[fraser] PACIFIC SALMON 179 



Among the scales of some large salmon caught off Prince Rupert, 

 early in 1916, by Mr. E, Webber, were some from a male 41-5 inches 

 long, weighing 42-5 pounds, caught on February 24, that had com- 

 pleted its fifth year. It was of the stream type. The growth was 4-1 

 inches the first year, 11-1 for the second year, 11-5 for the third year, 

 9-0 for the fourth year and 5*8 for the fifth year. Except that this 

 was a somewhat larger fish than the Skeena river fish examined, the 

 rate of growth is in much the same proportion except that the third 

 year growth is greater than the second. 



SOCKEYE 



Of 1916 sockeye, 1502 in which the scales were suitable for exa- 

 mination were obtained. Of these, 613 were procured at Wadham's 

 cannery, Rivers inlet, July 18 to 21, and the remainder from the 

 Fraser river on different days during August. 



Dr. Gilbert, in his extensive investigations into the life-history 

 of the sockeye in British Columbia, has discovered characteristic 

 differences between the Fraser river sockeye and those from Rivers 

 inlet. The scales under consideration give evidence of a similar nature, 

 and, since the rate of growth has been calculated for all of these fish, 

 some points of difference are more strongly emphasized. It is not 

 necessary to compare in detail the results here obtained with those 

 recorded in Gilbert's reports. It will be sufficient to make an oc- 

 casional reference in the statement of these results as they have been 

 deduced. 



As the salmon, both in the Fraser river and in Rivers inlet, were 

 caught with drift nets, the samples taken did not necessarily represent 

 the whole run in either case, as there may have been, and probably 

 were, smaller fish that passed through the meshes of the net, and it 

 is not known what percentage of the whole number these were in 

 either case, but as the conditions were similar it seems quite permis- 

 sible to make a comparison on such a basis. 



The first conspicuous difference to be considered is that in the 

 degree of uniformity of the fish from the two systems. The Rivers 

 inlet fish are essentially uniform in type, while the Fraser river fish 

 are much less so. All of those obtained in Rivers inlet were of the 

 stream type that passed to the sea in the second year, and all were in 

 the 4th or 5th year, with the exception of one in the 3rd year, that was 

 brought in by the captain of one of the cannery tenders. Apart from 

 this one, out of the total of 612, 423 were in the 5th year and 189 in 

 the 4th year. In the Fraser river specimens, besides those, the ma- 

 jority, that passed to the sea in the second year, there were others 



