222 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



shells and crustaceans. The species frequents deep waters, 

 where it falls an easy prey to the voracious lake trout. 



The roundfish is excellent for the table. Its capture with 

 hook and line is difficult because of its very small mouth and its 

 habit of retiring into deep water. In the Great lakes it does 

 not constitute an important element of the fishery, but in 

 northern regions it is one of the most useful and highly prized 

 of the food fishes. 



This small whitefish is one of the characteristic species of the 

 Adirondack lakes. James Annin jr sent specimens for identifi- 

 cation from Hoel pond and Big Clear lake, in Franklin county, 

 N. Y., and from the third lake of the Fulton Chain. He states 

 that the fish spawns in the little inlets or on the sand beaches. 

 It never appears till about the time the water begins to chill and 

 freeze about the edges. On the Fulton Chain of lakes the 

 spawning season of 1895 was practically closed about Novem- 

 ber 20. 



The f rostfish, according to Mr Annin, is " a delicious morsel.'* 



The following notes were made on fresh examples received 

 from the third lake of the Fulton Chain Nov. 26, 1895. 



A male 11J inches long to end of caudal fin had the middle 

 caudal rays, from end of scales, f inches long; upper caudal lobe, 

 measured horizontally, If inches; head, 1-J-f inches; maxilla, 

 f inch; eye, f inch; gill rakers, 5 + 10; the longest ^ as long as 

 the eye; scales, 8-84-8. A female llf inches to tip of caudal 

 has upper caudal lobe 2 inches, measured horizontally; middle 

 caudal rays from end of scales,-^- inch; depth of body, 2J inches; 

 head, If inches; maxilla and eye, each f inch; gill rakers, 5 + 10, 

 the longest J as long as the eye; scales, 8-79-8. 



Three males received Dec. 11, 1895, showed the following 

 colors. 



In the male, 13f inches long, from Hoel pond, the back and 

 ides were dark steel gray; the belly white; pectoral, ventral 

 and anal orange; dorsal and caudal chiefly yellow. A male 12 

 inches long, from Big Clear lake, had the back and sides silvery 

 .gray, darker between the lines of scales; the lower fins orange; 

 the dorsal and caudal with traces of yellow. A male 11J inches 



