American Fisheries Society 139 



Mr. Fbank N. Clakk: Some of the members seem to consider it quite 

 remarkable tliat rainbows should spawn in December and also in April. 

 Why is it any nTore so with rainbow trout than with brook trout? There 

 is even wider range in the case of the latter, for they spawn from Sep- 

 tember to February. We have a record at Northville of taking brook 

 trout eggs from the same pond in October and February. Then what is 

 there remarkable about the spawning season of the rainbow? We do not 

 know but that it may be the same in their native waters. I do not think 

 anyone will raise the question but what it might occur there ; and cer- 

 tainly in transferring them here to new waters, we should not consi-der 

 it unusual when the same thing occurs with our native brook trout. It 

 is a matter of record that at Northville years ago I personally took brook 

 trout eggs in February. T saw eggs taken from the same pond again in 

 October. 



Mr. Meehan : That is all right, but I do not think it is a parallel case. 

 It is true that at some of our hatcheries brook trout begin spawning the 

 last week in September, as at Corry, and generally they have finished by 

 the first of December. The spawning is continuous but if we transfer 

 the fish to another station it occurs the first or second week in October, 

 according to the temperature of the water. If we transfer rainbows 

 from one station to another the spawning season is either mainly in the 

 fall or spring. 



Mr. Seymour Bower : In regard to the rainbow and steelhead being 

 one species, I would say that recently I had the honor of dining with Dr. 

 Jordan in Detroit, when he stated that he had now made up his mind 

 that they were one and the same species. He said that he had seen 

 perfect young rainbows hatched from what were said to be steelhead 

 trout, and perfect young steelheads from what were claimed to be rain- 

 bow trout. Now, while he did not state that these results were what 

 made him think they were one and the same species, I inferred that this 

 had a great deal of weight with him. He illustrated his position l)y a 

 little incident. Those of you who have met Dr. Jordan know that he 

 always has a fund of dry humor on tap for every occasion. A few years 

 ago he had a friendly argument or controversy with a certain gentleman 

 and said to him: "What is your authority?" "Why," was the reply, 

 "Appleton's Encyclopedia, and I consider that very good authority." 

 "Well," said the doctor, "I wrote tliat article myself, and I have changed 

 my mind since." (Laughter.) 



President : The rainbow trout in New York is, I think, coming more 

 into favor than formerly. The demand for them is greater now than it 

 was five years ago. We find that it does best in lakes from which it can 

 enter tributary streams suitable for spawning purposes. For instance. 

 Keuka Lake is a great rainbow lake at present, and from there they run 

 up to Pleasant Valley stream which flows through our hatchery grounds. 

 We take them in large numbers at the mouth of tlie stream, usually in 

 Jvlarch or April, and sometimes we take good eggs in December, ap- 

 parently from tlie same kind of fisli. 



There are a great many lakes in New York which are suitable for 



