Fish Culture in Inland Waters 309 



and other lakes of the State. It is in great demand as a table fish, 

 and is useful in furnishing food for landlocked salmon and lake 

 trout." 



There is no doubt but that the " icefish " of Lake Champlain is a 

 permanent inhabitant of the lake. It is neither landlocked nor 

 introduced. In Lake Champlain there appear to be two distinct 

 sizes of adult or mature smelts, as there are in a number of lakes 

 in Maine. Whether these two sizes are distinct species or races or 

 merely different age classes has never been determined. 



The spawning places of the Champlain smelt or icefish have never 

 been discovered though some efifort has been made to find them. 

 But since in other fresh waters there are no known instances of 

 smelt spawning in a lake, and inasmuch as they always spawn in a 

 stream or waters where there is some current approximating a 

 stream, it is believed that the Champlain fish must have similar habits. 

 The spawning of smelts is not restricted to rivers. They will enter 

 the smallest accessible stream for the purpose. Since the smelt or 

 icefish of Lake Champlain is of such commercial importance it would 

 seem highly desirable that the habits of the fish in that lake be 

 studied, and since the smelt is in demand as a food supply for sal- 

 mon and trout it would appear also of practical importance to 

 ascertain whether the two sizes nijentioned are distinct species or races 

 or just age classes. If the first was the case the practical utility of 

 such a determination would be according to the purpose of the stock- 

 ing. If it were for human food the large size is the one which should 

 be used. If for food for fish, particularly salmon, the small size 

 would be most desirable; for it would always be of suitable size for 

 the fish, whereas the large smelt attains a size which makes it a very 

 formidable, predacious and cannibalistic fish, and one too large for 

 food of the average salmon. 



Bean wrote: " The eggs are collected in March by the Long Island 

 station, and may 'be shipped in the eyed stage a short time thereafter. 

 They should be planted in small, rocky streams tributary to the 

 lake that it is desired to stock. Since the eggs are adhesive, they 

 become attached to stones, sticks, and other objects, where they 

 remain until hatched." 



The transplanting of eyed eggs appears to be a better practice 

 than to attempt to transport the tiny, delicate, thread-like fry. It 

 has been found that a good way to handle smelt eggs is to collect 

 them on some material such as moss, brush, or even burlap and 

 transplant them in that shape. 



Bullhead; Hornpout. The catfish family comprises several highly 

 esteemed food fishes, some of which attain a large size, and some 

 of which are locally regarded as game fish. However, it appears 

 that the only species reared or distributed by the New York State 

 Conservation Commission is the common bullhead or hornpout. 



Dr. Bean did not include the bullhead or any of the catfishes in 

 his list of the fish propagated by the New York State Conservation 

 Commission, but later reports indicate that the Commission dis- 

 tributes them to some extent, 



