THE SMELTS 
237 
Freeport, Me., April 23, 1903. — Considerably many smelts were taken in the 
previous two nights. One boy got 11 dozen on the night of the 22d. Only two 
boys were on the brook this night, and they got four dozen smelts each. 
Freeport, Me., April 24, 1903. — Some smelts were taken this night. 
Freeport, Me., April 27, 1903. — The previous night the boys got a few smelts by 
“dipping” above the high tide. There were a few along the brook in the morning. 
Small schools were observed here and there along the stream for about 300 yards, 
or nearly as far as it was possible for them to ascend. Two spent males were caught. 
Freeport, Me., April 30, 1903. — No smelts were seen in either the fresh-water or 
tidal sections of the brook. However, for two days previous the water had been 
roily, although the bottom could be seen in most places. At 2 p. m. the temperature 
of the air was 59° F. and of the water 51° F. At 10 p. m. the temperature of the 
air, as indicated by the thermometer, was 44° F., but the stiffening of the nets when 
removed from the water suggested a lower temperature. The temperature of the 
water was 46° F. 
Brunsvrick, Me., April 26, 1903. — During the day smelts were observed in a small 
brook flowung into Casco Bay. When disturbed the tendency of the fish was to 
conceal themselves. They rushed en masse to one or the other end of the pool, and 
if sufficently frightened would run farther upstream, but seldom downstream. If 
they did run down at any time it was only a short distance; then they would run 
up again. Occasionally one or more sought concealment under the bank. Most of 
these smelts were in pools below high-tide limit, but some were found here and there 
for a mile or more up in the fresh-water section of the stream. Two fish were caught, 
one a spent male inches long and the other a spent female 10 inches long. 
A man familiar with this brook and well informed concerning smelts said that 
some smelts remain in the brooks very late in the season, even to the last of May 
or first of June, and that they “waste away to water” and become sick and are 
attacked by “worms” especially under their gills or throat. He said that he had 
picked them up in dying condition and almost dead, not from injury but apparently 
from inanition, which suggested to him a general mortality among smelts after 
spawning. The temperature of the brook at 12.30 p. m. was 51° F.; that of the air 
was 59° F. 
Some little plausibility is lent to the idea that there is considerable mortality 
amongst breeding smelts by the statement of Smitt (1895, p. 873), who says that 
after the spawning the shore and the bottom are strewn wdth numbers of dead smelts 
that have struggled in vain to disburden themselves of the roe. Furthermore, it is 
a well-known fact that many dead and dying fresh-water smelts often are observed 
during the spawning season. This phenomenon is discussed in connection with the 
part of this paper concerned with fresh-water smelts. 
Brunswick, Me., May 7, 1903.-—' On this day no smelts were seen until about one- 
half mile up the brook, where eight were caught. In a pool not far from the salt- 
water limit four specimens were taken out of a school of about a dozen. A man met 
on the brook, who was trout fishing, said that farther up were quite a number of 
smelts. The smelts caught were all spent males, from which only a very little milt 
could be expressed. At 5 p. m. the temperature of the air in the shade was 50° F. ; 
temperature of the water. 52° F 
