ISOPONDYLI— SALMONIDAE— SALMO VIRGINALIS. 089 



ductive duties, do not survive the severe bruises and other injuries they 

 meet with in their journey past the rocks and through the rapid currents 

 of the mountain streams. 



The water in the locality in which the trout spawns has never been 

 noticed to be whitened by the milt, but it does present a translucent pinkish 

 appearance after the event. 



The temperature of water most favorable for hatching appears to be 

 the coldest obtainable ; the eggs, in many cases, being laid directly on the 

 bottom of ice-cold mountain springs. The color of the spawn is whitish 

 pink ; each egg, just previous to spawning, being the size of No. 4 shot. In 

 July, the eggs are not larger than No. 12, or dust shot. The eggs, when 

 spawned, always sink to the bottom, where" they remain unless eaten or 

 carried away by the swift current. As already stated, the nest is made 

 from gravel and stones entirely ; no other materials being used as far as has 

 been observed. The eggs are hatched in March, April, and May, but the 

 number of days required by the process is not known. The spawn and 

 young fish suffer greatly from the attacks of other fish, aquatic reptiles, 

 and even from the large fish of their own species ; these seeming to have no 

 affection for their young. It is rather a singular fact that the very young 

 trout is seldom seen or taken either by hook or net, and I am unable to 

 account for the same unless it is that it resorts to unknown localities until a 

 larger growth is obtained. Its food, so far as known, consists principally of 

 small insects. 



No steps have as yet been taken to increase the supply of this valuable 

 fish by artificial means, the yield still being large enough to meet the wants 

 of the settlers and miners ; but, in the course of a few years, artificial pro- 

 pagation must be resorted to, for although certain laws have been passed 

 regulating the size of the meshes of nets, no attention is paid to them by 

 some greedy individuals, who think only of filling their own pockets at the 

 expense of future generations. It may be mentioned in this connection 

 that a letter, prepared at the request of the Hon. G. Q. Cannon, and bear- 

 ing on this subject, has been presented to the legislature of Utah. It sug- 

 gests the enacting of certain laws with reference to the preservation of fish, 

 &c, and that the same be rigidly enforced when passed. 

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