14 FISH CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
large a quantity as possible for breeders; but we have tried 
them enough to know that they will do well with us. 
In the year 1878 we supplied a few thousand for the head- 
waters of the Genessee river for the sake of the experiment, and 
last season they were heard from to such an extent, and in such 
fine condition, that we are justified in the belief that but a small 
proportion of them perished, and that they had found the food 
suitable for them. 
I received a letter from Mr. John Hyland, of Danesville, who 
caught a few for examination, saying that he had caught them 
in California many years ago, and found the same kind of food 
in them here that they lived upon in California. We also put 
2,000 in Caledonia Spring creek, and I have no difficulty in 
catching twenty inside of an hour. They spawn in March and 
April, but this season we observed them at work in February; 
and took the first spawn February 23rd, which is about fifteen 
days earlier than we have ever taken it before. This is probably 
due to the change of climate and temperature of the water, and 
it is not improbable that when they become thoroughly acclima- 
ted they will commence spawning in the fall, as our brook-trout 
do. A female California mountain-trout produces, at five years . 
old, about 1,500 eggs, and at this age some of them weigh as 
high 3 1-2 pounds. 
We find them a very difficult fish to take the spawn from 
without injury, as they are so strong that it is almost impossible 
for one man to hold and strip them without damaging them. To 
overcome this we operate with them the same as with shad and 
other large fish: have one man hold them by the head, while 
another does the stripping. By so doing the fish is less hable to 
injury. 
When their spawning season arrives, the males are very fero- 
cious. The first season that we got them that they were old 
enough to spawn, J was somewhat troubled to know how they 
became bruised and cut so severely, but was not long in discov- 
ering the cause. I had holes cut in the coverings of the spawn- 
ing-races, and by lying down and covering my head with an old 
coat, watched them, and saw the most furious battles I have ever 
witnessed with fish. A few received such injuries that they died, 
