174 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



fish was injuriouH to the eggs, rendering the shell so soft that they could 

 not be transported safely. 



With the exception of the disasters enumerated above, there has been 

 but one that I can recall, and that was caused by the bursting of our 

 barriers at Dead Brook under the pressure of a flood. 



BucKSPORT, Me., April 7, 1884. 



86.-E'UKTSIS:B JRE:P0BT of R. is. I1I7ITIX:>8 SAE.MON nATCHEBir,, 



OKEGOIV.* 



By CMARI.es I. FINELY. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



I have carefully liberated about 12,000 salmon fry in a little stream 

 called Indian Creek, a tributary of Eogue Eiver, Oregon. 



Nearly all the eggs that I lo.st were from non-impregnation. I had 

 to spawn the salmon too early, but I did it then for fear of losing them 

 altogether, on account of a freshet. We had them in two boxes afloat 

 In the water. These boxes are made of sla^s 24 by 10 by 6 feet. Be- 

 tween the 25th and 28th of August last I put into these boxes 100 

 salmon (50 in each box). Those that lived I left there until the 22d of 

 November. In towing the boxes down the river one of them ran 

 aground and a slat tore off, so that we lost 50 fish thereby. Of the 

 other lot about half died. I think this was due chiefly to their being 

 confined in too small a space. They got a good deal bruised before the 

 middle of September. Mr. Hume intends to do away with the boxes 

 and to build a large reservoir at the outlet of the hatching-house. 



I spawned in all only nine females : lost two from their getting away, 

 and let one go for want of a male. I estimated only about 30,000 eggs, 

 and from actual count the loss of eggs was 7,000. The loss of minnows 

 and fry was about 1,000. 



The first eggs were j)ut in the trays on the 22d of November; 

 the first embryo was discovered on the 26th of December; and the 

 first fish was free the 27th of January, or in sixty-six days. The last 

 salmon hatched February 17th, or eighty-seven days from spawning. 

 On the 10th of March we commenced fishing, and on the 7th of April let 

 them go, all large and healthy fry. As far as I could find, I had only 

 ten crijiples, and some of these lived to become fry. I waited for Mr. 

 Hume to come from San Francisco before turning them out. Under 

 the circumstances, I feel much encouraged with my success. 



Mr, Hume intends to make the hatchery a permanent fixture here, 

 and to have the river stocked to its full capacity during the coming 

 winter. We have a capacity for about 1,000,000 eggs. 



Ellensburg, Oreg., April 27, 1884. 



* See previous report on page 88 of this volume. — C. W. S. 



