REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CXIII 



After describing the creeks and the character of their connections in 

 detail, he adds: 



Pacific Creek is a stronc: stream long before reaching tlie pass, and its course 

 through the meadow is well fixed, but not so with Atlantic Creek. The west 

 bank of each fork [of Atlantic Creek] is liable to break through almost^anj^where, 

 and thus send a part of its water across to Pacific Creek. It is jirobably true that 

 one or more branches connect the two creeks under ordinary conditions, and that in 

 timesof high water a very much greater portion of Atlantic Creek Hows across to the 

 other. At any rate, it is certain that there has been, and usually is, a free water- 

 way through Two-Ocean Pass of such a character as to permit fishes to pass easily 

 and readily from the "Snake River over to the Yellowstone — or in the opposite direc- 

 tion. Indeed, it is possible, barring certain falls, for a fish so inclined to start at 

 the mouth of the Columbia, travel up that great river to its principal tributary, the 

 Snake, continue on up the long, tortuous course of that stream, and, under the shad- 

 ows of the Grand Tetons, enter the cold waters of Pacific Creek, by which it could 

 journey on up to the very crest of the Great Continental Divide, to Two-Ocean Pass. 

 Through this pass it may have a choice of two routes to Atlantic Creek, where it 

 begins the journey down stream. Soon it reaches the Yellowstone River, down 

 which it continues through Yellowstone Lake, then through the Lower Yellowstone 

 out into the turbid waters of the Missouri. 



Small trout of the species belonging on the -western slope [Salmo 

 myMss) were abundant in both Pacific and Atlantic creeks, but the 

 blob, or miller's thumb, which occurs in the former, was not observed 

 in the latter, nor in the waters into which it flows lower down. The 

 high falls in the Lower Yellowstone River, however, preclude the ascent 

 of fishes from the Missouri Eiver basin, and the Upper Yellowstone 

 River, together with the lake of the same name, was evidently stocked 

 from the west, and almost certainly by way of Two-Ocean Pass. 



By diligent collecting at the various places visited by the party a 

 fair representation of the fish fauna was undoubtedly obtained, but 

 owing to the mountainous character of the region and the clear, cold 

 waters and rapid currents of most of the streams it was not to be 

 expected that a great variety of forms would be found. Only sixteen 

 indigenous species were secured, besides four species which had been 

 introduced by the Fish Commission. The former comprised four si)ecies 

 of the genus Gatostonms, or suckers, six of Gyprinidce, or chubs and 

 dace, four of Salmonidcc, the Lota maculosa, or ling, and the blob. The 

 Salmonidoi were as follows: Coregonus ivilliamsoni, or whitefish, taken 

 in both the Columbia and Missouri River basin 5 Thymallus signifer, or 

 grayling, in the Missouri basin; Salmo mykiss, or Rocky Mountain 

 trout, very abundanton both sides of the Divide; and Salvelmus mahna, 

 or Dolly Varden trout, in the upper waters of the Columbia River, in 

 Montana. Specimens of the last-mentioned species have been said to 

 attain a weight of 12 to 14 pounds. 



During the years 1889 and 1890 seven species of Salmonidw were 

 planted by the Fish Commission in eight different rivers and lakes of 

 the Yellowstone National Park, each of which constituted a more or 

 less isolated minor basin, as described in previous reports. Only two 

 or possibly three of these basins had previously contained fish of any 

 kind, and the new-comers were so distributed that only one or two 

 F C 92 VIII 



