1896. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 187 
have held to the theory that the salmon mature in three or four 
years from the time they first leave the rivers, assuming that 
they go to sea when one year old. This theory is apparently in 
conflict with the fact that individuals of the same species differ- 
ing greatly in size enter the rivers simultaneously. 
As a guide to the age at which the quinnat salmon becomes 
sexually mature we have the important experiments of Dr. 
Jousset de Bellesme in the Trocadéro Aquarium, Paris, and in 
ponds elsewhere in France. He states that many individuals 
are mature when three years old, and that they reproduce as 
well in fresh water without going to sea as they do under the 
usual conditions in their native waters. At the age mentioned 
they weigh from thirteen to fifteen pounds. 
From recent observations at the Karluk River, Kadiak Island, 
Alaska,it appears that young red salmon frequently return from 
sea with the adults, and sometimes ascend the river at least a 
short distance. Mr. Barling, who manages a fishery at Karluk, 
called my attention to the return of young salmon with the 
adults in the following letter concerning the specimens ex- 
hibited : 
San Francisco, CAL., Jan. 9th, 1896. 
Dr. Tarteton H. Bean, N. Y. AQuariuM, CASTLE GARDEN, 
New. York, N. Y. 
Dear Doctor: In the matter of the young salmon sent to you 
by Mr. Brommage; they were taken out of our nets in the early 
spring of last season (1895). For many seasons past I have 
noticed the small fry in surprising numbers standing inshore 
with the adults, and while I was satified that they were small 
salmon, I could not so positively state ere this, on account of 
not being able to catch them before they escaped through the 
larger meshes. I was enabled to furnish you the few which I 
sent by backing up the nets with the small-mesh seine; at the 
time we caught over 1,000 small salmon and only 900 adults. 
Some of my friends on the (Karluk) river always maintained 
that these small fish were trout, and even now some are hardly 
satisfied. I will state, however, that these small fry salmon are 
not to be seen in numerous quantities after August 10th. 
I have always maintained ever since I have been in Karluk 
that the fish we catch are not all Karluk bred fish, being 
merely attracted inshore by the fresh waters from the Karluk 
river. This year (1895) was not as much so as in many years 
past, but that was caused by the extreme lengths of the nets 
driving the salmon outside the range of the inner buoys. 
Yours very truly, 
(Signed) H. J. BARLING. 
