State Convention—Fish of Wisconsin. 331 
tries, spawning in the later part of fall and winter. Their flesh is 
universally esteemed. The trout family embrace by far the most 
valuable of our fishes, including, as it does, trout, whitefish and 
siscos. The famous speckled trout, salmo fontinalis , is a small 
species which are served at the restaurants in Chicago, at a charge 
that almost equals their weight in silver. It is humorously said 
that they charge by the speck, and if you do not count the spots 
yourself you are sure to be cheated. These beauties are to be 
found in nearly every stream in the northern half of the state. 
Wherever there is a spring run or lake, the temperature of which 
does not rise higher than sixty five or seventy in the summer, 
these trout can be propagated and reared in abundance. 
The great Salmon Trout—Salmo Amethystus —is a magnificent 
fish weighing from ten to sixty pounds. The Siscowit of lake 
Superior is about the same size, but not quite so good a fish, be¬ 
ing too fat and oily. They would no doubt flourish in the larger 
of the inland lakes, like those in the vicinity of Madison. The 
genus , coregonus , includes the true whitefish, or lake shad. In 
this genus, as now restricted, the nose is square and the under 
jaw short, and when first caught they have the fragrance of fresh cu¬ 
cumbers. There are at least three species found in lake Michigan. 
In my opinion these fish are more delicately flavored than the 
celebrated Potomac shad, but 1 doubt whether thev will thrive in 
the small lakes, owing to the absence of the small Crustacea on 
which they subsist; yet it is possible they would find some sub¬ 
stitute in the large lakes, on which they could thrive, at least it is 
worth the trial. The closely allied genus Arggrosomus includes 
seven known species inhabiting the larger lakes, and one, the 
Sisco, which is found in several of the lesser lakes. The larger 
species are but little inferior to the true whitefish, with which 
they are commonly confounded. The nose is pointed, the under 
jaw long, and they take the hook at certain seasons with activity. 
They eat small fish as well as insects and crusteceans. There is at 
least one of these species, the Salmon Herring of lake Michigan, that 
would do well in lake Mendota, and surely it would be well worth 
a trial to secure the luxury of catching and eating these excellent 
fish. At Racine alone, during the entire season of nine months, 
