252 



BT I. LET IN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



The Beginning and Ending of Commercial Fishing for Coho Salmon at Various Fishing 

 Stations in Alaska. 1900 and 1904-1906 — Continued. 



31. Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum) Red Salmon; Redfish; Socheye; Blueback Salmon. 



(PI. XXXIII — XXXVI.) 



This species also is of wide distribution. On the American coast its range extends from southern 

 Oregon to Bering Sea. The most southern stream from which it has been reported is the Sacramento, 

 from which it was recorded by Dr. Jordan in 1880, hut it is not known whether lie actually examined 

 a specimen. In 1899 Mr. F. M. Chamberlain, of the Bureau of Fisheries, identified a single specimen 

 which he obtained at Baird as belonging to this species. During the very extended study of the sal- 

 mon of the Sacramento River by Mr. Rutter, no examples were seen by him. It is certain, therefore, 

 that if this species of salmon occurs in the Sacramento River at all it is very rare. 



The fishermen on the coast of Humboldt County. Cal., obtain a salmon which they call bluebackor 

 sockeye. The statistical report shows that the catch in 1899 was 21,600 pounds, and that of 1904 was 

 272,840 pounds. Whether these fish are really the blueback, or red, salmon is questionable. Eel River, 

 Humboldt County, is the stream on which this fishery is located, and it has never been known as a 

 blueback salmon stream. It is not known to have any lakes in its headwaters to which this species 

 could resort for spawning purposes. Whether the blueback salmon occurs in it or not, therefore, must 

 !«• regarded as a subject for future investigation. The same may be said regarding the Klamath River. 



The Columbia is the most southern river in which this species is known to run in any numbers. For- 

 merly, and up perhaps to about 1890, there was a considerable run in the Columbia, and important 

 spawning beds existed in the headwaters of that river, particularly at Wallowa Lake in Oregon and the 

 Payette lakes and the Sawtooth lakes in Idaho. A few bluebacks are seen at each of these lakes each 

 season now, but they are only a pitiful remnant of the great schools that formerly came to them at spawn- 

 ing time. North of the Columbia the next blueback salmon stream is the Quiniault on the coast of 



