REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 137 
Speaking of the hot springs, solfataras, and geysers, he states: 
Although these springs exist in aimost every lake basin, cafon, or other depres- 
sion in the park, we do not think that, in their present condition at least, they 
would stand in the way of the stocking of the streams and lakes with fishes. The 
waters of the geysers and other calcareous and silicious springs do not appear to 
be objectionable to fishes. In Yellowstone Lake trout are especially abundant 
about the hot overilow from the Lake Geyser Basin. The hot water flows for a 
time on the surface, and trout may be taken immediately under these currents. 
Trout have also been known to rise to a fly through a scalding hot surface current. 
They also linger in the neighborhood of hot springs in the bottom of the lakes. 
This is probably owing to the abundance of food in these warm waters, but the fact 
is evident that geyser water does not killtrout. * * * There are, however, 
numerous springs in the park which discharge sulphurous liquids, very offensive in 
odor and doubtless fatal to fishes. Most of these springs have but a very slight 
discharge, and so exert no appreciable influence on the streams. The upper part of 
Obsidian Creek, between Twin Lakes and Beaver Lake, is the only running stream 
noticed by us as likely to prove uninhabitable by fishes. An obstacle of equal im- 
portance in the lower course of the same creek is the series of three beaver dams, to 
which the existence of Beaver Lake is due. These, with their covering of brush, 
must be wholly impassable. 
During 1889 and 1590 the following plants of fishes were made in 
the Yellowstone Park: The eastern brook trout in the Gardiner River 
and its west fork; the mountain trout in the east fork of the Gardiner 
River; the California or rainbow trout in Gibbon River; the Loch 
Leven trout in Firehole River and Lewis and Shoshone lakes; the Von 
Behr trout in Nez Percé Creek; the lake trout in Lewis and Shoshone 
lakes; the native whitefish in the Twin lakes and Yellowstone River. 
None of these waters, except the Yellowstone and Gibbon rivers, and 
possibly the East Fork of the Gardiner River, were previously inhabited 
by fishes, and the only species known from the Gibbon River was the 
little blob or miller’s thumb. With the exception of Lewis and Sho- 
shone lakes, in both of which two species were planted, each basin 
was supplied with only a single species. 
The observations of Dr. Jordan proved conclusively that the absence 
of fishes in certain parts of the park was not due to the unsuitable 
condition of the waters, although within a few limited areas they may 
be unfitted for them. However, it was deemed expedient to obtain - 
more positive information relative to the character, abundance, and 
distribution of the lower forms of life, on which the introduced species 
would be dependent for their food, as a deficiency in respect to such 
organisms might necessitate their being supplied by artificial means. 
Arrangements were made with Prof. 8. A. Forbes, director of the State 
laboratory of natural history of Illinois,and Prof. Edwin Linton, of 
Washington and Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, to conduct this investi- 
gation during the summer of 1890. Prof. Linton, in addition to assist- 
ing Prof. Forbes in the general inquiry, was charged with the special 
study of the parasitic worm which infests so large a proportion of the 
trout in certain portions of the park, penetrating into the flesh and 
