Mortality among Lamprey Eels. 251 



perch. Although not apparently known to frequent the other 

 lakes, I make no doubt that the so-called white perch of inland 

 lakes will turn out to be this species; at all events, as far as I 

 had opportunities of knowing, there is no doubt a third species 

 has been overlooked by Perley and other ichthyologists who 

 have worked at the fishes of north-eastern America. 



The Sharp-nosed Sturgeon is the only species of the 

 genus met with in New Brunswick waters. It is strange that 

 neither natives nor whites have yet succeeded in discovering 

 its spawning-grounds, although no doubt it deposits its ova in 

 the rivers and lakes, more especially in the reaches within, 

 the influence of the tides; nor is the isinglass collected ; indeed 

 the Indians seem to be unaware of the substance, although 

 very fond of the flesh, which they collect and salt for winter 

 use. As soon as the rivers are cleared of ice, and the spring 

 freshets have subsided, sturgeons collect at several points in 

 the rivers, where the natives spear them. Now and then a 

 monster seven or eight feet in length tosses himself out of the 

 water, falling lengthways with a loud splash, as if in wanton 

 playfulness. The natives assert, however, it is to escape from 

 the Lamprey Eel, which is reputed to attach itself to their 

 bodies, and prey on their vital parts. With reference to the 

 latter fish, which is very common in certain rivers in summer, 

 migrating seaward in the cold months, during autumn there 

 is a strange phenomenon often observable, in vast numbers of 

 lampreys being found dead along the sides of the smaller 

 influents of rivers, as if they 'had been destroyed by some 

 general cause. Indeed, unless it is that they had delayed 

 their sojourn too long in fresh water, it would be difficult to 

 account for such wholesale destruction as is not unfrequently 

 observed in many streams. On the Miramichi, where numbers 

 are found dead towards autumn, Mr. J. L. Price told Mr. 

 Perley* that "he often observed lampreys in August in 

 languishing conditions, head and throat greatly bloated, and 

 * Op. tit., p. 226. 



