210 Thirlij-Si'c(jii(J Anni/dl Mrctiug 



seasons for Suporintondeiit Hiil)l)ar(l of t\\v United States Fish 

 Commission. 



Speakin*i' briefly, and with special reference to the Sunapeo 

 fish: They inlial)it tlie dejjtlis of the lake (hirino' the entire year, 

 where they are out of sight and beyond the rang-e of our observa- 

 tion, with two brief exceptions. These exceptional occasions are 

 the result of food, and spawning instincts. In the spring they 

 follow the spawning smelt into the shallow shore waters. They 

 reappear again the last of October, on the reefs surrounding the 

 lighthouse, where they de])osit their own spawn, occupying only 

 a week or ten days in so doing. During this period their color 

 is most gorgeous, all below the lateral line being a flaming gol- 

 den orange, fully warranting their popular name, "Golden 

 Trout." This season of high color is almost as brief as the 

 spawning j^eriod, the l)rilliant hues dissolving quickly into the 

 usual silver coat. So changed is its appearance thereby that 

 they were then called the "White Trout," and by many were 

 formerly supposed to be an entirely different variety. 



Probably no other trout has so short a spawning season. This 

 fact renders the usual difficulties and uncertainties of netting 

 fish in such exposed localities especially exasperating. A single 

 storm at the critical period causing a great falling of? in the egg 

 harvest, and possibly even a complete failure of the season's 

 work. The l)eds are inade on the small stones, in comparatively 

 shallow water, say under five feet. But little preliminary notice 

 is given of their coming. Xo van-guard of stragglers heralds 

 their a])]n'()acli. Tliey a]i])ear in a body and l)egin tlie spawning 

 operations at once. The lieight of the season extends from the 

 second to the fiftli (hiy. The females vary greatly as to size. 

 IJanging upwai'ds fi-oni tlie six and eiglit-incli fisli, witb tlie l:)ar^ 

 still sliow'ng. and weighing only a W'w ounces, to the matured 

 specimen of three and four pounds, their average being probably 

 in the vicinity of one and one-half pounds. Fully eiglity per 

 cent ai'e ripe when taken from the nets. The number of males 

 on the beds is much greater, probably in the proportion of three 

 to one. Tliey are considerably larger in size, few immature s]iec- 

 iniens l)eing seen. 



Tlie saibling is a sinewy and powerful fish, is a hard and per- 

 sistent fighter, during the entire spawning operation, ceasing it's 



