,,salmon ,,fisheries ,,in ,,the ,,late #ai,,th ,,century999999 ,watch1 ,rockland1 ,maine1 with technical assistance from ,joseph ,e4 ,loewenstein1 ,m4,d4 ,,new ,,england ,,salmon ,,hatcheries ,,and ,,salmon ,,fisheries ,,in ,,the ,,late #ai,,th ,,century ,,contents ,,article ,i4 ,some ,results of the ,artificial ,propagation of ,maine and ,california ,salmon in ,new ,england and ,canada1 ,recorded in the ,years #ahgi and #ahhj ,,ii4 ,sketch of the ,penobscot ,salmon-,breeding ,establishment 7#ahhc7 ,,iii4 ,penning of ,salmon in ,order to ,secure ,their ,eggs 7#ahhd7 ,,iv4 ,memoranda ,relative to ,inclosures for the ,confinement of ,salmon ,drawn from ,experience at ,bucksport1 ,penobscot ,river1 ,maine 7#ahhd7 ,v4 ,report on the ,schoodic ,salmon ,work of #ahhd-he ,,vi4 ,methods ,employed at ,craig ,brook ,station in ,rearing ,young ,salmonid ,fishes 7#ahic7 ,,vii4 ,notes on the ,capture of ,atlantic ,salmon at ,sea and in the ,coast ,waters of the ,eastern ,states 7#ahid7 ,,article ,i ,,some ,,results ,,of ,,the ,,artificial ,,propagation ,,of ,,maine ,,and ,,california ,,salmon ,,in ,,new ,,england ,,and ,,canada1 ,,recorded ,,in ,,the ,,years #ahgi ,,and #ahhj ,compiled ,by ,the ,united ,states ,fish ,commissioner ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #a1 ,page #bgj1 #ahha4 ,new ,bedford1 ,mass ,may #bj1 #ahgi4 ,prof4 ,s4 ,f4 ,,baird3 ,sir3 ,i have just been in the fish market and a crew were bringing in their fish from one of the traps4 ,a noticeable and peculiar feature of the fishery this year is the great numbers of young salmon caught1 especially at the ,vineyard1 although some few are caught daily at ,sconticut ,neck 7mouth of our river74 ,there are apparently two different ages of them4 ,mostly about #b pounds in weight 7about as long as a large mackerel7 and about one-half as many weighing from #f to #h pounds2 occasionally one larger4 ,one last week weighed #cc pounds and one #ah pounds4 ,the fishermen think they are the young of those with which some of our rivers have been stocked1 as nothing of the kind has occurred in past years at all like this4 ,,john ,h4 ,,thomson4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #a1 ,page #bga1 #ahha ,new ,bedford1 ,mass4 ,june #a1 #ahgi4 ,prof ,,spencer ,f4 ,,baird3 ,,sir3 ,i received yours4 ,i have examined carefully since your letter1 but no salmon have been taken4 ,the run was about the two first weeks in ,may and a few the last of ,april4 ,mr4 ,bassett had about #cj to #ce from the trap at ,menimpsha1 and #aj or #ab from ,sconticut ,neck1 the mouth of our river4 ,mr4 ,bartlett1 at his fish market1 had about one dozen2 #ab from the traps near the mouth of ,slocum's ,river1 six miles west of here1 and ,i have heard of two taken at mouth of ,westport ,river4 ,as to the particular species1 ,i do not get any reliable information1 as so few of our fishermen know anything about salmon1 and in fact the men from the traps on ,sconticut ,neck did not know what the fish were4 ,,john ,h4 ,,thomson4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,fishing ,,items4 ,a ten-pound salmon and seventeen tautog1 weighing over one hundred pounds1 were taken from the weirs of ,magnolia1 ,thursday night4 ,this is the first salmon caught off ,cape ,ann for over thirty years4 ,on ,saturday morning three more large salmon were taken and #aej large mackerel4 ,the fishermen are highly elated at the prospect of salmon catching4 7,cape ,ann ,advertiser1 ,june #f1 #ahgi47 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,postscript to a letter from ,monroe ,a4 ,green1 ,new ,york ,state ,fishery ,commission1 to ,fred ,mather1 ,june #i1 #ahgi4 ,p4 ,s4--,kennebec salmon caught to-day in the ,hudson ,river at ,bath near ,albany weighing twelve and a half pounds1 sold for #dj cents per pound4 ,the first that have been caught for years4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,state ,,of ,,maine1 ,,department ,,of ,,fisheries1 ,bangor1 ,august #be1 #ahgi4 ,extracts4 ,,dear ,,professor3 ,we have had a great run of salmon this year1 and consisting largely of fish planted by us in the ,penobscot four or five years ago1 so far as we could judge2 there were a very large number1 running from #i to #ab pounds4 ,the east and west branches of the ,penobscot report a great many fish in the river4 ,on the ,mattawamkeag where we put in #bej1jjj and upwards1 in #ahge and #ahgf1 a great many salmon are reported trying to get over the lower dam at ,gordon's ,falls1 #ac feet high4 ,these fish were put in at ,bancroft1 ,eaton and ,kingman1 on the ,european and ,north ,american ,railroad4 ,the dam at ,kingham is #ac feet2 at ,slewgundy1 #ad feet2 at ,gordon's ,falls1 #ac feet and yet a salmon has been hooked on a trout fly at ,bancroft and salmon are seen in the river at ,kingman1 and between the dams at ,slewgundy and ,gordon's ,falls4 ,the dealers in our city have retailed this season #ej tons ,penobscot salmon1 and about #c tons ,saint ,john salmon2 it all sells as ,penobscot salmon4 ,saint ,john salmon costs here1 duty and all included1 about #ad cents per pound4 ,our first salmon sells at #a per pound1 and so on down to #ab #a_/b cents the last of the season4' ,salmon at ,bucksport has sold to dealers here at #h cents4 ,two tons taken at ,bucksport and ,orland in #bd hours4 ,average price at retail here for whole season1 #be cents4 ,truly1 yours1 ,e4 ,m4 ,stillwell4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,state ,,of ,,maine1 ,,department ,,of ,,fisheries1 ,bangor1 ,october #d1 #ahgi4 ,,dear ,,professor3 ,my delay in replying to your kind letter has been from no want of courtesy1 but a desire to send you the required data you asked4 ,neither myself nor ,mr4 ,atkins have been able to procure them4 ,the weir fishermen keep no records at all1 and it is difficult to obtain from them anything reliable2 while the fishermen above tidewater are a bad set of confirmed poachers1 whose only occupation is hunting and fishing both in and out of season4 ,they are always jealous and loth to let us know how good a thing they make of it1 for fear of us and fear of competition from their own class4 ,four or five years since ,i put in some #cjj1jjj salmon fry into the ,mattawamkeag at ,bancroft1 ,eaton1 ,kingsmore1 and at ,mattawamkeag village4 ,there are three dams between ,mattawamkeag and ,bancroft--none less than #ab feet high4 ,about six weeks since ,mr4 ,nathaniel ,sweat1 a railroad conductor on the ,european and ,north ,american ,railroad1 while fishing for trout from a pier above the railroad bridge at ,bancroft1 hooked a large salmon and lost his line and flies4 ,salmon in great numbers have been continually jumping below the first dam1 which is called ,gordon's ,falls4 ,my colleague1 ,everett ,smith1 of ,portland1 a civil engineer1 while making a survey for a fishway1 counted #ae salmon jumping in #cj minutes4 ,a ,mr4 ,bailey1 who is foreman of the repair shop at ,mattawamkeag walked up to the falls some three weeks since entirely out of curiosity excited by the rumors of the sight1 and counted #fj salmon jumping in about an hour1 within half or three-quarters of a mile of the falls4 ,this is on the ,mattawamkeag1 which is a great tributary of the ,penobscot4 ,on the east branch of the ,penobscot there has been a great run of salmon4 ,an explorer on the ,wassattaquoik reported the pools literally black with salmon4 ,a party of poachers1 hearing the rumor1 went in from the town of ,hodgon and killed #be4 ,i inclose you a letter to me from ,mr4 ,prentiss1 one of our most wealthy and prominent merchants1 which speaks for itself3 ,i will be obliged to you if you will return this1 as ,i shall have occasion to use it in my report4 ,on the ,west branch of the ,penobscot ,i hear reports of large numbers of salmon1 but the breaking of the two great dams at ,chesancook and the ,north ,twin ,dam1 which holds back the great magazine of water of the great tributary lakes which feed the ,penobscot1 which is used to drive the logs cut in the winter1 through the summer's drought1 has let up all the fish which hitherto were held back until the opening of the gates to let the logs through4 ,these fish would not1 of course1 be seen1 as they would silently make their way up4 ,i regret that ,i have nothing of more value to give you4 ,hoping that this small contribution may at least cheer you as it has me1 ,i remain1 truly1 yours1 ,e4 ,m4 ,,stilwell1 ,commissioner of ,fisheries for ,state of ,maine4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,prof4 ,,spencer ,f4 ,,baird1 ,united ,states ,commissioner ,fish and ,fisheries4 ,,bangor1 ,october #c1 #ahgi4 ,m4 ,,stilwell1 ,esq41 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,prof4 ,c4 ,e4 ,hamlin of ,harvard1 and ,i made a trip to ,mount ,katahdin last month for scientific examination and survey of the mountain4 ,i had been salmon fishing in ,july on the ,grand ,bonaventure1 on ,bay of ,chaleur1 and ,i could not see why we could not catch salmon on the east branch of the ,penobscot at the ,hunt place where we crossed it on our way in to ,katahdin4 ,i thought the pool from mouth of ,wassatiquoik to the ,hunt place1 about a half-mile1 must be an excellent salmon pool1 and my guide and the people there confirmed this opinion4 ,they said over a hundred salmon had been taken in that one pool this season4 ,the nearest settlement1 and only one on the whole east branch1 is about six miles out from there1 and the young men go on ,sundays and fish with drift-nets4 ,no regular fishing for market--only a backwoods local supply can be used4 ,these fish were about of one size--say #h to #aa pounds4 ,there were never enough fish here before to make it worth while for them to drift for them4 ,a few years ago no salmon were caught there at all4 ,twenty-two years ago1 before our fish laws were enacted1 the farmer at the ,hunt place used to have a net that went entirely across the river clear to the bottom1 which he kept all the time stretched across1 and he only used to get two or three salmon a week4 ,i was there ,august1 #aheg1 with ,mr4 ,joseph ,carr1 an old salmon fisher1 and we fished for ten days and could not get a rise4 ,the net had been taken up1 because the farmer did not get fish enough to pay for looking after it4 ,but the stocking the river makes it good fishing and ,i intend to try the east branch next season with the fly4 ,very truly1 ,,henry ,m4 ,,prentiss4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,october #ac1 #ahgi ,east ,windsor ,hill1 ,conn4 ,professor ,,baird3 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,it may be of interest to you to know that your salmon are not all lost4 ,last ,friday1 #ajth1 ,i was with a party of three fishing in ,snipsic ,lake1 and one of our party caught a salmon that weighed #a #c_/d pounds4 ,this is the second one taken since the pond was stocked as ,i was told4 ,the other was caught this summer and weighed #ab ounces4 ,cannot something be done to save our fish in ,connecticut ,river8 ,there is an establishment at ,holyoke1 ,mass41 and another at ,windsor ,locks1 ,conn41 that are manufacturing logs into paper1 and ,i am told that the chemicals used for that purpose are let off into the river twice a day1 and that the fish for half a mile come up as though they had been cockled4 ,both of these factories are at the foot of falls where the fish collect and stop in great numbers and are all killed4 ,our shores and sand-bars are literally lined with dead fish4 ,three salmon have been found among them within two miles of my office4 ,they were judged to weigh #ab1 #bj and #be pounds4 ,the dead fish are so numerous that eagles are here after them4 ,i have received nine that have been shot here in the past two seasons4 ,i have written you in order that the fish commissioners might stop this nuisance and save the fish that they have taken so much pains to propagate4 ,truly yours1 ,wm ,hood1 ,east ,windsor ,hill1 ,conn41 ,october #ac1 #ahgi 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,saint ,,stephen1 ,march #a1 #ahhj4 ,prof4 ,,spencer ,f4 ,,baird ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner ,fish and ,fisheries3 ,dear ,sir3 ,i send you remarks in relation to the ,restigouche and ,saint ,croix ,rivers1 which1 though crude1 ,i am sure are quite correct1 as they are either taken from the official statistics1 or are facts of which ,i am myself cognizant4 ,you may1 if of use1 publish any part of them4 ,i very much wish we could procure some young shad for the ,saint ,croix2 this fish was once very abundant1 and perhaps would be again if introduced4 ,i know you have been very successful in restocking the ,connecticut4 ,our old