FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES. 17 
cultural distribution of fishes in New Hampshire. It is found that 
the following species have been planted in the Connecticut Lakes: 
Whitefish (Coregonus clupeiformis). 
Quinnat, or chinook, salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha). 
Landlocked salmon (Salmo sebago). 
Rainbow trout (Salmo irideus). 
“German brown trout” (Salmo fario). 
“Mackinaw,” or “ Lake,” trout (Cristivomer namaycush). 
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis.) 
Smelt (Osmerus mordazr). 
Of these the brook trout and the lake trout are native, as of course 
is known. The dates of introduction of the other species and number 
planted will be found under the respective species in the list. 
New Hampshire was the first of the states to undertake fish propa- 
gation and distribution. The enterprise was taken up with great 
enthusiasm, and notwithstanding the fact that the state fish commis- 
sion has been more or less hampered by lack of funds, a vast quantity 
of young fish have been propagated and introduced into New 
Hampshire waters. In the early enthusiastic distribution of fish, 
however, which was somewhat indiscriminate, species were intro- 
duced where they should not have been, with occasional disastrous 
results, the cause of which was not always apparent. Such results 
may be of at least two kinds: First, to the introduced fry themselves, 
and, second, to the native fish. Fish introduced into unsuitable 
waters will, of course, not long survive, and to plant pike, pike perch, 
or black bass in trout ponds is hazardous. It may be added, too, that 
caution should be used in planting salmon and lake trout unless they 
are preferred to other trout already in the waters. 
It is a prevalent opinion that since smelts survive, thrive, and in- 
crease so prolifically in almost every body of water into which they 
are introduced, angling is detrimentally affected thereby, for the smelts 
afford the game fish so much food that the latter do not get hungry 
enough to take a hook. This is disputed by others, however, who 
claim that game fishes when feeding will take the hook readily no 
matter how abundant the food is. In our experience the latter seems 
to be the case, provided the right kind of lure is used and the fish are 
there. This suggests the question often asked, “ What has become of 
all the fish planted?” and of the native fish, too, for that matter. 
It must be recognized that there are many ways by which lakes 
and streams become depleted. Logging operations are destructive to 
fish life in several ways, such as shutting the fish from spawning 
grounds, destroying young fish by log driving, and by winter fishing 
to supply the camps with food; and there are but few waters that have 
not felt the effects of excessive fishing before protective laws were 
enacted, and from poaching afterwards. Nets, spears, and giant 
