BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 173 



■of a seine in a large body of fresh water is likely to be a serious under- 

 taking unless the bottom has been previously cleared of snags. In this 

 respect the long and narrow inclosure at Dead Brook possesses great 

 advantages, since it can be swept with a comparatively short seine. 

 However, the influx and efflux of a considerable volume of water is of 

 great advantage in enticing the gravid fish into traps that can readily 

 be contrived for them by any ingenious fisherman. . 



The existence of a gravelly bottom in the inclosure must be considered 

 a positive disadvantage, inasmuch as it affords the fish a ground on 

 which they may lay their eggs before they can be caught; but the dan- 

 ger of such an occurrence is less as the bounds of the inclosure are more 

 contracted and the facilities for capturing the fish are better. 



As to the number of fish to a given area, I think we have never ap- 

 proached the maximum. I should have no hesitation in putting 1,000 

 salmon in the inclosure at Dead Brook, which covers an area of less than 

 3 acres. Of course the renewal of the water supply, or its aeration by 

 winds, is of importance here. 



The capture and transport of the fish in June involves methods re- 

 quiring some explanation. The salmon fisheries about the u)outh of 

 the Penobscot Eiver are pursued by means of a sort of trap termed a 

 " weir." It is constructed of fine-meshed nets hung upon stakes, ar- 

 ranged so as to entrap and detain the fish without insnaring them in 

 the meshes. They swim about in the narrow "pound" of the weir until 

 the retreating tide leaves them upon a broad floor. Just before the 

 floor is laid bare, the salmon destined for the breeding works are dipped 

 out carefully with a cloth bag or a very fine bag-net and placed in trans- 

 porting cars or boats, rigged specially for the purpose, sunk deep in the 

 water, which fills them, passing in at two grated openings above, and 

 passing out at two others astern, and covered with a net to prevent es- 

 cape. In a boat 13 or 14 feet long (on the bottom) we put 10 or 15 sal- 

 mon, to be towed a distance of 7 miles. If the water is cool, twice as 

 many can go safely, but there must be no delay. It is very important 

 that this car be smooth inside, with no projections for the salmon to 

 chafe on, and the gratings must be so close that they cannot get their 

 heads in between the bars. 



If conveyance overland is necessary, a wooden tank 3 feet long, 2 feet 

 wide, and 2 feet deep, with a sliding cover, will take six salmon at a time 

 for a mile and perhaps farther, and they may be jolted along over a rough 

 road in com^jarative safety. 



It has been our uniform experience that all the salmon that survived 

 till autumn were in normal condition as to their reproductive functions, 

 and yielded healthy spawn and milt. On two occasions we sutiered 

 serious losses of eggs. In neither instance could the loss be attributed 

 to any defect in the inclosure, but on one occasion the conclusion was 

 reached that the water which was well suited to the maintenance of the 



