PROGRESS IN JilOLOCMCAL INQUIRIES, 19;}2 109 



streams. The results from this pluise of the work, wliich is fjjenenilly 

 referred to as a racial analysis, thus far indicate that the Snake Creek 

 pink salmon differ quite distinctly from the Anan Creek pink salmon 

 in a number of body characteristics. There are likewise a few similar 

 characteristics between the two populations, and until further data 

 are secured no definite conclusions can be reached. However, since 

 the marking: ex])eriment at Olive Cove indicated that there was very 

 little straying; of the vSnake Creek salmon into Anan Creek it would 

 seem that the results from the racial analysis of these tw^o populations 

 are consistent with the results from the marking experiments. In 

 this way the degree of homing instinct inherent in the pink salmon 

 may be determined from two different types of investigations, each 

 of which may be used to substantiate the results of the other. 



STATISTICS OF THE ALASKA SALMON FISHERIES 



During the past 3^ear the work of compiling and analyzing the sta- 

 tistics of the Alaska salmon fisheries up to and including 1927 has 

 been completed by Dr. W. H. Rich, of Stanford University and 

 E. M. Ball, assistant in the Alaska service. The report covering this 

 work has been issued in several sections: Part III, dealing with the 

 statistics of Prince William Sound, Copper River, and Bering River 

 was published during the year; and part IV, covering the data for 

 southeastern Alaska, w'as completed and submitted for publication. 

 The statistics for the next 5 years, 1928 to 1932, inclusive, are now 

 being w^orked up in furtherance of the plan to provide full information 

 as to the state of these fisheries at 5-year intervals. 



HERRING INVESTIGATIONS 



During 1932 the herring investigation, under the direction of 

 Dr. George A. Rounsefell, assisted by Edwin H. Dahlgren, submitted 

 a report to the Bureau giving the results of experiments to determine 

 the feasibility of tagging herring. Herring were held in a live box 

 and tagged experimentally. It w^as found that silk ribbons through 

 the opercle or body of the fish were not successful. Metal strap tags 

 attached to the upper lobe of the caudal fin, as in salmon-tagging 

 experiments were also not a success as the tags were a constant source 

 of irritation causing rotting of the fin. However, herring with small 

 metal strap tags affixed to the opercle did not show any significant 

 difference in mortality from the untagged controls. Success was 

 also obtained for small flat metal tags inserted into the body cavity. 



Because of the tremendous numbers of herring handled by the 

 operators it was deemed necessary to recover tagged herring from the 

 commercial catch by mechanical means. Accordingly, a method 

 was devised, new^ to fishery science, wdierel)y the tags were recovered 

 from the fish meal by means of powerful electromagnets. The tags 

 themselves were made of pure nickel, which is sufficiently magnetic 

 for the purpose and is very resistant to corrosion. 



Preliminary tagging experiments in the field were made during 

 1932 in southeastern Alaska. Out of 1,034 opercle-tagged herring 

 released July 27 at Port Conclusion, 10 were recovered from the 

 28 percent of the catch mechanically searched for tags during the 



174007—33 3 



