FISHES OB' NEW YORK 257 



parents cover the eggs to some extent with gravel. The hatch- 

 ing period varies according to temperature from 40 to 70 days. 

 Females aged three years furnish on the average about 350 

 eggs each, but individuals of this age have yielded as many as 

 700, and even at the age of two years some females produce 

 from 400 to 500. When they are four or five years old, the num- 

 ber of eggs has reached 1500 to 2000. The young thrive in 

 water with a temperature of about 50° F. Sterility in the 

 females is common, and breeding females have been observed 

 to cease reproduction when eight years old. 



Qualities. The brown trout is in its prime from May to the 

 last of September. Its flesh is very digestible and nutritious, 

 and deeper red than that of the salmon when suitable food is 

 furnished; the flavor and color, however, vary with food and 

 locality. Insect food produces the most rapid growth and best 

 condition. This species has been so long known as one of the 

 noblest of the game fishes and its adaptability for capture with 

 artificial flies because of its feeding habits is so well understood 

 that I need not dwell on these familiar details. 



The brown trout is remarkably hardy in captivity. A large 

 female, received from Eugene G. Blackford in April 1896, and 

 placed in a salt-water tank at the aquarium, lived there and 

 throve till 1898. During most of the time the trout was in salt 

 water, but at certain intervals fresh water was substituted for 

 a short time, specially when symptoms of fungus made their 

 appearance. In November 1896 she excavated a shallow depres- 

 sion in the gravel bottom and deposited a lot of eggs. The fish 

 was extremely shy, and never lost its fear of the attendants. 

 Liver and live killifish were used for its food. 



A very beautiful and interesting hybrid is produced by cross- 

 ing the brown trout and the brook trout. The following is a 

 description of this hybrid: 



Salmo (HYBRiD=fario+fontinalis) 



Hi/hrid Trout 



In a paper published seven years ago the writer stated, as a 

 result of his studies, that, when a large-scaled trout is crossed 



