RANGELEY LAKES, MAINE :FISHES, ANGLING, AND FISH CULTURE. 547 



The sexes differ much in appearance at the breeding time. The head of the male 

 is longer, the lower jaw somewhat hooked, the mouth and teeth larger, and the colora- 

 tion more brilliant, the belly and some of the fins being a brilliant red, and the white 

 margin of the pectorals and ventrals more distinct. The body also becomes flat or slab- 

 sided and has a thick coat of mucus, almost or quite obscuring the scales. (See PI. 

 XLIII, Table IX, p. 594.) 



The age of maturity varies somewhat. The male is usually more precocious in that 

 respect than the female. Artificially reared trout have been found mature at i year 

 of age. A colored picture of a 14-months-old female only 7^ inches long, still bearing 

 parr marks and in a. spawning condition, is shown in the Manual of Fish Culture issued by 

 the United States Fish Commission in 1900. The usual age of maturity under natural 

 conditions is doubtless somewhat more advanced. As shown in another place, the size of 

 the fish does not indicate its age; therefore, breeding brook residents only 2 or 3 inches 

 long are not necessarily young fish, although possessing parr marks. 



According to Livingston Stone, all 2-year-old trout spawn; some yearlings do and 

 some do not ; and the main dependence of the trout breeder for eggs is on trout upward 

 of 2 years old. The duration of fertility, which has not been ascertained, is also variable. 

 But very large fish, although found on the spawning grounds, are often old and practically 

 sterile. 



Usually there are established breeding places to which the fish resort year after year 

 unless changes of physical conditions occur. The Rangeley Lakes are extremely liable 

 to such changes, which affect both streams and shoals as spawning resorts. Ofttimes 

 lowering of the water exposes the bars that most streams form in the still water at their 

 mouths, thus preventing the entrance of trout, and, of course, shoals in the lake will be 

 laid bare by the same means. In Forest and Stream, October 15, 1891, it was stated by 

 a correspondent that in the Rangeley region the trout had begun to seek their spawning 

 grounds as usual, "But," using his words, "the spawning grounds are not found where 

 they should be. On the contrary, the water has far receded from them and they are 

 only flats of dry gravel, in some instances many rods from water sufficient for trout to 

 spawn in." 



In the same paper, January 12, 1888, Capt. F. C. Barker, a hfelong resident and 

 observer of the Rangeley region, wrote to the effect that for years before the Union Water 

 Power Co. modified Mooselucmaguntic Lake one of the largest spawning beds to be found 

 anywhere in the Rangeley region was off the Bemis Bar and in not less than 8 feet of 

 water 40 rods from shore. Year after year they came there and did their spawning, but 

 when the water was raised only2 feet higher over their bed they abandoned it altogether. 



The trout begin to assemble on the shoals or in the streams, as a rule, during Sep- 

 tember, usually in the latter part of the month, in the Rangeley region, but they are not 

 at this time quite ripe. The run then continues well into October, sometimes later. 

 The fish appear to go in schools, and there seems to be a consensus of statements that the 

 early runs are composed entirely of males. In his article regarding his observations in 

 Kennebago Stream, Mr. Rich stated that the males came first, "cleaning off the stones 

 until they fairly shone in the sunhght." Then they seemed to leave all at once for a day 

 or two, afterwards returning with the females; but a curious fact was observed that while 

 before the arrival of the females the beds were covered with males, afterwards there were 

 but few of them. In his former article he stated that there are always more males than 

 females, sometimes three to one. 



