44 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



NOTES ON ITI'CtiOUD KIVER, C'AIvIFORNIA, AND SOME OF ITS FISHES, 

 BASED UPON A I^ETTEB OF J. B. C'AIUPBEL.1., OF THE UNITED 

 STATES FISH COMITIISSION. 



MoCloud Kiver, Shasta County, California, May 6, 1881. 



Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 



U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D. C. : 



Sir : The Uuited States Fishery is established, one and one-half miles 

 from the junction of the McCloud with the Pitt, in a rough and moun- 

 tainous country culminating in high limestone peaks on the east. Four 

 miles above the fishery is the trout-rearing establishment, of which Mr. 

 Myron Green is superintendent. East of the trout pond is a small creek 

 or brook, running between limestone j)eaks. Three miles from the trout 

 pond, and on the west side of the river, is a small farm belonging to 

 Henry Mirey. One mile above Mirey's place is the home of the writer, 

 consisting of a nice orchard and garden on the east side of the river, 

 together with a beautiful creek that does not vary more than 4 degrees 

 during the winter, and ranges from 53 to 57 degrees during the summer. 

 For the next 65 or 70 miles there are neither white men nor Indians. 

 There is a mill branch in summer, but none in winter. The entire 

 country is mountainous. The river is very rapid. The temperature of 

 the water at the Uuited States Fisherj^, in the summer, is from 55 to 60 

 degrees at midday in the hottest weather. From the fishery up, the river 

 gets one degree colder in about every 10 or 12 miles for the distance of 65 

 or 70 miles. There is a large spring that breaks out in the bed of the 

 river, forming more than two-thirds of its volume. From there up the 

 water becomes very warm, from 60 to 70 degrees. About three miles 

 from the spring begins a series of three falls, each of which has a descent 

 of about 50 to 60 feet, and is about two miles from the next. Under 

 these falls there are a great many trout. I have caught one hundred 

 in less than two hours. They are smaller than those lower down, av- 

 eraging about one- half pound to one pound in weight. From these falls 

 up, the water is quite still and sluggish (with the exception of about 

 half a mile just above the falls, where it is very rapid) for many miles, 

 traversing a lava country. There are plenty of trout above, and they 

 are much larger than those below the falls, averaging about 8 to 10 

 pounds. Through seven miles of this sluggish water there are few 

 trout, but as the water becomes more rapid small brook trout are plen- 

 tiful. The river is about 130 to 140 miles in length, more or less, I 

 should judge, but it has never been measured. Trout inhabit the river 

 to the head-waters. 



I will now endeavor to give you a description of some of the McCloud 

 Eiver fish, beginning at the mouth of the stream. 



The first is known as the " rifle pike." Its color is darkish brown. It 



