348 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION, 



the previous years) were, with the exception of some three or four, en- 

 tirely females, and of a very large size. I asked you to explain this 

 peculiarity, or to give me some "scientific theory" for it, if it were pos- 

 sible. You either would not, or could but certainly did not, for I got no 

 communication from you on this phenomenal freak of our salmon. The 

 total absence of "grilse" in the stream last year was also a remarkable 

 fact. 



It now appears truly that "wonders will never cease," for I have to 

 tell you of the almost total absence of salmon in this stream. So far 

 this fall only four or five adult fish have yet been seen, although the 

 time is now almost past for their appearance for spawning purposes; 

 only two or three spawning-beds are noticeable in the creek where hun- 

 dreds were regularly seen in former years. The only show this season 

 is a small lot of grilse, about fifteen or t\yenty all told, and they look as 

 if they came from some " infernal region," being dirty, black, scabby 

 fellows, lean and lank, as if hybrids between eels and salmon (if such a 

 thing could be). 



Facetiously speaking, there is evidently a "missing link" concerning 

 these salmon that were so plentiful in 1S78 and for five and six years 

 previousl}'. In 1879 they fell off very largely in numbers, but were all 

 very large fish. In 1880 the reduction was very great, with the strange 

 phenomenon of all being females. In 1881 only half a dozen adult fish 

 and a few dirty discolored grilse have thus far entered the stream. 



Whether Professor Hind's theory of the "biennial spawning" of sal- 

 mon (upheld, I believe, also by my friend Atkins) is being verified here 

 this season I cannot say. [See Mr. Ealson's evidence on page 40 of re- 

 port of 1879, herewith mailed you.] The evidence is certain, however, 

 that the salmon are not showing themselves in this stream this season, 

 and so far " bienniulism " is an accomplished fact; and for consolation 

 for their loss I must only look forward to next year for a regular "Pacific 

 coast" run of salmon, and in such numbers as to crowd themselves upon 

 the banks of the stream. In this idea I confess I have little or no faith, 

 for I fear that the time is now gone by for the production and growth in 

 the frontier streams of Ontario of the salmon and speckled trout. This 

 view has been forced upon me from the many experiments which I have 

 failed to carrj^ out in the trials to restock ponds and streams (with brook 

 trout) within short distances of their entrance into Lake Ontario. This 

 state of things has been brought about by the almost total clearing up 

 of the country, causing many streams to become almost dried up in mid- 

 summer, and all others to be greatly reduced in their volume of water. 

 This very much lessened supply becomes overheated from the sun's 

 rays and other atmospheric influences; add to this filth and decomposed 

 matter of all kinds, carried by every rainfall into these streams from 

 barn-yards, plowed fields, turnpike roads, saw-mills, and factories of all 

 kinds ; this so pollutes the water that the young of the higher orders of 

 fish, such as salmon and trout, cannot live and thrive in such places. 