people deplore the loss of the shad--say it was a much better food-fish than the salmon4 ,i do a great deal of shooting1 and am much interested in ornithology1 and specimens of our birds that you might want ,i should be happy to lookout for2 do a good deal of coast shooting winters2 have been hopefully looking for a ,labrador duck for a number of seasons--fear they have totally disappeared4 ,i have nice spring-water conducted to my house and think of doing a little fish-hatching in a small way4 ,the amount of water ,i can spare is a stream of about half inch diameter2 the force will be considerable1 as the water rises to top of my house1 some #ej feet above where ,i should set trays4 ,i write to you to ask what hatching apparatus would be best to get1 where to buy1 and probable cost4 ,i am trying to get some sea-trout ova to hatch in it4 ,i presume all your ,california ova have been disposed of ere this4 ,,frank ,,todd4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,saint ,,stephen1 ,march #a1 #ahhj4 ,prof ,,spencer ,f4 ,,baird1 ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner ,fish and ,fisheries3 ,,sir3 ,in regard to the ,saint ,croix1 would say1 that it was once one of the most prolific salmon rivers in ,new ,brunswick1 but owing to the erection of impassable dams1 fifteen or twenty years ago1 this valuable fish had almost entirely disappeared4 ,at about this time fishways were placed in all the dams1 and gradually salmon began to increase1 but the first great stimulus was given some ten years ago by the distribution of some hundreds of thousands of young salmon in the headwaters1 by the fishery commissioners of ,maine4 ,the ,dobsis ,club also placed in the ,saint ,croix some #bjj1jjj or more from their hatchery1 a portion being the ,california salmon4 ,with these exceptions our river has had no artificial aid1 but for the last five years the number of salmon has largely increased1 due mainly1 no doubt1 to the deposits before mentioned4 ,the fish ways are generally in good condition 7although some improvements will be made71 and fish have easy access to headwaters1 ,that large numbers go up and spawn is evidenced by the large numbers of smolt seen at the head of tidal water in the spring1 many being taken by boys with the rod4 ,i have reason to expect that our government will hereafter distribute annually in the ,saint ,croix a goodly number of young salmon which1 together with the contributions of the ,maine commissioners will soon make this fish again abundant4 ,alewives are very abundant and apparently increasing every year4 ,shad that were once plenty have entirely disappeared4 ,i very much wish that the river could be stocked with this valuable fish2 possibly you could kindly assist us in this4 ,landlocked salmon 7here so called7 are1 ,i think1 nearly or quite as plenty at ,grand ,lake ,stream as they were ten years ago2 this1 ,i think1 is almost entirely due to the hatchery under the charge of ,mr4 ,atkins2 the tannery at the head of the stream having entirely destroyed their natural spawning beds1 the deposit of hair and other refuse being in some places inches deep4 ,the twenty-five per cent4 of all fish hatched1 which are honestly returned to our river1 is1 ,i think1 each year more than we would get by the natural process1 under present circumstances1 in ten years4 ,,frank ,,todd4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,saint ,,stephen1 ,n4 ,b41 ,,dominion ,,of ,,canada4 ,prof4 ,,spencer ,f4 ,,baird1 ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner ,fish and ,fisheries3 ,,sir3 ,i think it has been clearly demonstrated in this ,dominion that by artificial propagation and a fair amount of protection1 all natural salmon rivers may be kept thoroughly stocked with this fish1 and rivers that have been depleted1 through any cause1 brought back to their former excellence4 ,i would instance the river ,restigouche in support of the above statement4 ,this river1 which empties into the ,bay of ,chaleur1 is now1 and always has been1 the foremost salmon river in ,new ,brunswick1 both as to size and number of fish4 ,it has not a dam or obstruction to the free passage of fish from its mouth to its source1 yet up to #ahfh and #ahfi the numbers of salmon had constantly decreased4 ,this1 no doubt1 was occasioned by excessive netting at the mouth1 and spearing the fish during the summer in the pools2 natural production was not able to keep up with this waste4 ,in the year #ahfh the number of salmon was so small that the total catch by anglers was only #bj salmon1 and the commercial yield only #cg1jjj pounds4 ,at about this date1 the first salmon hatchery of the ,dominion was built upon this river and a better system of protection inaugurated2 every year since some hundreds of thousands of young salmon have been hatched and placed in these waters1 and the result has been1 that in #ahgh one angler alone 7out of hundreds that were fishing the river7 in sixteen days killed by his own rod eighty salmon1 seventy-five of which averaged over twenty-six pounds each2 while at the same time the numbers that were being taken by the net fishermen below1 for commercial purposes1 were beyond precedent1 amounting in that one division alone 7not counting local and home consumption7 to the enormous weight of #ejj1jjj pounds1 and the cash receipts for salmon in ,restigouche ,county that year amounted to more than #dj1jjj1 besides which some #e1jjj was expended by anglers2 this result was almost entirely brought about by artificial propagation4 ,a new hatchery of size sufficient to produce five million young fish annually will no doubt soon be erected by the ,dominion ,government upon this river4 ,a somewhat similar record might be given of the river ,saguenay4 ,some years ago anglers and net fishers of this river said it was useless to lease from the department1 as the scarcity of salmon was such as not to warrant the outlay4 ,a hatchery was built1 and this state of things is now wonderfully changed2 so much so1 indeed1 that in #ahgh salmon1 from the great numbers which were taken at the tidal fisheries1 became a drug in the market1 selling often as low as three cents per pound1 and angling in the tributaries was most excellent4 ,some one hundred million young salmon have been artificially hatched and distributed in the waters of the ,dominion during the last few years1 and new government hatcheries are constantly being erected4 ,yours1 c41 ,,frank ,,todd1 ,fishery ,overseer1 ,saint ,croix ,district4 ,,article ,,ii ,,sketch ,,of ,,the ,,penobscot ,,salmon-,,breeding ,,establishment by ,charles ,g4 ,atkins ,written by request of ,prof4 ,s4 ,f4 ,baird1 for the ,london ,exhibition1 #ahhc ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #c1 ,page #cgc1 #ahhc ,the rivers of the ,united ,states tributary to the ,atlantic1 north of the ,hudson1 were1 in their natural state1 the resorts of the migratory salmon1 ,salmo salar1 and most of them continued to support important fisheries for this species down to recent times4 ,the occupation of the country by ,europeans introduced a new set of antagonistic forces which began even in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to operate against the natural increase and maintenance of the salmon and other migratory fishes4 ,in many localities the closing of smaller streams by dams1 and the pursuit of the fish with nets and other implements1 had already begun to tell on their number2 but it was not until the present century that the industrial activities of the country began to seize upon the water power of the larger rivers and to interrupt in them by lofty dams the ascent of salmon to their principal spawning grounds4 ,these forces were rapid in their operations1 aided as they were by a greatly augmented demand for food from a rapidly increasing population4 ,in #ahfe the salmon fisheries were extinct in all but five or six of the thirty rivers known to have been originally inhabited by them4 ,in many of these rivers the last salmon had been taken1 and in others the occurrence of individual specimens was extremely rare4 ,among the exhausted rivers may be mentioned the ,connecticut1 #chj miles long2 the ,merrimack1#ahj miles long2 the ,saco1#abj miles long2 the ,androscoggin1 #bbj miles long2 and some twenty smaller rivers4 ,there still survived salmon fisheries in the following rivers1 namely1 the ,penobscot1 the ,kennebec1 the ,denny's1 the ,east ,machias1 the ,saint ,croix1 and the ,aroostook1 a tributary of the ,saint ,john4 ,the most productive of these was the ,penobscot1 yielding #e1jjj to #aj1jjj salmon yearly4 ,the ,kennebec occasionally yielded #a1bjj in a year1 but generally much less4 ,the other rivers were still less productive4 ,the movement for the re-establishment of these fisheries originated in action of the legislature of ,new ,hampshire1 seconded by that of the neighboring state of ,massachusetts1 having in view primarily the fisheries of the ,merrimack and ,connecticut ,rivers4 ,the course of the ,merrimack lies wholly within the states of ,new ,hampshire and ,massachusetts2 that of the ,connecticut lies partly in the state of ,connecticut1 and many of its tributaries are in the state of ,vermont4 ,these two states were therefore early interested in the project1 and their action soon led to similar exertions on the part of ,rhode ,island and ,maine4 ,within the borders of the six states mentioned1 collectively known as ,new ,england1 are all of the rivers of the ,united ,states known to have been frequented by the sea-going ,salmo salar1 with the possible exception of certain rivers1 tributary to the ,saint ,lawrence1 in the northern part of ,new ,york4 ,the governments of these states having appointed boards of commissioners to whom was confided the task of restocking the exhausted rivers1 other states1 one after another1 adopted like measures1 and in #ahgb the ,united ,states ,government established a commission to inquire into the condition and needs of the fisheries in general1 with authority to take steps for the propagation of food fishes4 ,the ,new ,england commissioners turned their attention at once to the two most important of their migratory fishes1 the salmon and the shad4 ,the utter extermination of salmon from most of their rivers compelled them to consider the best mode of introducing them from abroad4 ,agents were sent to the rivers of ,canada1 where for several years they were permitted to take salmon from their spawning beds1 and some hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs were thus obtained and hatched with a measure of success4 ,after a few seasons permits for such operations were discontinued1 and the only foreign source of supply thereafter remaining open to the states was found in the breeding establishments under control of the ,canadian ,government1 and even these were practically closed by the high price at which the eggs were valued4 ,in #ahgj it had become clear that to a continuation of efforts it was essential that a new supply of salmon ova should be discovered4 ,attention was now directed to the ,penobscot ,river in the state of ,maine1 which1 though very unproductive compared with ,canadian rivers1 might yet1 perhaps1 be made to yield the requisite quantity of spawn4 ,a preliminary examination of the river brought out the following facts3 ,the ,penobscot is about #bbe miles in length4 ,the upper half of its course and nearly all of its principal tributaries lie in an uninhabited wilderness1 and in this district are the breeding grounds of the salmon4 ,the fisheries1 however1 are all on the lower part of the river and in the estuary into which it empties1 ,penobscot ,bay4 ,there was no means of knowing how great a proportion of the salmon entering this river succeeded in passing safely the traps and nets set to intercept them1 but supposing half of them to escape capture there would still be but about #f1jjj fish of both sexes scattered through the hundreds of miles of rivers and streams forming the headwaters of the ,penobscot4 ,it was very doubtful whether they would be congregated about any one spot in sufficient numbers to supply a breeding station1 and it would be impracticable to occupy any widely extended part of the river1 on account of the difficulties of communication4 ,at the mouth of the river1 on the other hand1 the supply of adult salmon could be found with certainty1 but they must be obtained from the ordinary salmon fisheries in ,june and held in durance until ,october or ,november1 and the possibility of confining them without interfering seriously with the normal action of their reproductive functions was not yet established4 ,the latter plan was finally adopted1 and in #ahga the first attempt at this method of breeding salmon was instituted by the commissioners' of ,maine1 ,massachusetts1 and ,connecticut4 ,the site fixed upon for an inclosure was at ,craig's ,pond ,brook in the town of ,orland1 and arrangements for a supply of fish were made with two fishermen of ,verona at the very mouth of the river4 ,the salmon first brought were confined in a newly constructed artificial pond in the brook1 which was of such remarkable purity that a small coin could be distinctly seen at the depth of #g feet4 ,all of these died except a few which after a short stay were removed to other quarters4 ,the most prominent symptom was the appearance of a white fungoid growth in patches upon the exterior of the fish4 ,in a lake 7locally designated as ,craig's ,pond7 of equal purity1 but greater depth1 several of these diseased fish recovered4 ,of the salmon later obtained some were placed in an inclosure of nets in the edge of a natural pond with but #g feet of water1 of average purity1 some in a shallow inclosure in a brook1 and some turned loose in a natural lake of some #fj acres area1 with muddy bottom and peat-colored water4 ,in each case the salmon passed the summer with few losses1 arrived at the breeding season in perfect health1 and yielded at the proper time their normal amount of healthy spawn and milt1 though the great sacrifice of breeding fish by the early experiments of the season reduced the crop of eggs to the small number of #gb1jjj4 ,the conditions of success were thus sufficiently indicated1 and in #ahgb the same parties1 joined with the ,united ,states ,commission of ,fisheries1 renewed operations on a larger scale1 locating their headquarters at the village of ,bucksport1 confining the breeding salmon in ,spofford's ,pond 7,salmon ,pond on the general map of ,penobscot station71 and establishing their hatchery on the brook formed by its overflow4 ,this is the lake of #fj acres in which1 as mentioned above1 a few salmon had been successfully confined the year before4 ,though not at all such water as would be chosen by a salmon at large1 it nevertheless proved well adapted to the purpose of an inclosure for the breeding fish4 ,it was shallow1 its greatest depth1 at the season of highest water1 being but #aj feet2 at its upper end it abuts against an extensive swamp1 and almost its entire bottom1 except close to the shore1 is composed of a deposit of soft1 brown1 peaty mud of unknown depth4 ,the water is strongly colored with peaty solutions1 has a muddy flavor1 and under the rays of a summer sun becomes warmed to #gj 7,fahrenheit7 at the very bottom499 ,yet in such a forbidding place as this1 salmon passed the summer in perfect health4 ,there were some losses1 but every reason to believe them all to have been caused by injuries received prior to their inclosure4 99 ,during the month of ,august1 #ahgb1 the bottom temperature at #a p4m4 was never below #gj1 and on six days was found to be #ga4 ,during and after the hottest term of each summer 7the month of ,august7 very few died4 ,the supply of salmon was obtained mainly1 as in #ahga1 from the weirs in the southern part of ,verona4 ,they were placed in cars1 specially fitted for the purpose2 and towed to ,bucksport on the flood tide4 ,from the river to the inclosure they were hauled on drays in wooden tanks #c feet long1 #b feet wide and #b feet deep1 half a dozen at once4 ,from the weirs to the boats and from the boats to the tanks they were dipped in great canvas bags4 ,from all this handling but few losses ensued4 ,in the establishment at ,bucksport village the work was carried on for four years1 from #ahgb to #ahgf1 with a fair degree of success4 ,then ensued a suspension till #ahgi1 when the reappearance of salmon in the ,merrimack1 ,connecticut1 and some other rivers renewed the hopes of final success1 and encouraged the commissioners to reopen the station4 ,it had1 however1 been found that the old location had serious defects4 ,the inclosure was costly to maintain1 and the recapture of the fish involved a great deal of labor and trouble4 ,the water supplied to the hatchery was liable in seasons of little rain to be totally unfit1 causing a premature weakening of the shell and very serious losses in transportation4 ,after a careful search through the neighboring country it was found that the most promising site for an inclosure was in ,dead ,brook1 near the village of ,orland 7though within the limits of the town of ,bucksport71 and for a hatchery no location was equal to ,craigs ,pond ,brook1 the spot where the original experiments were tried in #ahga4 ,the only serious drawback was the separation of the two by a distance of some #b miles1 which could not offset the positive advantage of the hatchery site4 ,accordingly the necessary leases were negotiated1 an inclosure made in ,dead ,brook1 and a stock of breeding salmon placed therein in ,june1 #ahgi4 ,since then the work has been continued without interruption4 ,it is still found most convenient to obtain the stock of breeding salmon1 as in the early years of the enterprise1 from about a dozen weirs in the ,penobscot ,river along the shores of the island of ,verona4 ,the fishermen are provided with dip-nets or bags with which to capture the fish in their weirs1 with tanks or cars in which to transport them to the collecting headquarters1 whither they are brought immediately after capturing1 about low water4 ,the collection is in the hands of a fisherman of experience1 who receives the salmon as they are brought in1 counts and examines them1 adjudges their weight1 and dispatches them in cars to the inclosure at ,dead ,brook4 ,the cars are made out of the common fishing boats of the district1 called dories1 by providing them with grated openings1 to allow of a free circulation of water in transit1 and covering them with netting above to prevent the fish from escaping over the sides4 ,the car is ballasted so that it will be mostly submerged4 ,ten to fifteen salmon are placed in a single car1 and from one to four cars are taken in tow by a boat with two to four oarsmen4 ,from the collecting headquarters to ,orland village1 a distance of about #e miles1 the route is in brackish water1 and the tow is favored by the flood tide4 ,at ,orland is a dam which is surmounted by means of a lock1 and thence1 two miles further to ,dead ,brook1 the route is through the tide less fresh water of ,narramissic ,river4 ,the sudden change from salt to fresh water does not appear to trouble the fish except when the weather is very hot and the fresh water is much the warmest4 ,the cars are towed directly into the inclosure1 where the fish are at once liberated4 ,the inclosure is formed by placing two substantial barriers of woodwork across the stream #b1bjj feet apart4 ,the lower barrier is provided with gates which swing open to admit boats4 ,within the inclosure the water is from #c to #h feet deep1 the current very gentle1 the bottom partly muddy1 partly gravelly1 supporting a dense growth of aquatic vegetation4 ,the brook has two clean lakes at its source1 and its water is purer than that of ordinary brooks4 ,the collection of salmon usually continues from the first ten days of ,june until the beginning of ,july4 ,during the early weeks of their imprisonment the salmon are extremely active1 swimming about and leaping often into the air4 ,after that they become very quiet1 lying in the deepest holes and rarely showing themselves4 ,early in ,october they begin to renew their activity1 evidently excited by the reproductive functions4 ,preparations are now made for catching them by constructing traps at the upper barrier4 ,if the brook is in ordinary volume1 these means suffice to take nearly all1 but a few linger in the deeper pools and must be swept out with seines4 ,about ,october #be the taking of spawn begins4 ,after that date the fish are almost always ripe when they first come to hand1 and in three weeks the work of spawning is substantially finished4 ,although the salmon are taken from the fisherman without any attempt to distinguish between males and females1 it is always found at the spawning season that the females are in excess1 the average of four seasons being about #cd males to #ff females4 ,this is a favorable circumstance1 since the milt of a single male is fully equal to the impregnation of the ova of many females4 ,the experiment has several times been tried of marking the salmon after spawning and watching for their return in after years4 ,after some experiments1 the mode finally fixed upon as best was to attach a light platinum tag to the rear margin of the dorsal fin by means of a fine platinum wire4 ,the tags were rolled very thin1 cut about half an inch long and stamped with a steel die4 ,the fish marked were dis missed in the month of ,november4 ,every time it was tried a considerable number of them was caught the ensuing spring1 but with no essential change in their condition1 indicating that they had not meanwhile visited their spawning grounds4 ,in no case was a specimen caught in improved condition during the first season succeeding the marking4 ,but the following year1 in ,may and ,june1 a few of them were taken in prime condition--none otherwise--and it several times occurred that female salmon were a second time committed to the inclosure and yielded a second litter of eggs4 ,the growth of the salmon during their absence had been very considerable1 there being always an increase in length and a gain of twenty-five to forty per cent4 in weight4 ,the conclusion seems unavoidable that the adult salmon do not enter the ,penobscot for spawning oftener than once in two years4 ,the method of impregnation employed has always been an imitation of the ,russian method introduced into ,america in #ahga4 ,the eggs are first expressed into tin pans1 milt is pressed upon them1 and after they are thoroughly mixed together1 water is added4 ,the result has been excellent1 the percentage of impregnated eggs rarely falling so low as #ie4 ,after impregnation the eggs are transferred to the hatchery at ,craig's ,pond ,brook1 where they are developed1 resting upon wire-cloth trays in wooden troughs1 placed in tiers ten trays deep1 to economize space1 and at the same time secure a free horizontal circulation of water4 ,the hatchery is fitted up in the basement of an old mill1 of which entire control has been obtained4 ,the brook is one of exceptional purity1 and a steep descent within a few feet of the hatchery enables us to secure at pleasure a fall of #ej feet or less4 ,the brook formerly received the overflow of some copious springs within a few hundred feet of the hatchery1 which so affected the temperature of the water that the eggs were brought to the shipping point early in ,december1 an inconvenient date4 ,this has been remedied by building a cement aqueduct #a1fjj feet long1 to a point on the brook above all the springs1 which brings in a supply of very cold water4 ,the shipment of eggs is made in ,january1 ,february1 and ,march1 when they are sent by express1 packed in bog-moss1 all over the northern ,states1 with entire safety1 even in the coldest weather4 ,in the following statement is embraced a general summary of the results of each season's work3 ,,image orlandeggs4png in html file--table in text file ,salmon ,females ,eggs ,eggs ,year bought spawned obtained distrib'd ---- ------ ------- -------- --------- #ahga-gb #aaa #aa #gb1jga #gj1ejj #ahgb-gc #fib #bbe #a1efj1jjj #a1bda1hjj #ahgc-gd #fej #bgi #b1deb1fch #b1bia1age #ahgd-ge #fja #cdc #c1ajf1dgi #b1hdb1igg #ahge-gf #dfj #bcg #b1jbj1jjj #a1hbe1jjj #ahgi-hj #bfd #ai #baa1fib #bjj1ejj #ahhj-ha #ebb #bbg #a1icj1efa #a1hda1ejj #ahha-hb #eac #bcb #b1fij1ejj #b1faa1ejj #ahhb-hc #efj #bef #b1jge1jjj #b1jjj1jjj ----- ----- ---------- ---------- ,total #d1cgc #a1hbi #af1adh1ida #ad1ibd1ieb ,,article ,,iii ,,penning ,,of ,,salmon ,,in ,,order ,,to ,,secure ,,their ,,eggs4 ,by ,c4 ,j4 ,bottemanne ,m4,d4 ,from a letter to ,prof4 ,s4 ,f4 ,baird4 ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #d1 ,page #afi1 #ahhd4 ,in the ,dutch ,economist of #ahgd ,i gave a description of the fish breeding establishment of the ,state of ,new ,york1 and therein ,i mentioned the ,united ,states salmon-breeding establishment on the ,penobscot1 principally for the penning of the salmon from ,june till breeding time4 ,as you are likely aware1 the ,dutch ,government pays yearly #d1hjj to salmon breeders for young salmon delivered in spring1 at the rate of #aj cents for yearlings1 and not quite 7#d_/e7 one dollar per hundred for those that are about rid of the