152 KENDALL: NEW ENGLAND SALMONS. 



their way into the outlet except in some instances, as at Grand Lake Stream, to spawn. 

 However, except in the first few years of fish cultural operations at Grand Lake Stream, 

 the fish collected for fish cultural propagation were intercepted and taken above the dam 

 at the foot of Grand Lake, in the fall of the year. Since Grand Lake Stream was the 

 principal breeding place for the salmon of Grand Lake, doubtless during the operations 

 there, all sizes of salmon were taken. 



Perhaps some Ught may be thrown on this point by the following fish cultural records 

 for Grand Lake Stream which were compiled from the annual reports of the superin- 

 tendents of the Federal hatchery at that place. The reports show the actual average 

 weights of the fish only in a few of the earher years of the operations there under Atkins. 

 But the average number of eggs per female each year gives some idea of how the fish 

 averaged in size. 



If the records are arranged in periods of years they show that in the first three periods 

 of five years each from 1876 to 1890, both inclusive, there was a decline in the total 

 number of fish taken but an increase in the average number of eggs per female, indicat- 

 ing some increase in the average size of the female. 



At this station after 1891, fish cultural operations were suspended for five years. 

 They were resumed in 1897, but records for 1903 are not available. However, m the two- 

 year period of 1904 and 1905 there was some increase in the number of fish and a cor- 

 responding decrease in the average number of eggs per female over the four-year period 

 from 1897 to 1900 inclusive, which indicates a decrease in the size of females. 



In the period of five years from 1906 to 1910, there was the largest take of sahnon, 

 with the exception of 1876-1880, in the whole history of the station. There was also 

 some increase in the average number of eggs per female over the preceding three periods. 



In each of the succeeding four periods of five years each, while the number of fish 

 caught was somewhat lower than in the preceding period, the number was maintained 

 about the 4000-mark and the average number of eggs per female, on the whole, increased 

 somewhat. In the last five-year period from 1926-1930, both inclusive, the 1980 females 

 yielded an average of 2043 eggs per fish. 



If a curve were constructed showing the annual variation in the yield of eggs as re- 

 lated to the total number of females, it would indicate, as a rule, that the larger numbers 

 of fish averaged smaller in size than the smaller numbers of fish. The yearly fist of these 

 statistics, which follows, reveals a varying number of years when the fish apparently 

 run relatively large or small with considerable fluctuation in that respect. An arrange- 

 ment in periods, as previously discussed, would level the curve somewhat, yet it is ap- 

 parent that in later years there has been a general increase in size of the female of Grand 

 Lake salmon or else more efficient fish cultural methods have been attained. 



Doubtless periodical fluctuations in size of fish always occur naturaUy. But in the 

 case of Grand Lake it is easy to see that, since the stock is dependent upon artificial 

 propagation a survival of a large number of planted fish, in a few years, would increase 

 the number of spawning fish by a preponderance of small breeders. This would be aug- 

 mented by any considerable mortahty of larger or older fish through capture or other 

 causes. 



