SUCKLEY MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SALMO. 103 



" The fipotted or le leal salmon enters the rivers of Paget Sound in great 

 numbers every autumn, generally appearing between September 15 and 

 October 10. They come in vast numbers, and arrive so simultaneously 

 as to seem to be in shoals, thongli, probably, that is occasioned, not by 

 a gregarious habit, but by the same instinct causing all the individuals 

 to leave the sea at about the same period for the purpose of procreation. 

 They are not a finely flavored fish, even when " fresh run," many indi- 

 viduals being at that time in bad condition — a condition unusual among 

 salmon just quitting salt water. After a shoi^fc residence in fresh water, 

 all become poor and unsavory, and some even intolerably rank. Upon 

 first arrival the sickly fish are readilj' distinguished by the natives by 

 their colors, the best fish being of a leaden-olive or dingy-green on the 

 back, and a yellowish-white along the belly. The poor ones are of 

 various shades and tints of dingy-green and yellow, more or less macu- 

 lated on the sides with purplish and black blotches. They enter by 

 preference the smaller streams. Owing to the large jaws and loiig fero- 

 cious-looking teeth of the species, they have obtained from the whites 

 the name of dog-salmon. Vast numbers are taken by the Indians with 

 spears, gaif-hooks, weirs, &c., and dried for winter use. Upon their 

 arrival in September and October their roes are nearly mature. It is 

 interesting to witness their persevering efforts to run up shallows, and 

 in overcoming insurmountable obstacles, even running out of- water 

 upon the shores in their blind eagerness to surmount impossibilities and 

 reach the head- waters of the stream to deposit their spawn. In endeav- 

 oring to ascend high falls, and in passing through rocky, violent pas- 

 sages, their snouts and bodies become much bruised and injured, giving 

 rise to sores and ulcerations. The fins become much worn, also. The 

 impoverished fish have hooked snouts and pale whitish flesh. At no 

 time is it seen with the bright salmon-red flesh common to other kinds j 

 but on the first arrival, when in good order, they are found with flesh 

 which, when cooked, has a pinkish-buff' color, and is not, in my estima- 

 tion, bad. Like several other species of salmon, they are very regular 

 in tlie periodical arrivals at the mouths of the rivers. In 185() they 

 arrived in the vicinity of Fort Steilacoom on the 3d of October, and by 

 the 7th were in such vast numbers that a small boy with a pole armed 

 with a gaff-hook could readily take one or two hundred pounds weight 

 in Jin hour." 



The Indians say tliat, although this species enters the rivers later than 

 the 8. scouleri^ it returns earlier, staying a shorter time away from the 

 sea. They say, also, that most of tlie individuals return to the sea after 

 spawning, many more comparatively than do of the ,S^. scouleri. They 

 say that all individuals of the S. 2»'ofeHs die. The dog-saluion is pre- 

 ferred by the Indians for drying, as it has but little fat. It is found 

 sparingly in the Straits of Fuca and the entrance of Puget Sound as 

 early as August 10. 



