410 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



upon the point, I made up my mind that if any one had rights on the 

 river, it was the United States Government, to whom it belonged and 

 whom I represented. The demands of the man having become ex- 

 orbitant, and it being illegal for him to sell his salmon if he caught any, 

 I told him that, after a certain time, I should fish there on my own 

 responsibility without paying any toll. He was exasperated beyond 

 measure at hearing this, and when he found that I was in earnest, and 

 meant what I said, he became dangerous, and attempted violence, which 

 would certainly have been followed by fatal results, if it had not been 

 for the vigilance and presence of mind of Mr. Myron Green, who had 

 charge of him for nearly three hours, part of which time he acted like 

 a raving maniac. I fished there, however, as I had announced, and the 

 man acquiesced at last, though under protest. A more thorough investi- 

 gation of the facts showed conclusively that I was entirely correct in 

 assuming the right to fish on the grounds in question ; no one under the 

 circumstances having exclusive rights to fish there. 



This circumstance led me to think that it might be desirable for the 

 United States to reserve to themselves the right to fish in a certain portion 

 of the McCloud, so that, under no circumstances, could its representa- 

 tives be prevented from obtaining spawning-fish for breeding-purposes. 



4. — SPAWNING THE FISH. 



The first spawn was taken on the 2Gth of August, neither the males 

 nor females being very ripe. At first, we thought it required three men 

 to spawn the fish : one at the head, one at the tail, and one to take the 

 eggs. Afterward, we found that two could manage it ; and Mr. Green 

 finally brought the work down to its greatest simplicity by putting the 

 salmon's head between his knees, holding the tail with one hand, and 

 taking the spawn with the other. As we did not undertake to save the 

 salmon alive, this one-man method proved perfectly satisfactory, ex- 

 cept with very large fish, and, of course, saved employing so much extra 

 labor. 



At first, also, all the eggs that we took came from the salmon confined 

 in the corral ; but, as the season advanced, we took more and more in 

 the net, till at last most of the eggs were taken from the fish as soon as 

 they were caught in the seine. The parent salmon were then thrown 

 on shore for the Indians, and, of course, not confined at all. 



Below will be found a daily list of the eggs taken during the season. 



