244 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



cleliveredimmediately, but it wassoou found that a considerable number 

 of thetn could be kept in a boat over night when anchored in a current, 

 and after that transportation by night was seldom attempted. The dis- 

 tance from the Bucksport landing to the nearest weir that furnished 

 breeding salmon was less than half a mile, and to the farthest less than 

 live miles. -They were all in the towns of Verona and Stockton. 



The collection of salmon might have begun as early as -May 1, but 

 the price was at that date high and only small numbers were caught. 

 By the 1st day of June thej^ were more plenty and the price had fallen, 

 to 30 cents per pound. The first salmon was received June 1, but they 

 came in slowly during the first eight days, only twenty -five being re- 

 ceived during that time. On the 10th, however, came twenty-three 

 salmon, and on the 11th forty-eight, the largest number received on any 

 one day of the season. 



On tbe arrival of a salmon-boat, a dray carrying a large wooden 

 box was backed down into the water, so that the boat could be drawn 

 up to it, and the salmon dipped over into the box, which was partly 

 filled with water. The box was three feet long, two wide, and two 

 deep, containing, therefore, nearly ninety gallons of water when full. It 

 Avas provided with a sliding cover, and a single hole in the center of this 

 was found to admit an ample supply of air. A salmon of average size 

 could lie at length in it easily, but one of the largest size could do so 

 only when in a diagonal position. Six or eight salmon were commonly 

 put into a box together, and this number sustained but little injury dur- 

 ing the overland journey of one mile. As soon as a box had received 

 its complement of fish it was filled brimful of water and drawn to the 

 pond, where it arrived in about twenty minutes. The dray was backed 

 into the pond until the box floated, or nearly so, and the salmon turned 

 out gentlj'. Some of thein swam off at once into deep water, but often 

 they were very sluggish, and lay 'for a long time in the edge of the 

 water. A few died immediately, and others after a day or two. When 

 the river-water with which the boxes were filled was cool and clear the 

 salmon suffered much less than when it was warm and roily. 



A part of the mortality was doubtless due to injnries received by the 

 fish in dipping them rom the weirs, or in transferring them to the boxes. 

 Some were injured by rushing violently against the gratings in the boat, 

 or against tfle sides of the boxes. This happened frequently during 

 the last ten days of the collecting season, for the salmon had then be- 

 come more restive than at first. The increased restlessness and ac- 

 ti vity of salmon at that time is recognized by fishernien, who call these 

 salmon "jumpers," witli reference to the habit of jumping into the air, 

 which is observed oftenest at that date, (about the 1st of July,) and 

 which is regarded as the characteristic of a particular school of salmon. 

 This plienomenon, which appears to be pretty well established, might be 

 supposed to be caused by the influence of an increase in the temperature 

 of the water, but the observations made at Buckport, in the Penobscot, 



