10 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
itiug deep water. At tlie same time, it is uo doubt possible, and even probable, that 
most of the fish spawn in the early winter, like the common whiteflsh, as observed by 
Mr. Wilson. The condition of the ovaries in the siiecimens sent in April by Mr. 
Wilson indicates the completion of spawning some months before. The ova in the 
7 examples examined were uniformly hard, white, and immature, and about one- 
fortieth of an inchin diameter. In one specimen, 14^ inches long and weighing 531 
grams, the ovaries were 5 inches in length and had a combined weight of 17 grams, 
the left organ being considerably fuller and weighing grams. 
Several of the specimens forwarded by Mr. Schwartz on June 13, 1892, which had 
probably been caught about two days before, had fully matured spawn, which was 
running when the fish were unpacked. One of these, 12 inches long, contained 2 
ounces of ripe eggs and also many undeveloped ova of very small size, together with 
a number of larger eggs that were apparently approaching maturity. The ripe eggs 
were of a pale-yellow color, transparent, and one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. 
A careful computation indicated that this fish contained about 15,000 more or less 
mature ova. 
Off the entire shore between Stony Point and the Niagara River, wherever the 
fishermen set their nets in deep water, the presence of an abundant supply of this 
whitefish is disclosed. Taking the entire lake into consideration, the fish do not 
show any marked fluctuations in abundance from year to year, and are now probably 
as numerous as when the fishery began. Mr. Wilson remarks that appearances 
would indicate that the fish are less numerous than formerly, but the fishermen think 
this is not the case, as the fish now go in more scattered schools than in earlier years, 
probably as a result of the scarcity of food on the regular feeding-grounds. 
The largest single lift of which a record has been obtained was made by a crew of 
Wilson fishermen in 1885; 2 men setting 9 pounds of netting (equivalent to about 
140 rods) took 1,000 pounds of these fish in one day. The usual daily catch to a boat 
is from 200 to 800 pounds. 
Comparing the abundance of this whiteflsh with that of the lake herring, it is 
interesting to observe that in some places at least, and probably generally, the 
former is much more numerous. The most j)ointed information available relates to 
the experience of the fishermen of Wilson; they often find the ciscoes on the same 
grounds as the long-jaws, but they are very scarce now and appear to have been 
affected, like the whiteflsh, by the advent of the long-jaws. Of the total quantity of 
long-jaws and ciscoes annually taken there, the former reiiresent no less than 90 per 
cent. 
Very little definite information bearing on the subject of the food of this white- 
fish can be given. It may be safely surmised, however, that it has substantially the 
same food as the common whitefish, although its deep-water habits would no doubt 
afibrd a different series of animal and vegetable food organisms ; and its larger mouth 
and more powerful jaws indicate a somewhat wider range of food than is iiossessed by 
the common whitefish, in which respect it resembles Coregonus artedi. The digestive 
tracts of the specimens at hand contain nothing, but this proves little, as an exami- 
nation of fish stomachs, unless undertaken soon after the fish are caught, usually 
fails to be satisfactory, as the intestinal and gastric juices continue their action after 
the death of the fish and the stomach contents are often completely digested in a 
short time. Mr. Wilson states, as a result of his personal observation, that the food 
