CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 109 



species was derived is in an immediately adjacent region. ]\Ioreover, 

 the principal distinguishing character, color, is evident at a glance. 

 Furthermore and of particular interest is the fact that the differentia- 

 tion of this trout from its parent form is parallel in some respects 

 with that of the golden trouts west of the Sierra divide. The outstand- 

 ing characteristics of these trouts, ^S'. roosevelti, S. whitei and *S^. agiia- 

 honita are brilliant color with much yellow, a reduction in the number 

 of spots, notably in 8. whitei, and a very definite increase in the number 

 of scales on the body. These trouts are presumably isolated variants 

 of the coast rainbow, *S^. irideus. The scales of the latter number 120 to 

 150 or so in the lateral series, while those of the golden trouts are as 

 high as 200. 



Thomas R. Hanna first called my attention to the peculiar trout 

 inhabiting Fish Valley in a letter which runs thus: "Fish Valley is 

 the most southerly meadow on Silver King Creek, the most easterly 

 tributary of Carson River. Silver King Creek is a small stream that 

 may be crossed dry shod most times of the year. It has its source 

 above Fish Valley from the deep snow banks that collect during the 

 long alpine winters in the deep glacial cirques of the high Sierra sum- 

 mits. Small streams from these snow banks unite and flow down a 

 steep and shaded glacial gorge for several miles before they emerge 

 into the smooth, green and treeless meadow of the Valley. Fish Valley 

 is about two and one-half miles long. The stream flows between over- 

 hanging sedgy banks over a granite gravel bottom for twice as far in 

 its meanderings down the Valley. 



"The Valley stream has a multitude of medium size trout that 

 are native to the stream and differ from any that I have ever seen. 

 They rise readily to any kind of fly, irrespective of the season or the 

 amount of native food that may be available. Their basic color is 

 lemon yellow with brown heads, tails and dorsal fins. They lack 

 the characteristic spots that are on all trout, and instead they have 

 a series of soft light brown vertical bars on their sides. Their bellies 

 are ivory white with a brilliant patch of scarlet under their throat and 

 gills. On each side a thread-like scarlet line -runs from their gills to 

 their tail. In their native water, they appear quite transparent and 

 are difficult to see. When first caught, they are a rich bronze color 

 with an iridescent sheen, reflecting their yellow, red and brown tones 

 like the play of colors in a Mexican fire opal. They lose this beauty 

 and tend to darken after they have been out of water. Their moat is 

 white, of fine texture and very delicate. I believe they spawn in the 

 fall of the year. 



' ' That these fish live in such a small stream together with the fact 

 that they are so easily caught dooms them all to an early extinction 

 unless they are adequately protected. To protect them, I believe that 

 all of Silver King Creek and tributaries above its junction with East 

 Carson River in Silver King Valley should be closed at once." 



Because of the inaccessibility of Fish Valley, it was found neces- 

 sary to catch and transport living fish to some place where the artist 

 might make a satisfactory study of them. In cooperation with the 

 officials of Steinhart Aquarium, this was accomplished. As a pre- 

 liminary, Roland Dobler and Walter Thornburg of the State Division 



