THE WHITEFISIIES OF NORTH AMERICA. 321 



Table of comparative measurements of specimens of tullibee (Argyrosomua lullibee). 



115 

 llii 

 117 

 118 

 119 

 64 

 60 



Where taken. 



Lake <>r Hie Woods. 



....do 



....do 



do 



.do. 

 .do. 



.do. 



Gillrakers. 



Number. 



9-71-8 

 9-70-8 

 9-71-8 

 9-70-8 

 9-68-8 

 9-08-8 



18+33; 18 + 34 

 16f34j 18+33 

 17 + 30; 17+31 

 16+33; 16 + 32 

 17+32; 17 + 31 



10+31; 16+32 



In 

 eye. 



This species was originally described in 1830 by Richardson, from 

 Pine Island Lake, at Cumberland House, British America. Since then 

 it has been recorded from the following places: Albany River district, 

 Hudson Bay (Richardson, 1836) ; Lake Superior (Agassiz, 1850) ; Albany 

 River, Giinther, 1800; Lake Superior (Jordan, 1878) ; Lake Erie (Jordan, 

 1878 and 1882); Lake Michigan (Jordan & Evermann, 1880); lower end 

 of Lake Erie (Forest and Stream, 1890); Qu'Appelle River (Forest and 

 Stream, 1892) 5 and North Minnesota (Blackford, IT. S. N. M.). It is also 

 known from Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnipeg, and Manitoba. 



The tullibee attains a length of 18 to 20 inches and a weight of 3£ 

 pounds. Its food value is high, but its commercial importance is as 

 yet A r ery limited. In none of the Great Lakes is the fish at all common, 

 but in the Lake of the Woods it is quite abundant and considerable 

 quantities are taken and shipped to Sandusky. In the provinces of 

 Assiniboia and Manitoba the fish is taken in large numbers for local 

 consumption, with gill nets and in traps made of brush and stones. 



But little is definitely known of the spawning habits of the tullibee. 

 Mr. F. 0. Gilchrist, of Fort Qu'Appelle, writing in Forest and Stream 

 concerning this fish, as observed by him in the lakes of the Western 

 Territories of Canada, says: 



In September they will again be found gradually nearing tlio shoal water, feeding 

 heavily, and plump with fat and the, now swelling ovaries. Later on they appear to 

 eat little or nothing and devote all their time to playing until about the 25th of 

 October, when they have settled down to the business of propagation, which (hey 

 have finished by November 10. They prefer shallow water close to shore with clean 

 sand to spawn on, and during the day they may bo seen in pairs and small schools, 

 poking along the shores, but at night they come in thousands and keep up a constant 

 loud splashing and fluttering, very strange and weird on a calm night. Two years ago 

 1 carefully counted the ova from a ripe fish 2.1 pounds in weight, and found there 

 were 23,700, closely resembling whitefish eggs in appearance, but somewhat smaller. 

 After spawning the fish are very thin, lank, dull in color, and quite unfit for human 

 food. 



In a recent article entitled "Whitefish culture in New York," pub- 

 lished in the New York Fishing Gazette, Dr. Bean records the taking 

 of a specimen of tullibee in Lake Onondaga, New York, where the 

 species is abundant but has apparently not been previously recognized. 

 The fish was a male, IS J, inches long, and was obtained in November by 

 F . h. 91 21 



