Oquassa Trout; Blueback Trout 



The young are persistent hiders; any crevice in the bank or 

 lump of clay affords a hiding place. When fed, they will emerge 

 and rise for their food, but will immediately hide again. In 

 feeding, they remain near the bottom, darting up after their 

 food and going back quickly. They are much cleaner feeders than 

 either trout or salmon, picking up all the food that sinks, allowing 

 none to waste. 



Dr. Quackenbos recommends it in^ the highest terms to fish 

 culturists and regards it as "facile princeps, from its rush at 

 the cast smelt to the finish at the breakfast table." 



Oquassa Trout ; Blueback Trout 



Salvelinus oquassa (Girard) 



The blueback trout is the smallest and one of the most 

 handsome of the charrs. It rarely excee4s a foot in length and 

 a few ounces in weight, and is known only from the Rangely 

 Lakes in western Maine. Although quite different in appearance, 

 it shows no important structural differences separating it from the 

 European saibling. 



Formerly this fish was very abundant, running up the streams 

 in October in immense numbers running up at night and drop- 

 ping back before morning, so that none was to be seen in the 

 day time. Then the fish were small, only 6 to 10 inches in 

 length, and 4 to 6 to the pound. Now they are very scarce, and 

 the few that are caught are much larger, sometimes weighing as 

 much as 2\ pounds. 



Head 5; depth 5; eye 3^; D. 10; A. 9; scales about 230; gill- 

 rakers about 6+ n . Body elongate, considerably compressed, less 



217 



