134 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and shallow water to spawn. This habit and the abundance of the fish 

 would indicate that it must be an important food for larger fishes. 



Coherent reports and descriptions of a red forked-tailed trout in 

 some of the waters of St. Francis River suggests the possibilitj^ of 

 another char occurring in these waters. 



BIOLOGY OF THE SACRAMENTO SALMON. 



On the conclusion of the sea-lion investigation elsewhere alluded to, 

 Mr. Cloudsley Rutter resumed the study of the quinnat salmon in the 

 Sacramento basin, on which he had been engaged for a number of 

 years. 



The work began September 1 at Black Diamond, California, where 

 by weighing and measuring many specimens of salmon recently from 

 the sea a standard weight was established for fishes at the mouth of the 

 river. Then 150 specimens were weighed, branded with serial num- 

 bers, and released, in the expectation that some of them would be 

 taken again at the hatcheries and light thus be thrown on their rate 

 of travel upstream and their loss of weight during migration. Three 

 of the marked fish were subsequently recaptured. 



During October two trips were made down the Sacramento River in 

 a skifi* for the purpose of charting the spawning-beds and noting the 

 dates at which the beds were successively occupied. November was 

 spent at the Mill Creek hatchery near Tehama, the principal work 

 being the weighing and measuring of salmon in various conditions for 

 comparison with those examined at the mouth of the river. 



The run of quinnat salmon in Papermill Creek, Marin County, was 

 investigated, as the species had never been known in that stream prior 

 to the planting of fry there in 181>7 and 18t)8. 



The preparation of a general report on the salmon investigations 

 and the study of mateiial Avith a view to a report on the em])ryology 

 of the quinnat occupied Mr. Rutter's time during the remainder of 

 the 3^ear. 



The habits of the Pacific salmons are vitally different from .those of 

 the Atlantic species, and as these have an important relation to natural 

 reproduction, artificial propagation, and commercial fishing, the Com- 

 mission deemed it desirable that the species be subjected to a careful 

 physiological investigation. While the Atlantic salmon, Sahiio sala?\ 

 has been studied from the standpoint of physiology,* the Pacific sal- 

 mons have up to this time been neglected in this respect. The Com- 

 mission therefore engaged the services of Prof. Charles W. Greene, 

 of the University of Missouri, who has devoted much attention to 

 conqDarativc physiology. Professor Greene began his liekl work earl}' 

 in July and continued unti,l September, examining tlie salmon before 

 they entered the rivers and after they reached their sptiwning-grounds, 



*See Investigations on the Life History of the Salmon in Fresh Water, by D. Noel I'aton, M. D, 

 Special Report of IK'.lS, Fishi^ry Honnl for Sentlmnl. 