umbilical sac1 and ready to shift for themselves4 ,for the latter they receive payment only if there is money left after delivering the yearlings4 ,the breeders get their eggs from ,germany from ,schuster in ,freiburg1 and from ,gloser in ,basel2 but complain always that the eggs are from too young individuals1 that there is always too much loss in transportation1 that the eggs are so weak that after the fish have come out there is great mortality in the fry1 c4 ,in this month's ,economist ,i published the results on the ,penobscot1 and figured out that if breeders here set to work in the same style they would get at least four eggs to one1 at the same price1 and be independent4 ,we have an association here for promoting the fresh-water fisheries1 of which the principal salmon fishermen are members1 and also several gentlemen not in the business1 including myself4 ,in the ,december meeting ,i told them all ,i knew about the ,penobscot2 and one breeder got a credit for #bjj for getting ripe salmon and keeping them in a scow till he had what he wanted1 and he has succeeded pretty well4 ,still this is only on a limited scale4 ,i want to put up larger pens and in the style of the ,penobscot4 ,in order to do this ,i must know exactly what is done on the ,penobscot1 and how4 ,what is the size of the pen1 how large area1 how deep8 ,is it above tidal water8 7,this ,i take for granted47 ,what is the situation of the pond compared with the river8 ,what kind of failures were there1 and the probable reasons therefor8 ,in short1 ,i would like a complete description of the place1 with the history of it4 ,i hope you will excuse my drawing on you for such an amount1 but as the ,united ,states is the authority in practical fish-breeding1 we are obliged to come to you4 ,i am sorry to say that ,i cannot report the catch of any ,s4 quinnat1 yet three fish have been sent in for the premium we held out for the first fifteen caught1 but they proved not to be quinnat4 ,lately ,i heard that there were so many salmon caught in the ,ourthe1 near ,liege1 ,belgium 7the ,ourthe is one of the feeders of the ,maas71 which was an astonishing fact1 as salmon are seldom taken there4 ,bergen op ,zoom1 ,netherlands1 ,january #ab1 #ahhd ,,article ,,iv ,,memoranda ,,relative ,,to ,,inclosures ,,for ,,the ,,confinement ,,of ,,salmon ,,drawn ,,from ,,experience ,,at ,,bucksport1 ,,penobscot ,,river1 ,,maine4 ,by ,charles ,g4 ,atkins ,in response to request of ,dr4 ,c4 ,j4 ,bottemanne4 ,april #g1 #ahhd4 ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #d1 ,pages #agj-agd1 #ahhd4 ,the ,penobscot salmon-breeding establishment was founded in #ahgb1 at ,bucksport2 in the ,state of ,maine1 near the mouth of the ,penobscot ,river4 ,the location was primarily determined by the necessity of being near a supply of living adult salmon1 to be used for breeders4 ,after an exploration of the headwaters of the ,penobscot1 which lie mostly in an uninhabited wilderness1 the conclusion was reached that the chances of securing a sufficient stock of breeders were much greater at the mouth of the river1 where the principal salmon fisheries are located2 but to avail ourselves of the supply here afforded we must take the salmon at the ordinary fishing season1 ,may1 ,june1 and ,july1 and keep them in confinement until the spawning season1 which is here the last of ,october and first of ,november4 ,as the salmon naturally pass this period of their lives in the upper parts of the rivers1 it was thought essential to confine our captives in fresh water4 ,later experiments in ,canada indicate that they will do as well in salt water1 but the construction and maintenance of inclosures is much easier when they are located above the reach of the tide1 to say nothing of the proximity of suitable fresh water for the treatment of the eggs4 ,in the precise location of the inclosures several changes have been made1 but they have always been in fresh water1 and within convenient distance 7#e to #aj miles7 of the place where the salmon were captured4 ,in our experiments and routine work we have made use of four inclosures1 which ,i will now describe4 ,no4 #a4 ,in ,craig's ,pond ,brook1 a very pure and transparent stream1 an artificial pond #dj square rods in area and #g feet in extreme depth1 was formed by the erection of a dam4 ,the bottom of this pond was mainly a grassy sod newly flooded4 ,about half the water came from springs in the immediate vicinity1 and the rest from a very pure lake half a mile distant4 ,the water derived from the lake was thoroughly aerated by its passage over a steep rocky bed4 ,the transparency of the water in the pond was so great that a pin could be seen at the depth of six feet4 ,this inclosure was a complete failure4 ,the salmon placed therein were after a day or two attacked by a parasitic fungoid growth on the skin1 and in a few days died4 ,out of #ei impounded not one escaped the disease and only those speedily removed to other waters recovered4 ,several1 removed in a very sickly condition to the lake supplying the brook1 recovered completely1 from which it is safe to infer that the cause of the trouble did not lie in the lake water4 ,of the spring water ,i have some suspicions1 and should not dare to inclose salmon in it again4 ,no4 #b4 ,after the failure of the above experiment an inclosure was made in the edge of an ordinary lake by stretching a stout net on stakes4 ,this water was brown in color1 and objects #d feet beneath the surface were invisible4 ,the bottom was gravelly and devoid of vegetation4 ,the depth was #g and one half feet in early summer1 and about #d feet after the drought of ,august and ,september4 ,the area inclosed was about #be square rods in ,june1 and perhaps half as much at the end of summer4 ,this inclosure was entirely successful1 very few salmon dying in it except those that had been attacked by disease before their introduction1 and all the survivors were found to be in first-rate condition in ,november4 ,this site was not afterwards occupied1 because it was inconveniently located1 and was exposed to the full force of violent winds sweeping across the lake1 and therefore unsafe4 ,no4 #c4 ,the inclosure in use for the confinement of the stock of breeding fish for the four years from #ahgb to #ahge1 inclusive1 was made by running a barrier across a narrow arm of a small lake 7mentioned in official reports as ,spofford's ,pond7 near ,bucksport village4 ,this body of water1 about #fj acres in area in the summer1 receives the drainage of not more than #e square miles of territory through several small brooks1 that are reduced to dry beds by an ordinary drought4 ,about a quarter of the shores are marshy and the rest stony4 ,the water is highly colored by peaty matters in solution1 and all objects are invisible at a depth of #b feet3 ,the bottom is composed mostly of a fine brown peaty mud of unknown depth4 ,aquatic vegetation of the genera1 ,nuphar1 ,nymphaea1 ,bragenia1 ,potamogeton1 c41 is abundant4 ,the water is nowhere more than #af feet deep in the spring1 and #aa feet in midsummer4 ,the portion inclosed is #b feet shoaler4 ,the inclosure occupied sometimes #h or #aj acres1 and sometimes less4 ,the barrier was from #djj to #fjj feet long1 and was formed the first year of brush2 the second and third years of stake-nets1 weighted down at the bottom with chains2 and the fourth year of wooden racks1 #d feet wide and long enough to reach the bottom1 which were pushed down side by side4 ,the brush was unsatisfactory4 ,there were holes in it by which the fish escaped4 ,a single net would not retain its strength through a whole season1 the bottom rotting away and letting the fish out1 unless before the autumn was far advanced its position were reversed1 the stronger part that had been above water being placed now at the bottom4 ,this method was therefore rather expensive and not perfectly secure4 ,the wooden racks were costly and heavy to handle1 but quite secure4 ,the salmon placed in this inclosure had to be carted in tanks of water overland about a mile in addition to transportation in floating cars from #c to #e miles2 they were transferred suddenly from the salt water of the river 7about two-thirds as salt as common sea-water7 into the entirely fresh water of the lake4 ,to all the supposed unfavorable circumstances must be added the high summer temperature of the water4 ,during ,august the mean was generally above #gj degrees ,fahrenheit at the bottom and several degrees warmer at the surface4 ,occasionally there was observed a midday temperature of #gd degrees ,f4 and once #ge degrees at the bottom4 ,yet this proved an excellent place for our purpose1 a satisfactory percentage of the salmon remaining in perfect health from ,june to ,november4 ,no4 #d4 ,the inclosure in use since #ahgj at ,dead ,brook1 ,bucksport4 ,it is located in a gently running stream bordered by marshy ground1 with a bottom in part of gravel but mostly of mud1 crowded with aquatic vegetation4 ,the water1 supplied by two small lakes among the hills1 is cleaner than the average of ,maine rivers1 but does not in that respect approach the water of inclosure ,no4 #a4 ,the greatest depth is about #h feet1 but in the greater part of the inclosure it is from #c to #e feet4 ,the width of the stream is from #b to #d rods1 and the portion inclosed is #b1bjj feet long4 ,the barriers to retain the fish are in the form of wooden gratings1 with facilities for speedily clearing them of debris brought down by the stream4 ,better results were expected from this inclosure than from ,no4 #c1 but have not been realized4 ,the percentage of salmon dying in confinement has been greater1 amounting commonly to about #be percent of those introduced1 and this notwithstanding the salmon are conveyed to the inclosure by water carriage the entire distance 7#g miles7 instead of being carted in tanks4 ,the cause of the trouble has not yet been discovered1 but there is good reason for thinking that it lies in some of the circumstances attending the transfer of the fish from the place of capture1 and that the inclosure itself is perfectly suited to its purpose4 ,this view is supported by the fact that nearly all the losses occur within a few weeks after the introduction of the salmon and almost wholly cease by the end of ,july4 ,if the cause of disease was located in the inclosure1 we should expect it to be more fatal after a long than a short duration of the exposure of the fish to its action1 and that with the smaller volume and higher temperature of ,august it would be more active than in ,june and ,july4 ,the above description will1 ,i think1 give ,dr4 ,bottemanne a sufficiently correct idea of the character of the inclosures we have tried4 ,there are1 however1 several other points to be touched upon to put him in possession of the practical results of our experience4 ,the facilities for the recapture of the salmon when the spawning season approaches must be considered4 ,in the lake at ,bucksport village 7,no4 #c7 we hoped at first that their desire to reach a suitable spawning ground would induce them all to enter the small brook that forms the outlet1 which was within the limits of the inclosure4 ,in this matter our expectations were but partially realized4 ,many of the fish refused to leave the lake through the narrow opening that was afforded them1 and were only obtained by pound-nets1 seines1 and gill-nets1 all of which involved a considerable expenditure of labor and material4 ,the drawing of a seine in a large body of fresh water is likely to be a serious undertaking unless the bottom has been previously cleared of snags4 ,in this respect the long and narrow inclosure at ,dead ,brook possesses great advantages1 since it can be swept with a comparatively short seine4 ,however1 the influx and efflux of a considerable volume of water is of great advantage in enticing the gravid fish into traps that can readily be contrived for them by any ingenious fisherman4 ,the existence of a gravelly bottom in the inclosure must be considered a positive disadvantage1 inasmuch as it affords the fish a ground on which they may lay their eggs before they can be caught2 but the danger of such an occurrence is less as the bounds of the inclosure are more contracted and the facilities for capturing the fish are better4 ,as to the number of fish to a given area1 ,i think we have never approached the maximum4 ,i should have no hesitation in putting #ajjj salmon in the inclosure at ,dead ,brook1 which covers an area of less than #c acres4 ,of course the renewal of the water supply1 or its aeration by winds1 is of importance here4 ,the capture and transport