Fish Culturists' Association. 13 



as far as ma}' hereafter seem desirable. So not only is it settled that 

 grayling exist in the waters of the United States, but that they may be 

 cultivated in the same way as trout, and introduced into most, if not all, 

 of our ordinary trout streams. 



Another rare fish which is this 3'ear being hatched artificially for the 

 first time, is the blue-backed trout of the Rangeley lake of Maine, the 

 salmo Oquossa of naturalists. This variety is supposed to have but a 

 limited range of habitat, although it may yet be more generally found in 

 the remote lakes of Canada. Little, however, is known about it or its 

 habits, except that it spawns in October, appearing in the shallower 

 water for that purpose in vast numbers, and that it passes most of its 

 time in the deepest parts of the lake, spending the warm weather there, 

 and returning thither as soon as the eggs have been deposited at the 

 spawning season. 



Learning that the Commissioners of Maine had obtained some of the 

 eggs of the salmo Oquossa, and were willing to dispose of a portion, the 

 New York Commissioners purchased five thousand, and are now engaged 

 hatching them. Unfortunately, the ova did not reach the hatching house 

 in ver}' good order, nearl}' half of them being found to be worthless ; but 

 there are enough left for a beginning, and this fish may soon to be added 

 to our list of home production, if it shall be found on trial to be of suf- 

 ficient value to warrant its general introduction. In two aspects it may 

 prove of importance : firstl}', for its direct value in the market, and 

 secondly, as food for other fish, it being supposed that the great size of 

 the Rangeley trout is due to their feeding on the blue-backs. 



The New York Commission made a further but unsuccessful attempt to 

 hatch sturgeon. These fish once abounded in the Hudson River, and 

 were an acceptable and important, although inexpensive, object of food. 

 Their flesh is rich and oleaginous, of a deep yellow color, and somewhat 

 resembling meat in taste. Of late years their number has been steadily 

 decreasing ; their eggs are sought after, and converted into caviare. But 

 to be used in this wa}' they must be immature, as when they are thor- 

 oughl}' ripe they are separate, and cannot be preserved. For fish-cultu- 

 ral purposes, however, the}' are needed in their ripe condition ; and as 

 each spawner contains a vast number, a million or move, of eggs, a few 

 parents onl}' would be needed. Unfortunately, no mature fish were 

 obtained, although the fishing stations were watched assiduousl}' — quite 

 an unusual occurrence, as we were assured by the fishermen. Next 3'ear, 

 however, a different result ma}' be expected, and the propagation of 

 sturgeon may be commenced. 



These were all more or less experiments, ottering problematic advan- 

 tages ; but the regular operations of the Commission were pressed as 



