[5] TROUT OPERATIONS ON m'cLOUD RIVER IN 1883. 1005 



straiglit, instead of forked, as it is in young fish. Old fish also have in 

 general a gaunt, ill-favored look, and their flesh is usually a dusky white. 



In my last year's report on the trout-ponds, the abundance aud prox- 

 imity of panthers or California lions {Fells concolor) was alluded to. 

 One of these, which for several weeks had made himself particularly ob- 

 noxious as well as familiar about both the McCloud fishery stations, was 

 shot in the month of September (1882). After the killing of this panther 

 the rest kept away from the settlements to some extent, and we did not 

 see much of them till about midsummer of this year (1883), when they 

 began to come around again. In the latter part of July of this year 

 (1883) Mr. Eadcliff came suddenly upon three panthers not far from the 

 fishery on the Copper City trail. Not long after, a large panther crossed 

 the same trail in the daytime, just after Mr. Barber had passed along 

 on horseback, and about the middle of August "Short Jim," one of our 

 Indians, saw a panther in the midst of a herd of cows trying to carry 

 off a calf, but the cows "horned at it" so, to use the Indian's expression, 

 that the panther had to give up the undertaking. Jim had his rifle 

 with him, but said that he could not shoot at the panther without en- 

 dangering the cows. A day or two after, a i)anther came down to Mr. 

 Barber's house in the evening, and being chased by his dogs ran about 

 the vicinity for a considerable time and crossed the garden twice with 

 the dogs after him. He cuffed one of the dogs finally, and soon after 

 disappeared. This was peculiar conduct on the part of the panther, 

 for usually when chased by dogs they will almost immediately take to a 

 tree. We have not yet ascertained for a certainty whether the panthers 

 ever have or ever would molest the trout in the trout ponds, though 

 the presumption is that if they thought they could take the trout with 

 safety they would do it, as they will, notwithstanding the cat's pro- 

 verbial dislike to wetting its feet, frequently get into the water of 

 their own accord, and it is not unusual for them to swim the McCloud 

 Eiver. We think it best, at all events, to be on the lookout for them, 

 as well as for wild-cats, lynxes, coons, minks, otters, and other ene- 

 mies of living fish, and for the purpose of affording them protection we 

 have two dogs at the trout ponds, oue of which is always chained at 

 night between the two princij)al ponds, and the other near the other 

 ponds. Mr. Green has a partially tame wild-cat, which he thinks he 

 will also keep chained at the ponds for the further protection of the 

 trout. 



When this report closed. December 31, 1883, the last accounts from 

 the trout-ponds stated that they were in good condition, that the fish 

 were doing well, and that they were expected to begin spawning in a 

 very few days. 



Below will be found a daily record of the number of eggs taken this 

 year, and also a table showing how the eggs were distributed. 



Chaelestown, N. H., December 31, 1883. 