of the fish in ,june involves methods requiring some explanation4 ,the salmon fisheries about the mouth of the ,penobscot ,river are pursued by means of a sort of trap termed a weir4 ,it is constructed of fine-meshed nets hung upon stakes1 arranged so as to entrap and detain the fish without insnaring them in the meshes4 ,they swim about in the narrow pound of the weir until the retreating tide leaves them upon a broad floor4 ,just before the floor is laid bare1 the salmon destined for the breeding works are dipped out carefully with a cloth bag or a very fine bag-net and placed in transporting cars or boats1 rigged specially for the purpose1 sunk deep in the water1 which fills them1 passing in at two grated openings above1 and passing out at two others astern1 and covered with a net to prevent escape4 ,in a boat #ac or #ad feet long 7on the bottom7 we put #aj or #ae salmon1 to be towed a distance of #g miles4 ,if the water is cool1 twice as many can go safely1 but there must be no delay4 ,it is very important that this car be smooth inside1 with no projections for the salmon to chafe on1 and the gratings must be so close that they cannot get their heads in between the bars4 ,if conveyance overland is necessary1 a wooden tank #c feet long1 #b feet wide1 and #b feet deep1 with a sliding cover1 will take six salmon at a time for a mile and perhaps farther1 and they may be jolted along over a rough road in comparative safety4 ,it has been our uniform experience that all the salmon that survive till autumn were in normal condition as to their reproductive function1 and yielded healthy spawn and milt4 ,on two occasions we suffered serious losses of eggs4 ,in neither instance could the loss be attributed to any defect in the inclosure1 but on one occasion the conclusion was reached that the water which was well suited to the maintenance of the fish was injurious to the eggs1 rendering the shell so soft that they could not be transported safely4 ,with the exception of the disasters enumerated above1 there has been but one that ,i can recall1 and that was caused by the bursting of our barriers at ,dead ,brook under the pressure of a flood4 ,,bucksport1 ,,me1 ,april #g1 #ahhd4 ,,article ,v ,,report ,,on ,,the ,,schoodic ,,salmon ,,work ,,of #ahhd-he ,by ,charles ,g4 ,atkins4 ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #e1 ,pages #cbd-cbe1 #ahhe4 ,the measurement of the stock of ,schoodic salmon eggs at ,grand ,lake ,stream at time of packing and shipment1 and the record of previous losses1 enable me to complete the statistics1 as follows3 ,original number taken 44444444444444444444444444444444444#a1hb j1haj ,the total losses up to that time1 including the unfertilized1 which were removed before packing444444444444#bed1daj ,net stock of sound eggs4444444444444444444444444444444444#a 1eff1djj ,reserved for ,grand ,lake44444444444444444444444444444444444 4#cig1djj ,available for shipment to subscribers 4444444444444444444#a1afi1jjj ,these were divided among the parties supplying the funds for the work in proportion to their contributions1 as follows3 ,allotted to the ,united ,states ,commission4444444444444444444#fjh1jjj ,allotted to the ,maine ,commission444444444444444444444444444#b cd1jjj ,allotted to the ,massachusetts ,commission4444444444444444444#ahg1jjj ,allotted to the ,new ,hampshire ,commission4444444444444444444#adj1jjj ,total4444444444444444444444444444444444 444444444444444444#a1afi1jjj ,the share of the ,united ,states ,commission was assigned and shipped1 under orders1 as follows3 ,a4 ,w4 ,aldrich1 commissioner1 ,anamosa1 ,iowa444444444444444444#ej1jjj ,e4 ,a4 ,brackett1 commissioner1 ,winchester1 ,mass44444444444444#be1jjj ,h4 ,h4 ,buck1 ,orland1 ,me1 to be hatched for ,eagle ,lake1 ,mount ,desert444444444444444444444444444444444 444#bj1jjj ,paris1 ,mich41 for ,michigan commission44444444444444444444444#ej1jjj ,madison1 ,wis41 for ,wisconsin commission444444444444444444444#ej1jjj ,r4 ,o4 ,sweeny1 commissioner1 ,saint ,paul1 ,minn 444444444444444#ej1jjj ,south ,bend1 ,nebr41 for ,nebraska ,commission444444444444444444#bj1jjj ,e4 ,b4 ,hodge1 commissioner1 ,plymouth1 ,n4,h44444444444444444444#dj1jjj ,cold ,spring ,harbor1 ,n4 ,y41 for ,new ,york ,commission4444444444#fj1jjj ,plymouth1 ,n4 ,h41 for ,vermont ,commission 44444444444444444444#be1jjj ,plymouth1 ,n4 ,h41 for ,lake ,memphremagog 444444444444444444444#be1jjj ,central ,station1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 44444444444444444444444444#aj1jjj ,r4 ,e4 ,earll1 ,world's ,exposition1 ,new ,orleans 4444444444444444#e1jjj ,g4 ,w4 ,delawder1 commissioner1 ,baltimore 444444444444444444444#e1jjj ,myron ,battles1 ,north ,creek1 ,n44444444444444444444444444444444#e1jjj ,a4 ,r4 ,fuller1 ,meacham ,lake1 ,n4 44444444444444444444444444444#bj1jjj ,f4 ,mather for transmission to ,europe as follows3 ,for ,herr von ,behr1 ,germany44444444444444444444444444444444 44#dj1jjj ,for ,tay ,fishery ,board1 ,scotland44444444444444444444444444444#b j1jjj ,for ,national ,fish ,culture ,association1 ,england44444444444444#cj1jjj ,total to ,europe444444444444444444444444444444444 444444444444#ij1jjj ,enfield1 ,maine for ,maine ,commission4444444444444444444444444#eh1 jjj ,total4444444444444444444444444444444444 44444444444444444444#fjh1jjj ,a few of the shipments have been heard from1 and these all reached their destinations safely4 ,,bucksport1 ,,me4 ,march #ca1 #ahhe ,,article ,,vi ,,methods ,,employed ,,at ,,craig ,,brook ,,station ,,in ,,rearing ,,young ,,salmonid ,,fishes ,by ,charles ,g4 ,atkins1 ,superintendent ,u4 ,s4 ,fish ,commission ,station at ,craig ,brook1 ,maine4 ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #ac1 ,pages #bba-bbh1 #ahic4 ,the station of the ,u4 ,s4 ,fish ,commission at ,craig ,brook was founded in #ahhi1 on the same site where1 in #ahga1 the first attempt at the artificial spawning of salmon in the ,united ,states was made4 ,this site had been selected by the commissioners of fisheries of the ,states of ,maine1 ,massachusetts1 and ,connecticut for that experiment because of its proximity to the salmon fisheries of the ,penobscot ,river and the facilities presented for the maturing of the spawn that might be obtained4 ,the collection of spawn has been carried on in the vicinity annually from #ahga to the present time1 with the exception of the three years #ahgf1ahgg1 and #ahgh1 and since #ahgi the development of the spawn has been conducted constantly at ,craig ,brook4 ,no attempt was1 however1 made to rear the fry of any species until #ahhf4 ,two years later it was definitely determined to found a permanent station at ,craig ,brook1 and in #ahhi the purchase of the grounds was effected and permanent improvements begun4 ,the station is located in the town of ,orland1 ,me41 #g miles east of ,bucksport1 a seaport on the ,penobscot ,river4 ,its territory embraces a tract of land extending between ,allamoosook ,lake and ,craig ,pond and embracing within its limits the entire length of ,craig ,brook1 which connects those two bodies of water4 ,its latitude is about #dd degrees #db' ,n4 ,the mean annual temperature and precipitation are believed to approximate those of ,orono1 #be miles distant1 namely1 #db4dh ,f4 #e4h ,c4 and #de4dd inches #aaf cm44 ,the range of air temperature observed at the station is from #ah ,f4 below zero to #ib4e;,f4 above -#bg4g ,c4 to #cc4f ,c44 ,frosts not infrequently occur as late as the #ast of ,june and as early in autumn as the first week in ,september4 ,the lakes in the vicinity are commonly covered with ice before the end of ,november1 and they are not often released until near the end of ,april4 ,the water supply is derived from ,craig ,brook and from three large and several lesser springs4 ,the source of the brook is ,craig ,pond1 which affords a constant supply of exceedingly transparent water1 warm in summer and cold in winter1 moderated1 however2 in both extremes by the water from the springs1 which mingles with the brook in its lower course1 forming about a third of its volume4 ,it is this mixed water which is mainly used in the rearing of fish4 ,its temperature ranges from #cd ,f4 #a4a ,c4 to #gj;,f4 #ba4a;,c44 ,the lowest monthly mean in #ahic was #ce4h ,f4 #b4a ,c4 in ,february4 ,the highest was #fd4f;,f4 #ah4a;,c4 in ,august4 ,the total volume is variable1 ranging from #hge to #c1jjj gallons and averaging about #a1bjj gallons per minute4 ,the difference of level between the source and mouth of the brook is about #aij feet4 ,the sharpest descent is just above the hatchery and rearing troughs1 which therefore receive well-aerated water4 ,the conformation of the ground offers good facilities for the distribution and utilization of the water4 ,the leading motive in the foundation of this station was the desire to apply to the ,atlantic salmon the system of rearing fish to the age of at least several months before liberating them4 ,this motive has determined not only the principal subjects of the work1 but also to a considerable extent the fixtures and methods4 ,the scheme of work was determined in outline several years before the acquisition of full title to the premises1 and1 circumstances rendering it desirable to enter at once on its development1 it became necessary to have recourse to movable apparatus1 pending authority for permanent improvements4 ,hence the erection of a series of small troughs in the open air1 which gave such excellent satisfaction that enlargement took the same direction2 and it has thus come about that the rearing operations of the station down to the present time have been almost exclusively conducted in open-air troughs4 ,a series of ponds has been constructed1 but with the exception of a few small ones none of them have been as yet brought into use4 ,the troughs are for the most part such as are used in the hatchery for the maturing of spawn1 and their form and size have been adapted to the hatching apparatus which has been in use at the ,maine station for many years4 ,the eggs are developed on wire-cloth trays measuring #ab and one half inches in width and length1 and the troughs are therefore #ab and three quarter inches wide4 ,their depth is #i inches and their length is #aj feet #f inches4 ,such short troughs were adopted for two reasons3 7#a7 ,it was thought that a greater length might involve the exposure of the eggs near the lower end to the danger of a partial exhaustion of the air from the water by the eggs above them2 7#b7 these short troughs are very convenient to cleanse and to move about for repairs or other purposes4 ,they are made of pine boards seven-eighths inch thick4 ,on the inside they are planed and varnished with asphaltum4 ,when used for rearing fish each trough is fitted with a pair of thin wooden covers reaching its entire length hinged to the sides and meeting each other1 when closed1 at a right angle1 forming2 as it were1 a roof over the trough4 ,when closed they protect from predatory birds and other vermin2 when open they are fixed in an upright position1 in effect adding to the height of the sides and preventing the fish jumping out4 ,the time spent in opening and closing the troughs is by this arrangement reduced to a minimum4 ,water is fed through wooden tubes1 and the volume admitted is regulated by slides ,the exit of the water is through another tube or hollow plug standing upright near the lower end of the trough1 and by its height governing the depth of the water4 ,the outlet tube is movable and is taken out in cleaning4 ,a wire-cloth screen just above the outlet tube prevents the fish escaping4 ,in a trough of standard size #b1jjj fry are generally placed1 and to accommodate the large numbers of fish reared we bring into use sometimes nearly #bjj troughs which are of necessity placed in the open air4 ,they are arranged in pairs with their heads against the feed troughs1 supported by wooden horses at a convenient height from the ground4 ,they are given an inclination of about #b inches to facilitate cleaning4 ,the volume of water fed to each trough has varied from time to time1 but is ordinarily about #e gallons per minute1 which renews the water every four minutes4 ,the ordinary arrangement is to use the water but once in the troughs1 letting it waste into some small ponds in which yearling and older fish are kept2 but there is one system of #eb troughs arranged in four series1 which use in succession the same water4 ,from these we have learned that young salmon thrive quite as well in the fourth series as in the first4 ,indeed1 by an actual test1 with fish of like origin and character in each series1 the fish reared in the fourth series were found to grow faster1 to an