RANGELEY LAKES, MAINE: FISHES, ANGLING, AND FISH CULTURE. 523 



pounds was taken in 1876. Both of these were possibly sea salmon." No more were 

 taken until 1880, when one of 4 pounds was recorded; but it can not be positively 

 ascribed to the sea-salmon plant, for the Schoodic salmon planted in 1875 and 1876 

 had five and four years, respectively, in which to reach that size. 



The two salmons weighing 6 and 12 pounds, respectively, taken in Mooselucma- 

 guntic Lake in 1882 might have been from the plants of either sea or Schoodic salmon, 

 but the 79 caught at Middle Dam in the same year, weighing up to 4t^ pounds, averaging 

 if, were some of the landlock stock. 



No more salmon, so far as records show, were caught in any of the lakes until 

 1887. The records for that year were one of 7)^ pounds in Rangeley Lake and one of 5 

 pounds from Richardson Lake. Thus it seems that the survivors of the original stock 

 of sea salmon had then all disappeared. 



SALMON (Salmo sebago). 



In fish culture this fresh-water salmon is otherwise known as landlocked salmon, 

 Schoodic salmon, and Sebago salmon, and in local parlance in some places is designated 

 as salmon trout and blackspot to distinguish it from the common trout (Salvelinus 

 jontinalis). Landlocked salmon is a misnomer. It is, moreover, not euphonic, and 

 long custom alone partly justifies its use. Fresh-water salmon would be more appro- 

 priate. 



In Maine its natural waters were restricted locaUties in the St. Croix, Union, 

 Penobscot, and Presumpscot River Basins. It, or a kindred form, occurs naturally also 

 in a few lakes of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and an apparently distinct but 

 closely related species is found in the Saguenay River Basin in Quebec. The claim 

 that it occurs in Labrador is somewhat uncertain and perhaps based upon mistaken 

 identification. Yet there is no apparent reason why it might not be found there. 



This salmon subsists upon insects and fishes, particularly upon smelts. In fact, 

 in its native waters its existence seemed to depend in some way upon the presence of 

 smelts, and in other waters it thrives only where the smelt has been introduced. 



The spawning, as a rule, takes place in November, and the eggs hatch the follow- 

 ing spring. In most instances, if possible, salmon ascend or descend streams to spawn 

 upon gravelly bottoms in quick-running water. When such streams are not available, the 

 operation takes place on gravelly shoals of the lake, but it is doubtful if in such places 

 the process amounts to much. In the breeding season there are more or less structural 

 and chromatic changes in the fish. The jaws of the male are prolonged, the under 

 jaw becomes hooked, owing to a knoblike cartilaginous proliferation that fits into a 

 socket in the snout, but in some cases passes up, over, or through the end of the snout. 

 The colors of both sexes become brighter, brown, orange, yellow, and blue appearing 

 on the bodies, especially the male, and occasionally faint orange spots on the tail, which 

 at other times is spotless. The salmon practically cease feeding at this time. They 

 probably do not breed oftener than every other year. The age of maturity is probably 

 about 4 years, although some individuals are more precocious and some are retarded 

 more or less. 



a In the Transactions of the American Fish-Cultural Association for 1883. p. 49, without giving the year, Atkins stated that 

 about 50 domesticated Schoodic salmon about 2 years of age were introduced. This might have been prior to the 1873 plant 

 of sea salmon. 



