Aincrican Fisheries Soeiety 133 



game fish Ijiit l^ecaiise it is considered inferior to brook tront 

 and is driving the latter out. A careful investigation of the 

 situation, however, will, I believe, show to a very great extent 

 that this claim has little or no foundation in fact. It is true 

 that a number of our larger streams, once suitable for brook 

 trout from sources to mouth, are now occupied by rainbow 

 trout in the middle and lower waters, almost to the exclusion 

 of brook trout. 1die natural supposition is that the latter 

 have been driven out, when as a matter of fact such waters 

 would now be deserted by the brook trout if the rainbows 

 had never been introduced. The clearing up of heavily tim- 

 bered areas or sections has so changed the character and tem- 

 perature of many streams that the brook trout have retreated 

 nearer and nearer the headwaters. I d(^ not for one moment 

 favor the planting of rainbow trout into any stream or stream 

 system that is suitable for l)ro(»k tnmt from sources to 

 mouth, though the introduction of rainbows into such waters 

 will not displace the brook trout to anything like the extent 

 that is generally supposed. The truth is that while the voung 

 rainbows may mingle with the brook trout until they are one 

 or two years old, they are certain sooner or later to drop down 

 stream, seeking warmer and more congenial waters. Another 

 good reason why rainbow fry should not be planted in cold 

 brook trout waters is that they are to a great extent preyed 

 ui)on and destroyed by the brook trout. The hatching season 

 of the rainbow occurs in May and June, and if the young fish 

 are turned out as fry they are just about the right size to 

 serve as food for young brook trout whose hatching sea- 

 son is about six months earlier, as well as for the yearlings. 

 Brook trout are more carnivorous, more destructive of their 

 own kind anfl of fish life generally than are rainbows. In 

 proportion to their size they have a much larger mouth, more 

 teeth, are more ravenous and feed more during the monihs 

 of May and June than at any time of the year. Although 

 rainbows will spawn to some extent on the same grounds as 

 brook trout, T believe that the fry should be planted farther 

 downsticam. But wherever j^lanted, the separation of these 