important degree1 than those in the first4 ,this phenomenon probably resulted from a somewhat higher temperature which the water acquired in passing through the several series4 ,a like observation has been made on a few salmon maintained for a few weeks1 in the warmer water of a neighboring brook4 ,as already stated1 the activity of the station has been mainly occupied with ,atlantic salmon1 but there have been reared each year a few landlocked salmon and brook trout1 and occasional lots of other salmonoids1 such as ,loch ,leven1 ,von ,behr1 ,swiss-lake1 rainbow1 and ,scotch sea trout4 ,all these have received the same treatment4 ,with the exception of the rainbow trout1 they are all autumn-spawning fishes1 and their eggs hatch early in the spring4 ,the embryos of salmon begin to burst the shell in the month of ,march1 and the #ast of ,april may be stated as the mean date of hatching4 ,if the open-air troughs are in order--and we aim to have them so--the eggs are counted out into lots of #b1jjj or #d1jjj each and placed before hatching in their summer quarters4 ,the water is at that time very cold1 the development of the alevins is slow1 and it is not until the latter part of ,may that the yolk sack is fully absorbed4 ,june #a is1 therefore1 the date when feeding is ordinarily begun4 ,the growth of the fish is at first slow1 the water being still cool1 but is accelerated as the summer passes away4 ,in ,october and ,november1 beginning commonly about the middle of ,october1 most of the fish are counted out and liberated1 but a small number1 rarely more than #ae1jjj1 being carried through the winter at the station4 ,the reserved fish are sometimes left until midwinter in their summer quarters1 and with a careful covering of the conduits and banking of the troughs themselves each with coarse hay and evergreen boughs it is possible to keep them there the year round2 but for ordinary winter storage there is provided a system of sunken tanks covered by a rough shed with a constant water supply4 ,these tanks are molasses hogsheads1 securely hooped with iron1 sunk nearly their entire depth into the ground1 each with an independent water supply and waste1 the perforation for the latter being near the surface4 ,they have a capacity of from #ajj gallons of water upward1 and will carry safely each #ejj to #gjj fish in their first winter1 that is1 just approaching the age of one year4 ,this arrangement has answered its purpose fairly well1 and in a very rigorous climate or where the water is very cold it is to be recommended2 but since its construction it has been discovered that at ,craig ,brook it is not at all difficult to protect the ordinary troughs in such a way as to insure their safety from freezing1 and their attendance through the winter is less troublesome than that of the sunken tanks4 ,a list of the articles employed for food at the station since its foundation1 if designed to include those used on an experimental as well as a practical scale1 would be a long one1 and ,i will content myself with naming the following3 ,on a practical scale we have used butcher's offal1 flesh of horses and other domestic animals by the carcass1 fresh fish1 maggots2 and on an experimental scale1 pickled fish1 fresh-water mussels1 mosquito larvae1 miscellaneous aquatic animals of minute size4 ,in the production of maggots we have also made use of large quantities of stale meat from the markets and some barrels of fish pomace1 in addition to the articles mentioned above4 ,the butcher's offal comprises the livers1 hearts and lights of such animals as are slaughtered in ,orland and ,bucksport--mainly lambs and veals4 ,these are collected from the slaughter-houses twice or thrice weekly1 and preserved in refrigerators until used4 ,the quantity of such material to be had in the vicinity has been inadequate to our needs and we have been compelled to look in other directions for food4 ,the flesh of horses has been used only during the season of #ahic4 ,old and worn out horses and those hopelessly crippled or dying suddenly have been bought when offered1 and used in the same way as the butcher's offal2 the parts that could be chopped readily have been fed direct to the fish so far as needed2 and other parts have been used in the rearing of maggots4 ,the season's experience has been so satisfactory that greater use will be made of horse flesh hereafter4 ,next to the chopped meat1 maggots have constituted the most important article of food1 and their systematic production has received much attention4 ,a rough wooden building has been erected for the accommodation of this branch of the work and one man is constantly employed about it during the summer and early autumn months4 ,the maggots thus far employed are exclusively flesh-eaters1 mainly those of two undetermined species of flies--the first and most important being a small smooth1 shining green or bluish-green fly occurring at the beginning of summer and remaining in somewhat diminished numbers until ,october1 and the other a large rough1 steel-blue fly that makes its appearance later and in autumn becomes the predominating species1 having such hardiness as to continue the reproduction of its kind long after the occurrence of frosts sufficiently severe to freeze the ground4 ,in outline the procedure is to expose the flesh of animals in a sheltered location during the day1 and when well stocked with the spawn of the flies to place it in boxes which are set away in the fly house to develop2 when fully grown the maggots are taken out and fed at once to the fish4 ,the materials used for the enticing of the flies and the nourishment of the maggots have been various4 ,stale meat from the markets has been perhaps the leading article1 but we have also used such parts of the butcher's offal and of the horse carcasses as were not well adapted to chopping2 fish1 fresh dried or pickled2 fish pomace from herring-oil works1 and any animal refuse that came to hand4 ,fresh or slightly tainted meat has been used to greater extent than any other material1 and has proved itself equally good with any4 ,fresh fish is very attractive to the flies1 and when in just the proper condition may be equally good with fresh meat1 but some kinds of fish are too oily1 for instance1 alewives and herring1 and all sorts thus far tried are apt to be too watery4 ,a very limited trial of fish dried without salt or smoke indicates that it is1 when free from oil1 a very superior article2 it has1 of course1 to be moistened before using4 ,its preparation presents some difficulties1 but in winter it is easily effected by impaling the whole fish on sticks and hanging them up1 7after the manner of alewives or herring in a smokehouse7 under a roof where they will be protected from rain without hindering the circulation of air2 in this way we have dried many flounders and other refuse fish from the smelt fisheries1 which are conducted with bag nets in the vicinity of ,bucksport4 ,doubtless a centrifugal drying machine might be successfully used for this purpose in summer4 ,pickled alewives1 freshened out in water1 have been found to answer fairly well1 when other materials are lacking1 at least to give growth to maggots otherwise started4 ,fish pomace has not thus far given satisfaction1 but seems worthy of further trial4 ,it is commonly necessary to expose meat but a single day to obtain sufficient fly spawn2 the larvae are hatched and active the next day1 except in cool weather1 and they attain their full growth in two or three days4 ,to separate them from the remnants of food and other debris was at first a troublesome task4 ,it is now effected as follows3 the meat bearing the fly spawn is placed on a layer of loose hay or straw in a box which has a wire-cloth bottom1 and which stands inside a slightly larger box with a tight wooden bottom4 ,when full grown the maggots work their way down through the hay into the lower box1 where they are found nearly free from dirt4 ,when young salmon or trout first begin to feed they are quite unable to swallow full-grown maggots4 ,small ones are obtained for them by putting a large quantity of fly spawn with a small quantity of meat1 the result being that the maggots soon begin to crowd each other and the surplus is worked off into the lower box before attaining great size4 ,no attempt is1 however1 made to induce the young fish to swallow even the smallest maggots until they have been fed a while an chopped liver4 ,in the above methods maggots are produced and used in considerable numbers1 sometimes as many as a bushel in a day4 ,through ,september1 #ahic1 although the weather and some other circumstances were not very favorable1 the average daily production was a little over half a bushel4 ,they are eagerly eaten by the fish1 which appear to thrive on them better than on dead meat4 ,having great tenacity of life1 if not snapped up immediately by the fish they remain alive for a day or two1 and1 as they wriggle about on the bottom1 are almost certain to be finally eaten2 whereas the particles of dead flesh that fall to the bottom are largely neglected by the fish and begin to putrefy in a few hours4 ,in the fish troughs there are1 therefore1 certain gains in both cleanliness and economy from the use of maggots which may be set down as compensating the waste and filthiness of the fly-house4 ,as the growth of maggots can be controlled by regulation of the temperature1 it is possible to keep them all winter in a pit or cellar1 and advantage is taken of this to use them during winter as food for fish confined in deep tanks not easily cleaned4 ,the offensive odors of decaying flesh may be largely overcome by covering it1 on putting it away in the boxes1 after the visits of the flies1 with pulverized earth1 and it is not improbable that by this or some other method the business may be made almost wholly inoffensive1 but in its present stage of development it is too malodorous to admit of practice in any place where there are human habitations or resorts within half a mile of the spot where the maggots are grown4 ,as remarked above1 only flesh-eating maggots have yet been tried4 ,it would be well worth while to experiment with the larvae of other species1 such as the house fly1 the stable fly1 etc4 ,there is also a white maggot known to grow in heaps of seaweed4 ,should the rate of growth of either of these species be found to be satisfactory they might be substituted for the flesh maggots with advantage4 ,occasional use has been made of fresh fish for direct feeding4 ,when thrown into the water after chopping it breaks up into fibers to such an extent that it is not very satisfactory1 and ,i do not suppose we shall use it in the future1 unless in a coarsely chopped form for the food of large fish4 ,a few barrels of salted alewives have been used1 and if well soaked out and chopped they are readily eaten by the larger fish and can be fed to fry1 but are less satisfactory with the latter1 and like fresh fish they break up to such an extent that they are only to be regarded as one of the last resorts4 ,fresh-water mussels have been occasionally gathered in the lake close to the station when there has been a scarcity of food4 ,those employed belong almost wholly to a species of ,unio which abounds over a considerable area of soft bottom1 under a depth of #b to #aj feet of water4 ,many were taken with a boat dredge2 more were scooped up with long-handled dip nets of special construction4 ,finally a wide1 flat dredge was made1 to be drawn by a windlass on the shore and manipulated by means of poles from a large boat4 ,when needed for food the mussels were opened with knives--a great task--and chopped4 ,the meat is readily eaten by all fishes1 and appears to form an excellent diet4 ,being more buoyant than any other article tried1 it sinks slower in the water and gives the fish more time to seize it before it reaches the bottom1 a consideration of considerable practical importance4 ,the labor involved in dredging and shelling is a serious drawback1 but were the colonies of unios sufficiently extensive or their reproduction rapid enough to warrant expenditure of time in experimentation2 improved methods might be devised1 which would put this food-source on a practicable basis4 ,during the seasons of #ahhf and #ahhh some use was made of mosquito larvae4 ,near the station is an extensive swamp where these insects breed in great numbers4 ,from the pools of water the larvae were daily collected by means of a set of strainers specially devised for this use4 ,barrels filled with water were also disposed in convenient places near the rearing troughs1 and were soon swarming with