XXV.-REPORT OF OPERATIONS AT THE UNITED STATES 

 SALMON-BREEDING STATION ON THE McCLOUD RIVER, CAL- 

 IFORNIA, DURING THE SEASON OF 1879. 



By Livingston Stone. 



Hon. Spencer F. Baied, 



Sir : I beg leave to report as follows : The general features of the 

 season's operations in taking salmon eggs were the same as reported in 

 previous years with the one exception, that two racks were placed across 

 the McCloud Eiver this season instead of one, as heretofore. The upper 

 rack is intended to obstruct the course of the salmon up the river, and 

 to detain them at the fishery, where they can be caught for the purpose 

 of securing their eggs. This plan of detaining the spawning fish at a 

 favorable point for capture, by placing an impassable barrier in the river, 

 was first adopted in 1874, and has proved itself a great success. The 

 annual yield of salmon eggs increased the first year it was tried from 

 two million to five million and a half, and was secured with far less 

 labor than ever before. From that time to this, also, it has enabled the 

 United States Fish Commission to obtain all the eggs it required to sup- 

 ply both this country and foreign countries, the quantity culminating 

 last year in a total number of fourteen millions.* 



This obstructing the salmon by an impassable rack really amounts 

 to the same as confining them in pens, except that it is on a larger 

 scale. As the rack prevents them from going up the river, and their 

 irrepressible instinct to ascend the river keeps them from going down, 

 they become confined on a large scale under the most favorable condi- 

 tions possible. Their native river is their prison. All their surround- 

 ings are favorable, natural, and healthful. They haveihe whole volume 

 of the river for their water supply, and in every way it is the most de- 

 sirable form of confinement possible ; nothing better could be wished. 

 The great advantage of this method of confinement showed itself as 

 soon as it was tried in the vastly-improved condition of the salmon. 

 While before hundreds of the spawning salmon died in the artificial 



* Note.— The total Dumber reported in 1878 was twelve millions, this being the num- 

 ber, according to measure ; but, the eggs that year being smaller than usual, the actual 

 number, according to count, must have exceeded fourteen millions. 



