FISHES, LAHONTAN SYSTEM OF NEVADA AND NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA. 7 1 



and are said to frequent the greater depths. They represent Salmo darkii iahoensis Jordan and Ever- 

 mann.o A specimen of this sort measuring about 14 inches was caught near the mouth of Cascade 

 Creek. It was very silvery in color, lacking the red and rich olive shades of the more usual type. 

 The spots were small and elongate, contracted laterally instead of from all sides. A silver trout, caught 

 by Mr. Ralph Lowe, near Brockway, measuring 23 inches and weighing 5 pounds, was dull silvery 

 over nearly the entire surface, the upper parts tinted with brownish and having piuplish reflections. 

 A broad, indistinct lateral stripe of light pink extended posteriorly to near the anal fin. The head 

 was dusky above, the cheeks silvery, with a pinkish tint, the skin beneath the maxillaries bright red. 

 This specimen was apparently 6 years old, as indicated by an examination of the scales. These so- 

 called silver trout sometimes attain a great size, one having been caught which weighed 29 pounds. 6 



The trout seen in the smaller lakes and streams of the Tahoe Basin were like those of the lake itself. 

 Those seen in the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe, at Truckee, and farther down the river were much 

 like those of the lake, the spots being usually smaller and possibly more numerous. 



Trout are at times rather common throughout the entire course of the Truckee River. Before the 

 introduction of irrigation dams, power plants, factories, and sewers they were abimdant, but now the 

 partly diverted, interrupted, and contaminated river is a very precarious summer home for the larger 

 fishes at least. 



On the appearance of rain in the mountains, and the following rise of the river, trout begin to mi- 

 grate from Pyramid and Winnemucca Lakes, passing up the stream in a leisurely way, briskly running 

 the rapids, or loitering about in tlie deep pools. They often pass the great bend in December or even 

 as early as October and continue upstream, migrating in waves or schools and series of schools. With 

 the advancing season the fish grow more numerous, appearing in incredible numbers as the nm reaches 

 its maximum. The trout of this migration are locally known as redfish. 



After becoming acquainted with the dark and comparatively small Tahoe trout, one regards the 

 huge redfish with amazement, its long and powerful body gleaming with flashes of gold and silver, and 

 the great red cheek spot glowing like a coal of fire. By some observers it is regarded as entirely dis- 

 tinct from the Tahoe trout and also from the smaller fishes of a later run. The Piutes call it " Tomoo- 

 agaih, " or winter trout. 



A large male redfish dipped from the pool below the dam at Thisbe (March 26) was colored as follows: 

 Whole body suffused -srith pink and y£llow, the color approaching vermilion in some lights or darker 

 red in others, the yellow with metallic reflections. The yellow color is more intense above and below, 

 the pink brightest in the region of the lateral line, but not distinctly outlined as a stripe. Opercle 

 bright, livid red; subopercle like body; preopercle reddish yellow, much brighter than body, but duller 

 than opercle. An indefinite, small pinkish spot midway between eye and opercle. A few deep-orange, 

 coin-shaped spots somewhat smaller than eye, scattered here and there on the body near bases of pec- 

 torals and on the breast. The caudal fin is yellow, the dorsal suffused with yellow, the paired fins with 

 purplish red. The area beneath the mandible is strongly marked with bright red, the color confined 

 to the side next to the branchiostegals. More brilliantly colored examples are often seen where the 

 red of the opercle is more livid and spreads to the shoulder girdle, the lateral stripe better defined and 

 more intense in color, and the entire head and body of a brighter hue. The females are similar though 

 paler in color. The small orange spots referred to are remarkable in that they appear, without regu- 

 larity, on any part of the body except in the region of the lateral line. One was seen on the lower jaw, 

 another on the base of the caudal, and one on the adipose fin. In addition to the bright colors noted 

 above, the head and body are sprinkled with black spots which are smaller than in the Tahoe trout. 

 The red color beneath the jaw is apparently always present in the redfish. 



The migration of the redfish ceases in March. The nmning fishes do not appear to go upstream 

 farther than the approach of the swift water of the canyon above Verdi. 



As the redfish migration slowly wanes, large numbers of smaller trout enter the Truckee River 

 and pass up with considerable rapidity. Smaller, generally darker in color, and more heavily spotted 

 than those of the preceding run, and arriving with the spring, they are called by the Piutes "Tama- 

 agaih," meaning spring trout. The native name is passed on by the anglers as plain tommy. Like 



a Bulletin 47, United States National Musetmi, p. 2S70. 



6 Jordan and Evermann, Bulletin 47, United States National Museum, p. 493 {Salmo mykiss henshawi) and p. 2S70 {Salmo 

 darkii tahoensis). 



