28 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



4 HISTORY OF OPERATIONS AT THE ! ISII-lIATtH!.'<3 STATIONS 



OIV THE McCIiOVD BITER, C'ALIFORNl A, FROM THE BEGIJCVISfi, 

 AUGUST, 1872, TO OCTOBER, 18§4. 



By LIVINGSTON STONE. 



Ill August, 1872, the writer was deputized to establish on the Sacra- 

 mento or its tributaries a station for collecting and distributing salmon 

 eggs on a large scale. It was too late in the season to take many eggs 

 that year, but the right spot was found and a temporary station erected 

 near the McClond Eiver, where a few thousands eggs were matured for 

 shipment and transported safely across the continent to the Atlantic 

 coast. 



The next year (1873) the station was moved down to tbe water's edge 

 on tbe right or west bank of the McCloud River, 2 miles from its mouth. 

 The parent fish were, caught in a sweep seine, and the hatching-troughs 

 were put up under large tents erected for the purpose. The water 

 supply was raised from the river by a current-wheel and taken to the 

 hatching-tents in a flume. As the hatching-troughs rested on a low bar 

 near the river, it was only necessary to have a wheel 12 feet in diameter. 

 After the spawning season began the seine was run diligently night and 

 day by two separate gangs of men, but notwithstanding the efforts that 

 were made only 2,000,000 salmon eggs were taken. As the run of sal- 

 mon in the river was abundant this year, and as no pains were spared 

 to capture them, this result demonstrated that 2,000.000 was about the 

 maximum number of salmon eggs that could be collected at the station 

 in a single season by the methods in use up to this time. As the especial 

 object of this station was to collect eggs on a large scale, the result, al- 

 though obviously very large, compared with anything of the kind, that 

 had preceded it, was by no means satisfactory. 



Accordingly the next year, L874, a plan was conceived and carried 

 into execution for capturing more parent salmon, by putting an ob- 

 struction across the river above the fishing ground which would let the 

 water through but would arrest the upward progress of the fish. This 

 plan succeeded beyond the most sanguine expectations of all. The ob- 

 structions, which consisted of a bridge, with a wooden rack or fence 

 reaching from the floor of the bridge to the bed of the river, was erected 

 about the 1st of July, and in a few weeks the salmon swarmed in thou 

 sands in the river below the bridge. The problem <>f gelling salmon 

 eggs on a large scale was solved. Nearly 6,000,000 eggs were taken 

 that season with far less exertion than had been expended in taking 

 2,000,000 the year before. It was an embarrassment of riches, however, 

 lor by the old method of hatching salmon eggs in single layers, it would 

 take nearly half an acre of ground to furnish room for hatching so many 

 eggs, or rather for bringing them forward to the proper stages for dis 