larvae from the eggs deposited by the mosquitoes on the surface of the water4 ,when near the completion of their growth1 which was only some ten days after the deposit of the eggs1 the larvae 7or pupae7 were strained out and fed to the fish4 ,no kind of food has been used this station that has been more eagerly devoured1 and so far as our observation has gone no other food has contributed more to the growth of the fish2 indeed1 ,i am inclined to put them at the head in both respects4 ,it was found1 however1 that the time expended in collecting them was out of all proportion to the quantity of food secured1 and pending opportunity for further experiment their use was discontinued4 ,i think it quite possible that an arrangement might be devised whereby the greater part of the labor might be saved4 ,perhaps a series of breeding tanks arranged in proximity to the fish troughs1 into which the water containing the larvae might be drawn when desirable by the simple opening of faucet1 would solve the problem4 ,various methods of serving the food have been tried1 but at present everything is given with a spoon4 ,the attendant carries the food with the left hand--in a #b-quart dipper if chopped meat1 in a larger vessel if maggots--and1 dipping it out with a large spoon1 strews it the whole length of the trough1 being careful to put the greater portion at the head1 where the fish nearly always congregate4 ,finely chopped food1 for very young fish1 is slightly thinned with water before feeding4 ,at one time the finest food was fed through perforations in the bottom of a tin dish2 the food was placed in the dish1 which was dipped into the water a little and shaken till enough of the food had dropped out of the perforations2 this practice was laid aside because it was thought that the food was too much diluted4 ,in feeding maggots it was1 at first1 the practice to place them on small feeding boards of special construction suspended over the water in the troughs and let them crawl off into the water2 but whatever advantage this method may have had in furnishing the meal to the fish slowly was more than counterbalanced by the extra labor of caring for the boards and by the offensive odor1 and it was abandoned4 ,for use in feeding fish in a pond a box containing a series of shelves1 down which the maggots slowly crawl1 was found sufficiently useful to be retained4 ,it is the common practice to feed all meat raw except the lights1 which chop better if boiled first1 except also occasional lots of meat that are on the point of becoming tainted and are boiled to save them4 ,all meats fed direct to the fish are first passed through a chopping machine4 ,the machine known as the ,enterprise is the one now in use4 ,it forces the meat through perforated steel plates4 ,the plate used for the smaller fish has perforations #b inch in diameter1 and for coarser work there are two plates #c_/afth inch and #c_/hth inch1 respectively4 ,it is operated by a crank turned by hand4 ,food is given to those fish just beginning to eat four times a day 7in some cases even six times74 ,as the season progresses the number of rations is gradually reduced to two daily4 ,in winter such fish as are carried through are fed but once a day4 ,the cleaning of the troughs has been a troublesome matter1 and the subject of much study and experiment1 but nothing more satisfactory has been found than the following practice3 ,the troughs are all to be cleaned daily--not all at one time1 but as time is found for it in the intervals of other work4 ,to facilitate cleaning1 the troughs are inclined about #b inches4 ,the outlet is commanded1 as already explained1 by a hollow plug4 ,when this is drawn the water rushes out rapidly and carries most of the debris against the screen4 ,the fishes are excited1 and1 scurrying about1 they loosen nearly all dirt from the bottom2 what will not otherwise yield must be started with a brush1 but after the first few weeks the brush has rarely to be used except to rub the debris through the outlet screen4 ,owing to the inclination of the trough the water recedes from the upper end until the fishes lying there are almost wholly out of water1 but1 although they are left in that position sometimes for #aj or #ae minutes1 no harm has ever been known to result4 ,it has been the common rule at the station to count all the embryos devoted to the process of rearing1 either before or after hatching2 to keep an accurate record of losses during the season1 and to check the record by a recount in the fall4 ,when eggs are counted they are lifted in a teaspoon4 ,the counting of small fish is effected in this way3 ,the fish are first gathered in a fine1 soft bag-net1 commonly one made of cheese-cloth1 and from this1 hanging meanwhile in the water1 yet so that the fish cannot escape1 they are dipped out a few at a time1 in a small dipper or cup1 counted1 and placed in a pail of water or some other receptacle4 ,this counting is generally preliminary to weighing1 and in this case the fish1 after counting1 are placed in another bag-net1 in which they are lowered1 several hundred at a time1 into a pail of water which has been previously weighed1 and the increase noted4 ,with care to avoid transferring to the weighing pail any surplus water1 this is a correct method and very easy and safe for the fish4 ,in conclusion1 ,i submit some estimates of cost4 ,in ,september1 #ahic1 we fed fry that were estimated at the close of the month to number #bch1cjj4 ,there were also a few hundred larger fish4 ,from the known total outlay for food1 attendance1 and superintendence a suitable allowance is made for the maintenance of the older fish1 and the balance is charged to the fry4 ,by this method we arrive at the following results3 ,cost4444444444444444444,total44444444,p er fish4 ,food #aee4jj #j4jjjfe ,attendance #ii4gi 4#jjjdb ,superintendence #bje4if 4#jjjhf ,total #dfj4ge #j4jjaic ,applied to the rearing operations of #ahia1 a similar calculation gives us this result3 ,the fry that were carried through the season from ,june to ,october1 inclusive1 cost1 for food1 attendance1 and superintendence1 #j4jjha each2 that is1 about four-fifths of a cent each for the term of five months4 ,,article ,,vii ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,capture ,,of ,,atlantic ,,salmon ,,at ,,sea ,,and ,,in ,,the ,,coast ,,waters ,,of ,,the ,,eastern ,,states ,by ,hugh ,m4 ,smith1 ,m4 ,d41 ,assistant in charge of ,division of ,statistics and ,methods of the ,fisheries4 ,bulletin of the ,united ,states ,fish ,commission1 ,vol4 #ad1 ,page #ie1 #ahid4 ,in carrying out its most important function--the maintenance and increase of the supply of food fishes--the ,u4,s4 ,commission of ,fish and ,fisheries1 in addition to direct efforts to increase the abundance of fishes naturally inhabiting our various rivers1 lakes1 and coast waters1 has given considerable attention to the experimental introduction of fishes into regions or streams to which they were not native4 ,the wonderful success which has followed the planting of shad and striped bass fry in the waters of the ,pacific coast is well known4 ,the results attending the recent attempts of the ,commission to establish a run of salmon 7,salmo salar7 in some of the large rivers of the ,atlantic coast have been so noteworthy in the case of the ,hudson as to afford reasonable ground for expecting the early inauguration of a regular fishery1 should the present rate of increase in the abundance of the fish be maintained4 ,similar striking results may also be anticipated in all the more northern streams of the east coast1 including the ,housatonic1 ,connecticut1 and ,merrimac1 in which salmon were at one time found in abundance and are now taken in small numbers1 if the ascent of the adult fish to the headwaters for the purpose of spawning is permitted and if sufficiently extensive fish-cultural operations are continued4 ,the primary purpose of this paper is to record some of the apparent results of salmon propagation in our rivers as shown by the occurrence of the fish at points on the coast or at sea more or less remote from the places where fry have been deposited4 ,while an interesting and instructive compilation might be made of the instances of the capture of salmon in the ,hudson1 ,delaware1 ,susquehanna1 ,potomac1 and other rivers in which the fish has been acclimated1 such a work is not necessary in view of the notice which has already been accorded the matter in the public press and in the reports of several of the ,state fish commissions1 notably the ,new ,york commission4 ,so much yet remains to be learned regarding the lines of migration of the salmon to and from the rivers1 its winter habitat1 the existence of an instinct of nativity which is supposed to impel the return of the fish to the place where hatched1 the extent of the coastwise distribution of salmon originally belonging in a given river1 and numerous other practical and scientific questions1 that the presentation of any data bearing on the occurrence of the fish outside of the rivers may be regarded as acceptable and timely4 ,in an interesting article on ,salmon at ,sea1 communicated to the issue of ,forest and ,stream for ,february #ah1 #ahib1 ,mr4 ,a4 ,n4 ,cheney1 the well-known angling expert and writer on fish-cultural matters1 discusses the question of the whereabouts of salmon after they leave the rivers1 and quotes the following from a previous contribution by himself on the subject3 ,there is a certain mystery about the habits and movements of the sea salmon1 after it has left the fresh-water rivers in which it spawns and gone down to the sea1 that never has been satisfactorily explained4 ,one theory is that all the salmon of the rivers along a coast may journey down to the sea1 and then move ultimately in one great body southward along the coast until they find water of suitable temperature1 with an abundance of food1 in which to spend their time in growing fat until the spawning instinct warns them to return1 when they proceed northward1 each river school entering its own particular river as the main school arrives opposite the river month4 ,another theory is that the salmon of each river1 as they arrive at its mouth after descending from its headwaters1 go out to sea sufficiently far to find the conditions of temperature and food which suit them1 and there they remain1 separate from the salmon of other rivers1 until it is time for them to return to fresh water4 ,considering the certainty with which the salmon of any particular river return again to the stream of their birth1 the latter theory seems the more tenable of the two4 ,another object of this paper is to solicit correspondence from fishermen1 especially those engaged in the coast and offshore fisheries1 concerning the circumstances of the capture of salmon in their nets1 and to bring to their attention the opportunity they will thus have of increasing the knowledge of the movements of the salmon1 of aiding in the determination of the results of fishcultural operations1 and of ultimately if not immediately benefiting themselves by supplying information that will conduce to the most effective application of artificial methods4 ,to this end it is the intention to send the paper to fishermen engaged in the mackerel1 menhaden1 and other sea fisheries1 and to operators of pound nets1 traps1 and other shore appliances1 with the hope that instances of the capture of salmon may be communicated to this ,commission and notes on the size1 condition1 movements1 etc41 of the fish be furnished4 ,to aid in the identification of the salmon when caught by fishermen who have not previously met with the fish1 a figure is presented4 ,in this connection mention may be made of the chinook or quinnat salmon of the ,pacific coast 7,oncorhynchus chouicha71 fry of which have been extensively planted in eastern waters by the ,u4 ,s4 ,commission of ,fish and ,fisheries4 ,up to and including the year #ahhj1 about #ab1jjj1jjj fry were deposited in rivers and other waters tributary to the ,atlantic4 ,while a few relatively large examples have been taken1 this office has no information to show that the attempts to acclimate this species on the ,atlantic coast have as yet been successful4 ,in #ahia a few thousand yearling salmon were placed in ,new ,york waters tributary to the sea4 ,the possibility of the survival and growth of some of these and of the large early colonies prompts this reference to the matter and suggests the publication of the accompanying figure of the species1 to afford a basis for distinguishing the two kinds of salmon1 which closely resemble each other4 ,to