72 FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 

The grayling resembles the brook trout in its feeding habits. Its food 
consists of insects and their larve. It spawns in April and yields be- 
tween three and four thousand eggs. According to Norris, the eggs are 
deposited in the main current of the rivers, and generally in the wider 
reaches, on loose, coarse, white sand or small pebbles. It prefers streams 
which have little variation in their volume of water and with equable 
temperature, never freezing in winter and not becoming warmer than fifty- 
fourdegreesinsummer. Seth Green obtained afew fertilized eggs from the 
Au Sable in 1874, and Mr. Mather from the same river the following year. 
Kor the experiment in Pennsylvania, streams flowing from large limestone 
springs, such as are found in the Cumberland Valley, were suggested by 
Mr. Norris. Mr. Green found that the grayling did not spawn for him 
in confinement, and the effort to introduce them into Pennsylvania and 
elsewhere has been unsuccessful. This is a beautiful fish, but opinions 
are divided as to its game qualities and its desirability for food. 
Famity SALMONIDAS (Satmon anv Trovr). 
Genus ONCORHYNCHUS Sucktey. 
89. Oncorhynchus chouicha Wa savs. 
The California Salmon. 
The California or quinnat salmon is stout bodied and comparatively short; its 
greatest depth is contained about three to three and two-thirds times in the length 
without the caudal. The caudal peduncle is rather slender, its depth less than one- 
third greatest depth of body. Before the spawning season the head is conical, its 
length about one-fourth of total to base of tail. The maxilla is more than one-half 
as long as the head and extends far beyond the eye. The eye is one-seventh as long 
as the head. All the fins except the caudal are short for so large aspecies. The 
dorsal begins midway between tip of snout and base of caudal ; its longest ray equals 
the length of dorsal base and nearly one-half length of head. The ventral begins 
under the posterior part of the dorsal ; its length one-half length of head. The anal 
base is as long as the postorbital part of head; its longest ray little more than two- 
thirds the length of the anal base. B. 17-19; D. 11; A. 16; gill rakers 23, of which 14 
are belowthe angle. he pyloric cxeca are very numerous (about150). Seales in lat- 
eral line 130 to 150. The upper parts are grayish, sometimes bluish ; the head darker 
and with few black spots; the sides and lower parts are silvery. Numerous small 
black spots on the back and the dorsal and caudal fins. Males in the breeding sea- 
son become very dark and dull in color, the sides blotched with reddish ; their jaws 
also are greatly lengthened and hooked and the teeth become canine-like. The dis- 
tortion is so great at this time that the mouth cannot be closed. 
Names —This widely known fish has received many names, among’ 
which are California salmon, quinnat salmon, king salmon, Columbia 
salmon, Chinnook salmon, Sacramento salmon, spring salmon, 'Takou 
salmon and chouicha, the last a Russian name. In the publications of the 
various fish commissions it usually appears as the California or quinnat 
salmon 
Distribution.—The quinnat salmon is found native in the North Pacific, 
ascending rivers from California to Alaska and Siberia. It is especially 
