Land. — Black-spotted Mountain Trout 185 



good size on small fish and finer on the larger ones, there 

 being none on the belly. This species is the most widely 

 distributed of the trout." 



The State of Colorado has devoted a great deal of time 

 and money to the rearing of this species, as well as to 

 the introduction of the brook trout of the east, and the 

 California rainbow trout. 



In 1882 the brook trout were hatched and distributed 

 in a small way here ; and in 1886 the eggs of the McCloud 

 River rainbow trout were secured and hatched in what 

 is known as our Denver state hatchery. These fish were 

 introduced in the Platte and Gunnison rivers of the state. 

 A few years later the eggs of the Green-back or Arkansas 

 trout (Sahiio stomias) were first taken from fish found in 

 Twin Lakes near Leadville, of this state. Since that time, 

 the collection of eggs of the native trout by what is known 

 as "field work" has extended to most every part of the state, 

 taking in from eight to ten large lakes and reservoirs. With 

 the improved method of taking and handling spawn of the 

 native trout, we now collect from ten to fifteen million 

 eggs annually. 



This species should be handled with great care, to save 

 the fish from injury, as well as to prevent the loss of eggs. 

 According to the temperature of the water the milt 

 dies from three to five minutes after it is taken from the 

 fish. Fish eggs should not be taken in water in a pan 

 of expanded eggs covered with water, or in floating dead 

 milt. This is done by the novice too often ; by our method 

 of wholesale collection of eggs from wild fish. Nev- 

 ertheless, we pay for it dearly by having to pick out a 

 large percentage of these unfertilized eggs at the hatch- 

 eries. Another thing I would call attention to the fish 

 culturist is, that we find on examination of these trout 

 that you cannot take the last few eggs from them, as a 

 few eggs are in the same condition in them at the upper 

 end of the ovaries as all eggs are in the roe in an unripe 

 fish. That is, they are connected by little blood vessels, 



