American Fisheries Societv 135 



DISCUSSION. 



Dr. Barton W. Evermann : The rainbow still stands as the banner 

 game fish of those that I have ever canght. The Society may be inter- 

 ested in hearing a vi^ord m regard to an investigation that the Bureau is 

 carrying on nov^ with reference to the relationship of the rainbow, steel- 

 head and cut-throat trouts of the Pacific Coast. Dr. Gilbert of Stanford 

 University began more than a year ago to study this question seriously, 

 and is still continuing it. Among other thing* he examined the stock 

 of fish at all of the trout hatcheries in California, Washington and 

 Oregon. He collected from various undefiled streams (so as to get if 

 possible native fish) fish that had not been contaminated through fish 

 cultural operations. He then took and fertilized eggs from what were 

 regarded as undoubted rainbows; then the eggs of undoubted steelheads 

 were likewise taken and fertilized. He is keeping the progeny separate 

 and under observation until they reach a size that will enable him to 

 know whether any differences develop. The experiments are being 

 carried on chiefly at the Brookdale hatchery near Santa Cruz, California. 

 The California Fish Commission is heartily co-operating with the Bureau 

 of Fisheries in this work. Dr. Gilbert feels that when he gets through 

 with the investigation he will know positively the taxonomic relation- 

 ships of the steelhead and rainbow for the regions in which he experi- 

 ments. He has already gone far enough to justify him in saying that 

 the conclusions which will be reached from a study of the rainbow and 

 the steelhead of the Santa Cruz region, south of San Francisco, will not 

 necessarily hold with regard to the rainbow or steelhead in Washington 

 or Oregon, so that there are several local problems each of which must 

 be solved on the ground. 



It is regretted, I think by all of us, that the stocks of rainbows and 

 steelheads and hybrid rainbows and steelheads in the hatcheries on the 

 west coast are not safe for experimental purposes. You cannot be sure 

 of the genealogy or ancestry of any of them ; so wild stock has to be 

 obtained in every case. But even considering the great care taken, in 

 many cases doubts will arise. However, I think Dr. Gilbert is eliminating 

 all individuals where there is any doubt as to tiie true stock; he is 

 experimenting only with what he believes to be undoubted rainbows on 

 the one hand and undoubted stee'heads on the other. He has written 

 a number of letters to the Bureau from time to time detailing his ex- 

 periments and expressing in a tentative way some of liis conclusions, but 

 closing in every case by saying that all tliese conclusions are merely 

 tentative. 



President : I know I ought to keep my seat, ])Ut I cannot iielp breaking 

 in. I have studied the rainbow trout to some extent and am very much 

 interested in them. I suggest tliat before Dr. Gilbert finishes his studies 

 he will necessarily have to go to Alaska and study the rainbow and 

 steelhead there, because if I know anything about fisli, I am sure tliat 

 they do not represent the same species. Some years ago Dr. Jordan, 



