120 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



server is the lessee of the fisheries, who resides in Borkeudorf below 

 the lowest spawning places, and who has carried on these fisheries for 

 many years, so that he is well acquainted with the habits of the salmon 

 in this river. It is certain that but few of the ascending salmon escai)e 

 his observation. At our request the governor of the province has 

 granted him the privilege to catch salmon and sea-trout even during 

 the winter season of protection, on condition that he takes the sexual 

 products from the mature fish and sends them to the hatchery at 

 Schontlial. In this way the Schonthal hatchery during last winter re- 

 ceived about 300,000 eggs, of which only about one-third lived. 



The conditions for making observations are still more favorable in the 

 river Eheda. This small and rapid coast river, in which trout are now 

 very common, flows through two mouths — the Rheda proper and the 

 Stromming — into an arm of the Baltic, the Bay of Putzig. Formerly 

 salmon and sea-trout ascended both mouths of this river, but since the 

 Eheda proper has been filled with sand, they almost exclusively use the 

 Stromming. In this river a salmon trap, whose privileges date from 

 time immemorial, has been constructed about 1^ miles above its mouth, 

 and every fish which ascends the river must necessarily be caught in 

 this trap. The fisheries in this river belong to a large landed proprietor 

 whose fisherman lives in close proximity to the salmon trap. 



At both stations of observation every fish which is caught is noted, 

 and described on a form prepared by us, and this has been done since 

 November, 1S84. We give the date when it w^as caught, the kind 

 (salmon or sea-trout), sex, length, greatest height in front of the dorsal 

 fin, height of the root of the tail, weight, color, spots (if any), formation 

 of hook, &c. 



In course of time it has become evident that the measure of the cir- 

 cumference along the front edge of the dorsal fin is not needed ; and it 

 is therefore no longer taken, principally because it is very easy to make 

 a mistake in taking this measure, and because the greatest height alone 

 is sufficient. We have recently added in our form the length of the 

 head, the teeth, and several columns with definite questions relative to 

 the coloring and tlie spots. It has also been found desirable to take 

 account of the condition of the water and the weather, and to state the 

 probable cause of parti(;ularly rich or poor catches, such as high water, 

 ice, i&c. 



It is of course not to be expected that the chances for observations 

 will everywhere be as favorable as in these two rivers, and that in all 

 {;ases there will be as reliable observers, but we hope next year to ob- 

 tain similar rei)orts from a number of rivers. Such observations made 

 by carcifully instructed observers are of course far more valuable for 

 obtaining a knowledge of the habits of the salmon than the sending 

 out of question sln^ets, whose questions are frequently unintelligible to 

 those who receive tlu^m, and wlii(;h therefore in many cases remain un- 



