332 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The Missouri Eiver itself was examined at Chamberlain, S. Dak., 

 where the stream is divided into two channels by an island, the west 

 channel being 1,200 feet wide and the east 1,430 feet. At the time of 

 the visit the water was higher than usual, "the June rise," as the people 

 call it, and the current was swift, in some places averaging 3 feet per 

 second. Owing to the high water it was impossible to do successful 

 seining, although we attempted it at the north end of the island. As 

 is usually the case with this river, the water was exceedingly muddy. 

 At places the recently deposited silt was so deep that it was dangerous 

 to attempt to wade in the water over it. Where the water had receded 

 enough to allow a light crust to form on top of the mud it was possible 

 to stand and shake the whole mass for a distance of 10 feet or more in 

 all directions. The Missouri was also examined at Running Water, 

 opposite Niobrara, but no specimens were obtained. 



The larger and more important river fishes, such as sturgeon, cat, 

 and buffalo are said to be abundant in this portion of the river and to 

 furnish a considerable food supply. 



Tongue Hirer rises in the Dig Horn Mountains west of Sheridan, 

 Wyo., Hows northeast, and empties into the Yellowstone Eiver in 

 southeastern Montana. We examined the Tongue Eiver at the mouth 

 of the canyon where it leaves the mountains. At this place it is a very 

 swiftly flowing stream, current 3£ feet per second, discharging about 

 127,200 gallons of water a minute. The bed of the stream is everywhere- 

 strewn with bowlders, which made it next to impossible to seine in it. 

 Considerable pine timber is found along the banks, winch are composed 

 in most part of granite, enough having been disintegrated and collected 

 in places to allow the growth of a scanty vegetation. The source of 

 the water supply is the melting snow on the mountains, and since there 

 is barely any limestone with which it can come in contact the water is 

 very pure and soft. The temperature of the water in the canyon was 

 51°, air 00°. While our fishing was done under many unfavorable 

 circumstances, we secured one hue specimen of mountain trout (Salmo 

 mylciss lewisii) 20 inches long, a black-nosed dace (Bhinichthys cataractce 

 dnlcis), and from a fisherman a specimen of whitefish (Coregonus icil- 

 Hamsoni cismontanus). The whitefish is said to be quite common there. 

 Many persons were seen along the river fishing for trout. Taking 

 everything into consideration, it would certainly be hard to find a more 

 ideal trout stream. Small parties have reported as many as 800 fish 

 taken with hook and line in a few days. There is so much fishing done 

 now in that region that most residents are of the opinion that if some- 

 thing is not done to stock the stream its fame as a fishing resort will 

 soon be lost. 



South Fork of Tongue River. — Not far from where the Tongue River 

 leaves the canyon it is joined by a small stream from the south called 

 the south fork of Tongue Eiver. We fished it a few miles from its 

 mouth on Mr. Dinwiddie's ranch. At this place it averaged 8 inches 

 deep and 5 to 20 feet wide, with a current of 2 feet per second. The 



