{17] PROPAGATION OF WHITEFISH AT NORTHVILLE, MICH. 569 
The eggs of the whitefish at this point, as also the fish themselves, 
present a decided contrast when compared with those from Lake Erie. 
Eggs from the former place are a bright orange color when first taken; 
from the latter a pale straw color. 
The Alpena fish average larger in size than those from Lake Erie, 
while their difference in appearance is so marked that New York and 
Philadelphia dealers detect their source at sight, and make, as I am 
credibly informed, a difference of a cent a pound in favor of the latter. 
Just why this commercial discrimination is made against the Alpena 
fish is not easily understood, unless we charge it to the distinction in 
their external characteristics being taken advantage of for speculative 
purposes, for surely the Lake Erie whitefish in no wise excel their 
brethren from the deep waters of Lake Huron in firmness, flakiness, or 
delicacy of flavor; in fact, if any difference in their table qualities 
exists, the epicure must decided in favor of the latter. 
‘The Huron whitefish have dark fins, very dark backs, almost black 
down the spinal column, shading to a dark green at the sides, the 
color line extending farther down than on the Lake Erie fish, while the 
latter are not so highly colored in any part of the body. 
Many millions of eggs can be obtained at Alpena, but the railway 
facilities now wanting must be supplied before there can be any cer- 
tainty of delivering them’ to hatcheries located elsewhere, and for the 
reason that navigation is liable to close early and abruptly, even before 
gill-netters are obliged to suspend operations, as witnessed the past 
season, thus cutting off all communication, so far as the transportation 
of whitefish eggs with safety and economy is concerned, the nearest 
railroad point being 48 hours distant by stage. But when the much- 
needed railroad facilities are secured, as they undoubtedly soon will be, 
Alpena will present inducements for spawn-gathering hardly equaled 
by any other point on the lakes. 
The islands of Lake Erie also furnish whitefish spawn in large num- 
bers,*but must always be subject to the same restrictions in regard to 
boat communication, though in a much less degree, as they are but 
twenty five miles from Sandusky and sixty from Detroit; consequently, 
trips to these points, although often irregular or delayed at this season 
of the year, are seldom discontinued for any length of time. 
The season now under consideration was a very disastrous one to 
shipping as well as fishing interests. Ordinarily the same number of 
men employed in collecting spawn would have secured double the num- 
ber of eggs; but bad weather compelled many idle days and necessi- 
tated an early suspension of operations by the fisherman, thus forcing 
the spawn-gatherer to discontinue operations when the meridian line of 
the spawning season had barely been passed. The result of their efforts, 
then, should not be the standard by which ealculations for future work 
should be made. It must not be inferred, though, that the severity of 
the weather was so much responsible for the deficit in the number of 
