THE OOLDKN TK( >TTT. IS' 



(lark olivacc.nis: middlo of side with a broad pale rosy l)aiul from cheek to eaudai 

 tin; lo\v(M- side dirty silvery; l)elly white with dirty wash; back and entire side closely 

 (•o\-ered witli small roundish black spots, scarcely less numerous on middle and lower 

 pait of side ta level of ventral than on back; spots coverin.o- top of head, 2 rows 

 below eye. one spot on opercle. <; on maxillary, and about In on tip of lower jaw; 

 cheek and opei-cles rosy; lower part of head faint rosy, with dusky wash; vertical 

 lins all thickly spotted; upper half of pectoral and ventral spotted; anal ;nid ventral 

 li[iped anteriorl}- with white; dorsal and adipose dorsal sliyhtly white-tipped; throat 

 with slight yellowish wash; inside of mouth white. 



Another example (a male is inches lono). caught by one of our party in Kern 

 River above the lake, had top of hca<l. backhand entii-e side closely covchmI with 

 small roundish black spots, similar spots coverino- vei-tical tins and some on pectorals 

 and vcntrals; cheek and op.'icles dark rosy, with a few black s])ots: general color 

 dark oliva.'cous: side with modeiately distinct rosy band. 



This species is ;ibiindant in Kern Lake an.l in th(> i-iver for se\cral miles above 

 the lake. It is probably coaunon in the river for. some miles below the lake, but of 

 this 1 have no personal knowled_t)'e, as we did no ■collecting below the lake. As a 

 iiile, the fish taken from the river are more' deeply and brightly colored and 

 decidedly more game than those from the lake,' During the spawning season early 

 ill the spring the fish are found chiefly in the river, but after the spawning has been 

 completed they tend to run down into the lake, where they become less active and less 

 highl}' colored. The large examples which w<' took in the lake weic, as a rule, more 

 slender than those from the river, [irobably on account of th'3 fact that those from 

 the lake were all spent fish. 



This species is said by Jordan and Kvernfanii " to reach a weight of « pounds^ 

 but 1 do not recall the authority upon which the statciiienl was based. The largest 

 example seen by us was the one upon which the aiiove description is based. It was 

 18.-'."> inclie^ h iiig and weighed 3.5 pounds. Several other examples 14 to 19.25 '' inches 

 long were caiiglit by us. The largest individual of which I have a definite record 

 was caught in 1900 in the river above the lake by ^Ir. K. I ). Cox and weighed by Mr 

 n. J. Cruice, both of Bakersfield, Cal. This fish was -JT..") inches long and weighed 5 

 pounds 11 ounces. 



The Kern River trout is a beautiful lish. well built and synmietrieal, and very 

 rich in coloration when in prime condition. .Vs a game tish it will stand easily among 

 the best, but, as already stated, in the ri\cr it greatly' excels those of its kind in the 

 lake. It usually takes the fly quite freely, and will, of c.mrse, take all sorts of live or 

 (lit bait. Members of our party took these trout with the aitihcial fly, with grass- 

 hoppeis (which they greatly preferred), and with pieces of fish or other meat. The 

 larg(^ example painted was first ti'ied with a gray hackle, to which he rose once and 

 then i)ai(l no more attention to it. A larger, plain hook and a good-sized gi'ass- 

 hopper were substituted, with better results. Scarcely had the lure touched the 

 water w hen he rose and struck most viciously, only to miss it, tlu'u turn and strike 

 again more \'ieiously than befoie. This time the hook caught inside the mouth just 

 under the middle of the maxillary, and then began a fight that would delight a better 



n Fishes North and Middle .\mericii. p. 502. 



ft Although the longest fish caught by us, this was a slendtT iudiviflual weighing under 3 poiuuls. 



