[fraser] PACIFIC SALMON 199 



growth of the 1916 fish was 7-4 inches, and even when those caught 

 before the first of September are excluded, the average is only 8-5 

 inches whereas in 1915, when all are included, the average is 9-7, 

 and when only those from the strait of Georgia are included, it was 

 9-6. Hence, although the 1916 fish were larger at the end of their 

 second year, the smaller amount of growth in the third year made the 

 average total length noticeable less than in 1915, 22-1 for the whole 

 season, or 23-0 after September 1, as compared with 24-0 for 1915, 

 or 23 • 7 for the strait of Geo^rgia. 



In speaking at the 1916 meeting of the Pacific Fisheries Society 

 on the effects of the severe weather in the early months of 1916, the 

 following statement was made: "The year's growth in all the older 

 fish would be ofi" to a bad start this year and this should be shown on 

 the scales." The above comparison shows how well the statement 

 was borne out. The early months of 1915 were particularly favorable 

 for life in the sea as well as life on land, while the corresponding 

 months in 1916 were decidedly unfavourable. These two lots of coho 

 show distinctly the eff'ects of such differsnt conditions. 



In the first year the range of growth, 2-9 to 4-2 was not so great 

 as in 1915, 2-4 to 4- 1. As will be seen by the above table, the great 

 majority were between 3-3 and 3-9. The range for the second year, 

 7-1 to 14-4 is practically the same as that for 1915, 7-5 to 14-4, with 

 the average the same in each case. The length at the end of the 

 second year varies from 10-7 to 18-2, with an average of 14-7 as com- 

 pared with a range from 11-1 to 18-1, with an average of 14-3 in 1915. 

 The third year growth ranges from 4-1 to 13-0, with an average of 

 7-4, while in 1915 the range was from 4-0 to 14-2 with an average of 

 9-7. The total length varied from 16-5 to 29-5, with an average of 

 22-1, as compared with 18-0 to 31-0 with average of 24-0 in 1915. 



It will be noticed that there is a greater variation in the growth 

 of the coho in the third year in proportion to the size of the fish at the 

 beginning of the year than is the case in any other species in any year. 



Of the 28 male coho that matured in the second year, the total 

 lengths were 11-0, 11-5 (2), 12-0, 12-5 (4), 13-0, 13-5 (4), 14-0 (4). 

 14-5 (3), 15-5 (7), 16-0, with an average of 13-8. The average growth 

 in the first year was 3-6, the same as that of the 3 year fish and in 

 the second year 10-2. As the most of these were caught on November 

 10, there would be little more growth in the year, even if they had not 

 matured, hence, from these at least, there is no evidence that those 

 that matured early were any larger than those that did not. 



The average total length of the males and the females in the third 

 year is very similar, much more nearly the same than in any of the 

 other species. The following table shows the similarity: 



