118 



AMERICAN FISHES. 



nearly allied by the figure to Saltno Hoodii, but diffeis in very impor» 

 tant particulars from this species. It occurs in most of the northern 

 lakes of this State, and I have noticed it in Silver Lake, Pennsyl- 

 vania, adjacent to Broome County, which, as far as I know, is ita 

 southernmost limit. The figure illustrating this species was from a 

 specimen taken at Louis Lake, in Hamilton County, of unusual size 

 and vigor. The average weight is eight or ten pounds ; but I have 

 heard fishermen speak of some weighing thirty pounds, and even 

 more. There is, however, such a strong propensity to exaggeration 

 in everything in relation to. aquatic animals, that I refrain from citing 

 cases derived from such sources. 



" They frequent the deepest part of the lake, and unlike most of 

 their congeners, never rise to the fly. 



" The flesh is of course much prized in those districts where no 

 oceanic fish is ever tasted ; but to me it appears to possess all the 

 coarseness of the Halibut without its flavor." 



This, with the exception of a few general remarks on its habits, is 

 all that Dr. DeKay has recorded of this fish. 



I cannot, however, proceed, without expressing my great surprise 

 at Dr. DeKay's opinion of its resemblance to the Salmo Hoodii, 

 known also as the Arctic Charr, the Mingan river Salmon, and the 

 Masamacoosh of the Cree Indians. This is a decided long-finned 

 Charr, beautifully colored, of a rich lake purple, with numerous bright 

 golden spots, and the red belly of the proper Charr. It is, probably, 

 an anadromous species, running up the swift rivers of the north, and 

 descending to the salt-water to recruit. Its flesh is bright red. In 

 shape, again, it differs entirely from the fish before us, being the 

 longest and most slender of all the Salmcmidce of this continent, some- 

 what resembling the German Hucho in shape. 



I can see nothing in which it can be compared to any of the Lake 

 Trout, and least of all to this, which is the most worthless of all the 

 non migratory species. It is found I believe in Lake Ontario, below 

 the Falls of Niagara, and certainly in all the New England lakes so 

 far to the eastward as the State of Maine. In the British provinces, 

 with the exception of Lakes Mephramagog and Champlain, I do not 

 think that it exists. 



From a careful comparison of the cut in Dr. DeKay's work, plate 



