Fish Culture in Inland Waters 295 



The whitefish or " Lake George Smelt " is a plankton feeder. 

 Its gill rakers number about 55 on the first arch on each side, and 

 are close set, which with the corresponding arrangement on the 

 other arches provide a very fine strainer. The lake trout has less 

 than half that number, and they are not very close set. 



Mr. Titcomb further said : " Unfortunately the biological survey 

 did not result in the capture of any immature trout, and the life 

 history of this species up to one or probably two years of age, 

 their feeding habits and their chosen environment remain incom- 

 pletely known. There is no definite knowledge of the early life 

 history of this species in connection with other lakes. The smallest 

 specimen taken by the angler is said to be eight inches long, or a 

 two-year-old fish. Since they will take the angler's lure, it may be 

 assumed that the 8-inch fish feed upon young whitefish. From fish 

 cultural experience, it is probable that they begin eating small white- 

 fish at a much earlier state." 



This last statement is also conjecture. The present writer would 

 suggest that it would be more economical to immediately set about 

 learning the life history of the lake trout, and in the meantime carry 

 out the " alternative," if upon due consideration it seems ad\asable, 

 rather than plant fingerlings of which the habits are unknown, in 

 water of the depth mentioned. 



As a small contribution to the life history of the lake trout, it 



may be mentioned here, that nearly twenty years ago the present 



writer found " fingerling " lake trout in a rivulet and a small brook 



tributar}' to First Connecticut Lake in Northern New Hampshire 



(Kendall and Goldsborough, '08). The following are the data: 



July 16. In a spring rivulet tributary of the main inlet not far 

 above its mouth, several were caught, two of which, 2.37 and 2.08 

 inches long, respectively, were saved. 



July 18. In the same rivulet another specimen 2.08 inches long 

 was taken. 



August 10. In Alder Brook, directly tributary to the lake a mile 

 and a half or more from the first mentioned rivulet four were 

 caught, measuring 2.08, 2.06, 2, and 1.87 inches long, respectively. 

 The stomachs of the first mentioned specimens contained " black 

 fly " larvae, insect fragments, and an insect egg. The contents of 

 the stomachs of the lot taken on August 10 were black fly larvae, 

 insects' heads and wings, and " mosquitoes." 



As concerns the insect larvae and insects, after such a lapse of 

 years, the present writer cannot be sure that the larvae and mos- 

 quitoes were correctly identified. However, it is quite positive that 

 both were dipterous insect forms, and it is not especially essential 

 to know the species. It is sufficient to know that these fingerlings 

 were in little brooks and were feeding upon dipterous insects, both 

 larvae and adults. 



Whether these fingerlings were some of the recently planted fish 

 or naturally hatched fish is not known. Whichever they were their 

 presence in these little brooks is significant. It is not known where 

 or just when the 25,000 young lake trout were planted, or whether 