further aid in the identification of the two species the following key has been prepared3 ,rays in anal fin1 #i2 scales between gill opening and base of tail1 #abj2 branchiostegals 7false gill openings71 #aa 4444444444,,atlantic ,,salmon4 ,rays in anal fin1 #af2 scales between gill opening and base of tail1 #aej2 branchiostegals1 7false gill openings7 #ae to #ai4444444444,,pacific ,,salmon4 ,numerous instances might be cited of the taking of salmon in the waters of the ,atlantic coast in recent years4 ,their occurrence in the traps and pound nets is in fact so common that it would hardly be entitled to notice at this time were it not for the circumstance that in regions in which salmon were already known there has been a decided increase in the number observed outside the rivers1 and that the fish is now being taken in localities in which it was not previously found4 ,instances of the capture of salmon in the coast waters of ,maine are naturally numerous1 and without significance so far as the purposes of the present paper are concerned4 ,the existence of two important salmon rivers1 the ,kennebec and the ,penobscot1 affords an easy explanation of the presence of salmon on the shores of either side of the mouths of those streams4 ,in the report of the ,u4 ,s4 ,commission of ,fish and ,fisheries for #ahgc-gc ,mr4 ,charles ,g4 ,atkins1 now superintendent of the salmon-rearing establishment at ,east ,orland1 ,me41 and an authoritative writer on the ,atlantic salmon1 contributes some notes on its occurrence in the sea adjacent to ,penobscot ,bay and at ,richmond ,island1 near ,portland4 ,these cases1 however1 have little bearing on the subject in hand1 as ,mr4 ,atkins suggests in a recent letter4 ,a special inquiry1 personally conducted on ,matinicus1 ,monhegan1 and other islands lying far off the ,maine coast1 and special researches there made with appropriate apparatus1 would doubtless disclose many interesting facts regarding the salmon of a practical and scientific nature4 ,a few apparently unrecorded notes concerning the fish among islands off the island of ,mount ,desert may be given1 which are probably indicative of what may be expected in other sections4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,i4 ,mayo1 who has fished herring brush-weirs at the ,cranberry ,isles for many years1 and is a life-long fisherman in that section1 communicates the intelligence that salmon were first observed about those islands in #ahhh4 ,on ,june #ag a salmon1 weighing #bj pounds1 was taken in a herring weir1 and on ,june #ai another1 weighing #ai pounds1 was caught4 ,on ,july #ad of the same year #f salmon1 weighing #d to #f pounds apiece1 were secured1 but were liberated on account of their size4 ,during the four years intervening between #ahhh and #ahic none was taken around these islands1 but in ,june of the latter year they reappeared4 ,on ,june #aa a salmon weighing #ae pounds was taken in a weir1 and on various occasions during that month a number weighing #ab to #ae pounds each were caught by boat fishermen on trawl lines fished for cod4 ,the trawls were baited with herring and set on the bottom in rather deep water4 ,mr4 ,mayo states that these were the first salmon ever taken on trawl lines in that region4 ,the ,cranberry ,isles lie off the southeastern part of ,mount ,desert ,island1 and are about #be miles east from ,penobscot ,bay and about #ce miles in a straight line from the mouth of the ,penobscot ,river4 ,on the ,massachusetts coast salmon are now regularly taken each year at most of the important pound-net and trap fisheries4 ,the largest numbers are caught in ,cape ,cod ,bay4 ,a ,state law prohibits the taking of salmon in nets and requires the return to the water alive of all fish so caught4 ,this makes the fishermen diffident about giving information and renders difficult the determination of the abundance of the fish4 ,on ,june #f1 #ahgi the ,cape ,ann ,advertiser1 of ,gloucester1 contained the following note3 ,a #aj-pound salmon was taken from a weir off ,magnolia ,thursday night4 ,this is the first salmon caught off ,cape ,ann for over thirty years4 ,on ,saturday morning three more large salmon were taken4 ,the fishermen are highly elated at the prospect of salmon-catching4 ,during the past five or six years a few salmon have been taken almost every season in the vicinity of ,gloucester1 the average annual catch being #d to #f fish4 ,in #ahhh the ,state fish commissioners reported the capture of #ah salmon in traps at ,manchester and ,gloucester4 ,in #ahic1 #ac traps in the neighborhood of ,gloucester took #e salmon4 ,in ,december1 #ahia1 a salmon weighing #bh pounds was caught on a cod trawl line set near ,halfway ,rock1 off ,salem ,harbor1 ,mass42 ,mr4 ,william ,dennett1 of ,gloucester1 who secured the fish1 reports that he sold it for #df4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,wiley1 of ,gloucester1 in ,september #ahic1 caught a salmon at sea off ,gloucester on a trawl line fished for hake4 ,these are the only instances that have been reported of the capture of salmon on a hook in the vicinity of ,gloucester4 ,as the trawl lines in question were set on the bottom at a depth of #bj or #be fathoms1 the fact that these two fish at least were swimming on the bottom may be considered established4 ,relatively large numbers of salmon have recently been taken in the pound nets of ,cape ,cod ,bay4 ,capt4 ,atkins ,hughes1 of ,north ,truro1 one of the best-informed and most reliable fishermen in the region1 informs us that at ,north ,truro1 the principal pound-net center in the bay1 about #gj large salmon have been annually caught for two or three years4 ,the fish are taken throughout the entire pound-net season1 but are most common in the early part of the fishing year 7,may and ,june74 ,some fish weighing #be to #bh pounds have recently been caught4 ,for two or three years he has noticed in the pound nets in ,october large numbers of young salmon1 about #f inches long2 each net probably takes one or two barrels of these annually2 he had never observed these small fish before in his long fishing career in that region4 ,in #ahic1 however1 rather less than the usual number of large salmon were observed1 and very few of the small fish mentioned were taken4 ,mr4 ,vinal ,n4 ,edwards1 of the ,fish ,commission station at ,woods ,holl1 ,mass41 states that in ,september1 #ahib1 when he visited the ,cape ,cod region1 a great many salmon were being taken in the pound nets4 ,they weighed #d or #e pounds apiece4 ,at one pound-net fishery in ,provincetown he saw enough salmon to fill two sugar barrels4 ,concerning the occurrence of salmon in the ,cape ,cod region1 ,mr4 ,cheney1 in the article previously mentioned1 quotes ,hon4 ,eugene ,g4 ,blackford1 of ,new ,york1 as follows3 ,we get every winter a few fish from the ,atlantic coast that are evidently part of the schools of fish that run up into the ,kennebec1 ,penobscot1 and other eastern rivers4 ,during ,november and ,december we had about #ae to #bj fish1 weighing from #ab to #bd pounds each1 that were caught in the mackerel nets in the vicinity of ,provincetown and ,north ,truro1 ,mass4 ,these nets are set out from the ,cape in very deep water4 ,during the past two or three weeks we have received several specimens of very handsome salmon from ,maine1 where they have been caught by the smelt fishermen in their nets when they have been fishing for smelt4 ,i think these catches of salmon go very far to prove that the schools of fish are not very far off from our shores during the time that they are not found in the rivers1 and that both shad and salmon1 when they leave our rivers1 do not go either east or south1 but are within #ajj miles or so of the rivers where they were spawned4 ,the fish are remarkable in being in splendid condition and perfect in form and appearance4 ,mr4 ,cheney thinks the salmon taken off ,cape ,cod belong in either the ,merrimac ,river or the ,penobscot ,river2 and1 as in the year in question fish were being caught at the mouth of the ,penobscot at the same time they were being taken at ,cape ,cod1 he thinks it probable that the fish in the latter region were from the ,merrimac4 ,in the pound-net fishery of the northern coast of ,new ,jersey the recent capture of salmon has been a subject of much interest to the local fishermen and of considerable importance to fish-culturists and naturalists4 ,for a number of years a few salmon have1 from time to time1 been taken in ,sandy ,hook ,bay1 but within the past two or three years there has been an increase in the number caught4 ,at ,belford1 the principal fishing center in the bay1 ,mr4 ,m4 ,c4 ,lohsen states that some have been taken weighing from #ab to #dj pounds1 and that in the spring of #ahic more than the usual number were caught in the pound nets4 ,mr4 ,harry ,white1 of the same place1 never took salmon in pound nets prior to #ahia2 he secured #a that year and #b in #ahib1 but failed to get any in #ahic4 ,other fishermen1 however1 obtained one or two fish4 ,the average weight of the salmon taken here is #ab to #ae pounds2 the largest caught by ,mr4 ,white weighed #ag and one half pounds4 ,small ones1 weighing half a pound each1 are sometimes observed4 ,it is only during the month of ,may that salmon are noticed on this shore4 ,one weighing #af pounds1 taken in a pound net at this place in #ahia1 sold for #aa2 the following year two1 with a combined weight of #bc pounds1 sold for #ae4ie4 ,in the vicinity of ,long ,branch1 we are informed of the recent capture of a number of salmon in the pound nets set directly in the ocean4 ,mr4 ,ed4 ,hennessey1 of ,north ,long ,branch1 reports that in #ahib two salmon and in #ahic one salmon were taken in his pound2 they weighed from #aj to #ae pounds each4 ,in ,april1 #ahia1 ,messrs4 ,gaskins and ,hennessey1 of the same place1 secured a salmon in their pound2 this was the only one they ever took4 ,messrs4 ,w4 ,t4 ,van ,dyke ,co41 pound-net fishermen of ,long ,branch1 communicate the following instances of the taking of salmon by them in #ahic3 ,may #aj1 #a salmon weighing #i #a_/b pounds2 ,may #aa1 #a salmon weighing #ac #a_/b pounds2 ,may #ag1 #a salmon1 and ,may #ah1 #a salmon1 weight not given4 ,messrs4 ,west and ,jeffrey1 pound-net fishermen at ,long ,branch1 report that in #ahib they caught #b small salmon4 ,in #ahic1 #c fish were taken1 as follows3 ,may #aj1 a salmon weighing #ai pounds2 ,may #ah1 #a weighing #ab pounds2 ,may #bj1 #a weighing #aj pounds4 ,mr4 ,henry ,f4 ,harvey1 who fishes a pound net at ,mantoloking1 ,n4 ,j41 about #ce miles south of ,sandy ,hook1 communicates the information that in ,may1 #ahic1 #b salmon weighing #aj or #ab pounds each were taken at that place4 ,none had ever before been caught there4 ,one of the most interesting facts at hand concerning the oceanic occurrence of the salmon has been noted in a previous paper in this ,bulletin1 7997 but may be again referred to in order to make the present article more complete4 ,instances of the capture or observation of salmon far out at sea or even at relatively short distances from land are very rare and are entitled to publication whenever noted4 ,about ,april #aj1 #ahic the mackerel schooner ,ethel ,b4 ,jacobs1 of ,gloucester1 ,mass41 was cruising for mackerel off the coast of ,delaware4 ,when in latitude #ch degrees1 at a point about #ej miles ,,ese4 of ,fenwick ,island light-ship1 the vessel fell in at night with a large body of mackerel1 and the seine was thrown round a part of the school4 ,among the mackerel taken was an ,atlantic salmon weighing #af pounds1 which ,capt4 ,solomon ,jacobs1 who was in command of the schooner1 sent home to ,gloucester4 ,capt4 ,jacobs informs us that the fish was fat and in fine condition4 ,some of the crew told the captain that there was another salmon in the seine1 but it escaped over the cork line as the seine was being dried in4 ,the light-ship mentioned is about #aj miles off the coast1 so the place where these salmon were taken was about #fj miles from the nearest land4 ,the foregoing is the only instance known to this ,commission of the capture of salmon so far at sea on the coast of the ,united ,states or of the taking of salmon in a purse seine with mackerel under any circumstances4 ,capt4 ,s4 ,j4 ,martin1 the veteran fisherman of ,gloucester1 ,mass41 has never known of another such occurrence1 and a special inquiry conducted by him among the mackerel fishermen of that port failed to disclose the knowledge among them of a similar case4 ,footnote3 99 ,extension of the ,recorded ,range of ,certain ,marine and ,freshwater ,fishes of the ,atlantic ,coast of the ,united ,states4