THE SMELTS 
275 
In 1898 the late Frank Meserve, resident near and well informed concerning the 
lake, stated that the large smelts attained a length of 1 foot, and three of them had 
been known to weigh a pound. In 1907 George Moses, a well known guide of the 
region, fishing through the ice, caught a dozen smelts ranging from 12 to 14 inches 
in total length, and reported one that weighed 1% pounds. 
A collection of 566 smelts made by the present writer during the summer and fall 
with hook and line ranged in total length from 6 A to 15% inches. A collection of 
102 specimens of the small form, in breeding condition, taken in the Songo River in 
the spring of 1901, measured in total length from 4% to 5.9 inches and averaged 
4% inches. 
Panther Pond. — April 17, 1910, 64 smelts ranging from 3% to 4% inches and 
averaging nearly 3.9 inches in total length were taken from a tributary brook where 
they were spawning. 
Long Lake. — According to Foster and Atkins (1868) the smelt of this lake had 
been reported to exceed half a pound in weight. 
Mead (1883) stated that they ranged from 8 to 13 inches in length and would aver- 
age 6% ounces in weight. He said that a lot of 19 specimens averaged 6% ounces 
each. The largest of the lot measured 11% inches in length and weighed 7 ounces. 
ANDROSCOGGIN BASIN 
Lake Auburn. — A young man from Auburn informed the present writer that 
the smelts of Lake Auburn ran about 2% to 3 inches, never exceeding the latter 
size. 
Taylor Pond. — According to the same informant the smelt of this pond are only 
about 2% inches long when in breeding condition. To clean them for cooking the 
preparator merely pinches off the heads or snips them off with a pair of scissors. 
Sebattus Pond.— The smelt of Sebattus Pond were stated by Atkins, in a note 
dated May 8, 1868, to be abundant but of small size. Two specimens measured by 
the present writer in May, 1898, were 3^ inches and 3% inches long, respectively. 
KENNEBEC BASIN 
Wilton Pond. — Atkins received 60 specimens from Wilton Pond on May 1, 1868, 
which he said were mature but so small that he at first thought they were young 
fish. 
One of the specimens from this pond, which in 1870 Cope made the type of his 
new species Osmerus spectrum, was said to be a medium-sized example, measuring 
3% inches in length, in breeding condition. 
A collection of smelts from this pond, sent to the present writer by the late 
H. O. Stanley a number of years ago when he was one of the commissioners of 
inland fisheries and game of Maine, ranged in total length from 2% to 3^ inches 
and averaged 3 inches in total length. With them, however, was one specimen 
5% inches long. These were all in breeding condition, and the small fish were 
translucent, but the larger fish was darker and more like the ordinary fresh-water 
smelt of moderate size. 
Great Pond. — In 1875 the largest smelts taken by Atkins in Tilson or Palmer 
Brook, North Belgrade, were two females, each of which was 12 inches long. On 
