A Sportsman 459 



secured his deadly hold in the salmon's throat, from 

 which I had a good deal of difficulty in parting it. I 

 was told by one of the cattle herders that he had seen 

 other instances, and in his opinion the salmon fed upon 

 the water devils and the latter in the lake had much 

 diminished since the salmon had been put in. The 

 odor of the water devils when cut up is very disagree- 

 able, and it may be that this accounts for the inferior 

 flavor, of the fish. 



While trout are fonder of insectivorous food in pref- 

 erence to any other, and it is a well-known fact that 

 while growing will gain doubly in weight on this food 

 over a fish diet, it is observable that a deterioration 

 in flavor occurs from this exclusive food. I have taken 

 trout in ponds at high altitudes in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, above timber growth, where such waters were 

 hardly free from ice in July, where the trout food was 

 exclusively insectivorous, and they were decidedly 

 lacking in flavor. 



This landlocked salmon is very gamy in action when 

 struck, more so than the trout, and good eating in 

 the Rangeleys, though in this respect not equal to 

 the trout. The latter in my opinion are superior for 

 eating over any from localities I know of, for trout vary 

 much in this respect. 



THE forests about the lakes are naturally adapted for 

 deer (Cervus Virginianus) , which have always been 

 comparatively plentiful, despite the inclement winters 

 and deep snows, and undoubtedly, owing to the 

 rigid Maine laws, are increasing about the lakes, for 

 the practically enforced regulations against shining 

 and crusting give an opportunity to increase, and they 



