528 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



recorded. No more salmon appear in the records until 1880, when a 4-pound one is 

 mentioned with 18 trout. There are no records for 1881 for either trout or salmon. 

 Two salmon of 6 and 12 pounds, respectively, and 203 trout are reported in 1882. No 

 further salmon records appeared until 1891, when 2 are recorded and 11 trout. Then 

 follow three years of no salmon records. In 1895 salmon reappear and increase gradually, 

 with some fluctuation till 191 2. 



The number of trout decreased on an average but fluctuated greatly until 1910, 

 when there was a large increase that was maintained and increased to 1912, but a larger 

 number was taken in 191 1 than in 191 2. 



The percentage of trout naturally decreased with the increase in number of salmon, 

 but the later increase of trout suggests that the decrease was not alone due to the dis- 

 proportionate increase of salmon but to actual decrease in number of trout, which the 

 records of catches also, to some extent, indicate. A later increase in percentage of trout 

 indicates some reestablishment, perhaps, but still shows a preponderance of salmon. 



In Richardson Lakes, Molechunkamunk and Wellekennebacook Lakes, the first 

 salmon were recorded in 1882, when 79, averaging if pounds, were mentioned. No 

 more records appear until 1887, when one 5-pounder was reported. The next year 2 

 of 3X ^■iid 5 pounds, and in 1889 4 weighing from 3^ to 8 pounds were recorded. 

 No records appear in 1890, but in 1891 one 6-pounder was reported. No more are 

 given until 1898, from which year some were reported each year to 191 2. The larges. 

 number was caught in 1903, when 56 salmon and 137 trout were on record for the seasont 

 The next largest number was in 1906, when 44 salmon and 25 trout were caught. In 

 1909, 38 salmon and 31 trout constituted the number appearing in the records. The 

 records for three succeeding years were: 1910, 8 salmon and 19 trout; 1911, 6 salmon 

 and 6 tout; and 1912, 10 salmon and 10 trout. 



For the entire chain of Rangeley Lakes continuous salmon records do not appear 

 until 1895. One was caught in 1875; i in 1876; i in 1880; 81 in 1882, against 236 

 trout; 7 in 1886; 2 in 1887; 4 in 1888; 4 in 1889; and 5 in 1891. 



Table 4. — Respective numbers of salmon and trout recorded from Oquossoc, Mooseluc- 

 maguntic, and the entire chain of lakes in the 21 years from 189s to 1915, inclusive. 



o Including Pond-in-the-River but not Umbagog. Apparent discrepancies in the total for each year of the entire chain when 

 compared with the total for the individual lakes are due to the admission of general references to Rangeley Lakes, no particular 

 lake being designated. 



