REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 75 
Experimental hauls of the seine early in August showed that the 
run of salmon was very light. On the 18th, in four hauls, nine ripe 
females were secured, and on the next day 36,000 eggs were taken. 
Fishing continued until the 22d of September, during which time 215 
hauls of the seine were made, 4,588 females and 3,633 males being cap- 
tured. Of the females 520 proved ripe and yielded 2,021,000 eggs, 
517 males being used in fertilizing them. The fish averaged 3,887 
eggs each, much less than those of the previous year, which averaged 
about 5,000. . The fall run of salmon was very light and no ripe fish 
were taken in the seine, though several hauls were made at intervals 
during the season. From traps in the upper rack 26 ripe fish were 
collected, which yielded 118,500 eggs, an average of 4,557. 
The practice of killing the salmon before spawning was not fol- 
lowed, as it causes the loss of large lots of eggs. Fully 10 per cent of 
the females impounded early in the season, and 5 per cent during the 
latter part, were not sufficiently ripened, though eggs were pressed 
from them when taken from the seine. If the fish killed prove to be 
unripe, the entire lot of eggs is lost; but it requires as much time and 
trouble to try them as to accomplish the work of spawning. When 
there are only a few salmon on hand and an abundance of time, they 
are killed before stripping, if there is no doubt as to their being ripe; 
but where large numbers are to be handled this method should not be 
employed. 
The eggs were fertilized in the same way as last season—that is, the 
pan in which they were to be caught was dipped in water and mois- 
tened; the eggs and milt were then taken simultaneously and mixed 
thoroughly with a feather or the hand. About half a pint of water 
was then added and the eggs again stirred, after which they were 
washed and poured into a large bucket, where they were left until the 
eggs separated. After becoming free they were placed in baskets in 
the hatchery, 25,000 to the basket, it having been found that they do 
better allotted in this way than by putting 40,000 to the basket, as 
formerly. All of the eggs except 8 baskets were picked or washed 
throughout the time of incubation including the tender stage, and 
with very successful results compared with the 8 baskets which were 
kept covered during that time, the experiment seeming to demonstrate 
that constant picking and washing improves them to some extent. 
All of the eggs from the first run were transferred to the California 
Fish Commission hatchery at Sisson, and arrived in good condition. 
besides the eggs collected in the fall, 1,000,000 were received from 
Battle Creek, making a total of 1,118,500 left in the hatchery. Of 
these, 25,000 were shipped to Mr. L. Z. Leiter, Lake Geneva, Wis., and 
1,000 to Professor Dudley, of Stanford University. Those retained 
commenced hatching November 28, and by February 16 they were all 
out. Of the 1,056,250 fry hatched, 166,680 were lost. The others were 
planted in the McClond River between March 15 and May 18. 
During the fall several attempts were made to can salmon as fish 
