348 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



excellent condition, and were transferred, first to a tub, and then to Chase 

 jars — three-quarts to a jar. These eggs averaged about 42,000 to the 

 quart. Up to that date 71 quarts had been received from Canandaigua 

 Lake. 



At this time there was no considerable run of whitefish in the lake 

 though all the nets were taking a few fish. The weather was too warm 

 for whitefish spawning. 



The first whitefish eggs were taken in Canandaigua Lake, November 

 27th, and further collections were made November 30th, December 4th 

 and 7 th. 



In the report of the Illinois Fish Commission, 1906-1908, page 25, 

 Capt. R. Smith is quoted as follows with regard to the spawning habits 

 of whitefish in Lake Michigan: 



' The average size female whitefish has about 28,000 eggs. A fish 

 weighing 13 pounds has 130,000 eggs. Females weighing 3^ pounds have 

 about 36,000 eggs each. He mentions a fish culturist who inclosed a spawn- 

 ing reef with netting and placed therein 12 whitefish of each sex, allowing 

 them to spawn in the natural way. Only 135 young fish were observed 

 from this experiment. 



' The whitefish spawn in the most stormy period of the season on 

 Boulder Rock, commonly called Round Heads, and in very shoal water 

 in from two to ten fathoms. They gather around the edges of these reefs 

 on sandy bottom from about the 10th of October, and from about the 15th 

 to the 25th of November they will rush on the rocks all at once. If the 

 weather is fair they will deposit their eggs which takes from three to four 

 weeks, but if a sudden and heavy storm sets in, which happens very often, 

 these fish will leave at once, and will not return until another year." 



On October 29, 1909, Mr. William H. Burke had taken about 400 

 whitefish in his pound nets, but they were not yet ready to spawn. The 

 average weight of the fish was about three pounds. On November 5th Mr. 

 Burke wrote that the whitefish had just commenced spawning. On Novem- 

 ber 8th Mr. Burke had taken 5,000,000 eggs, and nearly all of them at the 

 foot of Fourth Lake, where he had two pound nets set. He had no success 

 with the trap nets although they caught a good many fish which failed to 

 furnish eggs except in small numbers. At the close of the season, November 



