PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 192 7 215 



the general direction of Dr. W. H. Rich. On account of the scar- 

 city of fish in this region the work was especially difficult and slow, 

 so that only about 4,000 fish were tagged. The results are now being 

 tabulated, and it is expected that a report will be submitted for pub- 

 lication within a few months. During the year a report by Doctor 

 Rich and Arnie J. Suomela, warden in the Alaska service, dealing 

 with the tagging experiments of 1926 was published and may be 

 summarized as follows: 



During 1926 a special effort was made to supplement tbe experiments of 

 1924 and 1925 in southeastern Alaska. Therefore, the tagging done early in 

 the season of 1926 occurred in localities where it had been done late in other 

 years, and vice versa. The general routes of migration were the same as 

 outlined in the previous report. Fish entering Icy Strait are distributed 

 mainly to waters tributary to Icy Strait, Chatham Strait, Frederick Sound, 

 and Stephens Passage. Those entering Sumner Strait go mainly to Sumner 

 Strait, Clarence Strait, Ernest Sound, Behm Canal, and Revillagigedo Chan- 

 nel ; and those entering at Dixons Entrance are distributed to the west coast 

 of Prince of Wales Island, the lower part of Clarence Strait, Behm Canal, 

 Ernest Sound, and to the streams of northern British Columbia. In general, 

 it appears that the fish enter the channels of southeastern Alaska through the 

 entrance that provides the most direct route to tbe streams in which they wiU 

 spawn eventually, and that they follow this most direct route without wide 

 wandering. Certain differences are shown in the distribution of red salmon 

 tagged early in the season as compared with salmon tagged later at the same 

 place. No such differences are plain in tbe case of the other species. In the 

 case of red salmon tagged near Cape Fox, tbe early fish appear to go chiefly 

 to Boca de Quadra and the Nass River, but apparently a larger percentage of 

 the fish found in tbe region of Cape Fox later in tbe season originated in tbe 

 streams of British Columbia. The experiments have shown conclusively that 

 the early run of reds in tbe region of Icy Strait contains a large number from 

 tbe large rivers at the head of Lynn Canal. The later run contains few, if 

 any, Lynn Canal fish but do contain many fish bound for Taku Inlet that were 

 not represented at all earlier in the season. As in previous experiments, the 

 distribution of tbe pink salmon and chums is shown to be predominantly to 

 places within a comparatively short distance from tbe point of tagging. This 

 probably is due to the habit of these two species of spawning in all of the 

 numerous small creeks of this region. Tbe red salmon range more widely, 

 but the cohos appear to range farthest of any of the species tagged. As in 

 1924 and 1925, about 27 per cent of tbe tagged fish were recaptured. 



The tagging of chinook and silver salmon caught by troll along 

 the Pacific coast was continued in connection with the progi'am of 

 tagging initiated by the International Pacific Salmon Investigation 

 Federation. In southeastern Alaska this work was done by the 

 bureau, but along the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and California 

 the State fish and game commissions cooperated with the bureau in 

 the tagging. The results show conclusively that a large percentage 

 of tlie chinook salmon taken by troll along the coasts of Oregon, 

 Washington, British Columbia, and southeastern Alaska belongs to 

 the Columbia River run. Apparently not many of the salmon found 

 along the coast of California are Columbia River fish, although the 

 data are too few to warrant final conclusions. 



Statistics of the Alaska salmon fsheries. — The tabulation and 

 analysis of detailed statistics of the Alaska salmon fisheries from 1904 

 (when the collection of statistics by the Bureau of Fisheries began) 

 to the present time was begun two years ago. Sufficient progress has 

 been made to warrant the preparation of a report on the work in all 

 sections of Alaska except southeastern Alaska. The work is being 

 carried on by Doctor Rich and E. M. Ball, assistant, Alaska Service. 



