XXXVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Mr. E. H. Ashcroft, of Coudersport, Pa., reports the capture of a 

 raiubow trout, measuring 17 inches and weighing 33 ounces, from the 

 headwaters of the Allegheny, which is supposed to have resulted from 

 a plant made in that stream six years ago. He states that a few have 

 been caught each year, both large and small, showing that the fish are 

 reproducing. 



On November 6 Mr. Hiram Cady delivered to the superintendent of 

 the Michigan stations, Mr. Frank N. Clark, a lake trout said to have 

 been caught in Walnut Lake, Oakland County, Mich. As this is a 

 small inland lake, and as it was not known to contain lake trout, a net 

 was set on the 17th of November and 5 large male and female trout, 

 4 white-fish varying from 2 to 4 j)ounds, 1 pike perch, and a number of 

 unimportant si)ecies were cai)tured. On November 18 12 white-fish 

 were taken, 8 of them within a space of 6 feet, showing not only that 

 the fish travel in schools, but that they are abundant in the lake. The 

 trout are supposed to be the result of a plant of 20,000 fingerlings in 

 Walnut Lake from Northville, in 1890. 



Dr. James A. Henshall, superintendent of Bozeman station, Montana, 

 reports that during the past year a number of steelhead and eastern 

 brook trout have been taken in Bridger Creek, which runs through the 

 Bozeman station grounds, and which is a natural troirt stream about 

 20 miles long, with an average width of 30 feet. The only fishes native 

 to its waters are the black-spotted trout and Rocky Mountain white- 

 fish. Steelheads have also been captured with the fly in Bozeman 

 Creek, which was accidentally stocked in the fall of 1897 by a can of 

 fry jolting from the wagon into the stream from a load of fish intended 

 for Mystic Lake. 



From various corresj)ondents it would appear that the efforts to stock 

 the waters of Vermont with landlocked salmon are producing good 

 results. Mr. F. A. Woodbridge, of Newport, Vt., reported the capture 

 of 10 landlocked salmon in the Clyde River, at Derby, of about 7 inches 

 in length. Mr. E. S. Whitcomb, of Underhill, Vt., also reports the capture 

 of a steelhead trout in Browns River, Essex, weighing 2.J pounds and 

 19 inches long, and of another weighing 3| i^ounds; also a number of 

 smaller ones. They have been frequently reported from Lake Champlain 

 and its tributaries. 



SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS AND INSPECTION. 



During July, acting under the direction of the Commissioner, Mr. 

 Ravenel visited the Pacific coast to arrange for the transfer of Battle 

 Creek station from the California Fish Commission and the purchase 

 of the necessary land from Mr. F. R. Love, who owned the site on which 

 the California station was located. The transfer of the State property 

 in Battle Creek was satisfactorily arranged in San Francisco with the 

 State commissioners, but after a careful examination, with Mr. John P. 

 Babcock, of the California Commission, and Mr. G. H. Lambson, super- 

 intendent of Baird station, it was decided that to insure the operation 

 of the station to its full capacity it would be necessary not only to 



