GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE OUANANICHE 117 



into the St. Lawrence, but my guide informed me that 

 the salmon occurred at the head of that stream and of 

 Natashquan River. 



" I do not know what the theories are regarding the 

 occurrence of these fish in inland waters, but of one 

 thing I am certain, and that is, they have never as- 

 cended from the sea to their present haunts since the 

 close of the glacial period, and I hardly think the 

 conditions were favorable then. My idea is that the 

 salmon was originally a fresh- water fish, and acquired 

 the sea-going habit. 



" I have never heard of ouananiche in the waters of 

 the western slope of Labrador that is, in the rivers 

 flowing into Hudson Bay. 



" It may interest you in this connection to learn 

 that the ' pickerel ' is not found in the rivers of the 

 northern and eastern watersheds, although common in 

 the western rivers. In the Hamilton River, above the 

 Grand Falls, there is the finest trout-fishing in Canada 

 all large fish, none under three pounds, and from that 

 to seven pounds, and plenty of them in all the rapids. 

 Below the Grand Falls the fish are plentiful but small. 



" Last summer, on several occasions, I took white- 

 fish on a fly May fly, with rubber gauze wings. 



" I think this is about all I can give you of interest 

 in a short way, unless it be that the weight of the oua- 

 naniche taken varied from one to three and a half 

 pounds. The guide said that they sometimes were 

 caught up to seven or eight pounds." 



The specific character of the above notes, and the 

 reliable nature of the source whence they have been 



