156 



KENDALL: NEW ENGLAND SALMONS. 



largest fish taken each year becomes progressively smaller, from 18 pounds in 1916 to 

 eight pounds in 1930. There is also a decided falling off in average >ield of eggs per 

 female in the last five years. 



TABLE 27. 



Records Pertaining to Sebago Salman Netted for Artificial Propagation in the Pool of Jordan's River at the 

 State Hatchery, at Raymond, Maine, from 1916 to 1930, both Inclusive. 



THE PRESUMPSCOT RIVER 'JUMPER.' 



Plate 9. 



Since the 'Jumper' is now extinct and since salmon of similar peculiarities have been 

 described from no other waters, it has seemed desirable to write a separate brief history 

 of the fish. 



In the Presumpscot River, which is the outlet of Sebago Lake, the Sebago salmon 

 used to breed and in the spring of the year, large well-conditioned salmon were found 

 in the stream. Later they disappeared. Prior to the erection of the dam at the head 

 of the river, and later while the fishway was effective, most, if not all, of the salmon 

 returned to the lake. In later years, the fishway having become impassible, some of the 

 fish continued to disappear, where to, no one knows. If they went to sea they doubtless 

 would have been noticed at the dams and mills lower down the river. However, small 

 salmon resided in the river the year around. Until the new dam was built at the head 

 of the river and the water diverted by a canal these smaller salmon, known as 'Jumpers' 

 were found in the upper part of the river wherever there were waterfalls or rapids. 

 After this the fish were stiU inhabiting the river below the dam at North Gorham. 



The large salmon were always distinguished from the so-called 'jumper.' The local 

 name 'jumper' was given to a small but very active fish of pecuHar coloration, which 

 attained a weight of at least three or four pounds, and which were also usually dis- 

 tinguished from the lake salmon of hke size occurring in the river at the same time. 



