The most eastern locality 

 from which it has been reported is Chief Mountain Lake, at the head of 

 the Saskatchewan River, on the northern boundary of Montana. It 

 was described from that lake in 1874 by Milner as Coregonus couesii. 

 It is found only in the clearer, colder streams and lakes. 



One of the authors of this paper has collected or observed this fish at 

 the following places: Provo River, Provo, Utah; Jordan River, near 

 Salt Lake City; Swan River, below Swan Lake, Montana; Jocko River, 

 Ravalli, Mont.; Big Blackfoot River, Bonner, Mont.; Little Blackfoot 

 River, Elliston, Mont.; Cottonwood Creek, Deer Lodge, Mont.; Snake 

 River, President's Camp, Wyoming; Little Spokane River at Dart's 

 Mill, Washington; Snake River at Upper Salmon Falls and Weiser, 

 Idaho; Little Weiser River in Indian Valley, Idaho; and in the upper 

 Salmon River Valley iu Idaho in Altnras, Petti t, and Redhsh lakes and 

 their outlets. We have also examined specimens collected in 1892 by 

 Messrs. A. J. Woolinan and B. A. Bean iu Flathead Lake, Montana; 

 Post Creek, St. Ignatius Mission, Montana; Clark Fork, Thompson 

 Falls, Montana, and Spokane and Little Spokane rivers, near Spokane, 

 Wash.; also specimens collected in 1893 by Doctors Gilbert and Jen- 

 kins in Payette River, Payette, Idaho; Clearwater River, Lewiston, 

 Idaho; Columbia River, Umatilla, Oreg.; batches River, North Yakima, 

 Wash., and Newaukum River, Chehalis, Wash.; also many specimens 

 collected by Mr. T. M. Williams at Payette Lake, Idaho. Besides 

 these we have examined specimens in the National Museum from 

 Washington (Major Bendire); Provo, Utah (Dr. Yarrow); Portland, 

 Oreg. (United States Fish Commission) ; Lake Tahoe (Dr. J. G. Cooper) ; 

 Mill Creek and Garrison Creek at Walla Walla (Major Bendire); Mon- 

 tana (W. C. Harris); Clark Fork (W. C. Harris); Lake Coeur dAlene 

 (Bendire); White River, Meeker, Colo. (Jas. L. Foley); Utah Lake 

 (Jordan), and Lake Tahoe (H. W. Henshaw). 



This fish attains a length of a foot or more and a weight of 4 pounds, 

 the average weight of adults being about 1 pound. Though not of much 

 commercial importance as yet, it is eagerly sought after by the inhabi- 

 tants of the region in which it is found and is held in high esteem as a 

 pan-fish. At some seasons it readily takes the hook, especially when 

 baited with salmon or trout spawn. 



This whitefish spawns in late fall or early winter, at which time it 

 runs up into the smaller streams. At the mountain lakes in Idaho, 

 where it is an abundant fish, the spawning time appears to be in 

 October or November. Then they ascend the inlets of the lakes in 

 great numbers and spawn upon the same beds which are used by the 

 redflsh in August and September. During the summer the young are 

 found in abundance iu the lakes. 



