﻿80 
  EEPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  tlie 
  largest 
  and 
  best 
  equipped 
  salmon 
  hatcheiy 
  in 
  the 
  world 
  are 
  located 
  

   here, 
  and 
  the 
  place 
  affords 
  exceptional 
  opportunities 
  for 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  

   four 
  of 
  the 
  five 
  species 
  of 
  Alaska 
  salmon. 
  In 
  May 
  Mr. 
  Rutter 
  and 
  Mr. 
  

   Spaulding 
  established 
  a 
  similar 
  station 
  at 
  Karluk 
  on 
  Kadiak 
  Island. 
  

   The 
  facilities 
  for 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  are 
  unsurpassed 
  at 
  Karluk. 
  

   Karluk 
  iliver 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  salmon 
  streams 
  in 
  Alaska; 
  there 
  are 
  

   two 
  well 
  equipped 
  canneries 
  at 
  its 
  mouth, 
  and 
  the 
  Alaska 
  Packers' 
  

   Association 
  operates 
  an 
  extensive 
  salmon 
  hatchery 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  

   lagoon. 
  Early 
  in 
  June 
  Doctor 
  Gilbert 
  was 
  sent 
  to 
  Bristol 
  Bay, 
  Ber- 
  

   ing 
  Sea, 
  where 
  he 
  entered 
  upon 
  similar 
  studies 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  and 
  

   salmon 
  fisheries 
  of 
  that 
  region. 
  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  June 
  all 
  these 
  investi- 
  

   gations 
  were 
  in 
  progress 
  and 
  were 
  carried 
  over 
  into 
  the 
  next 
  fiscal 
  

   year. 
  The 
  Albatross, 
  with 
  the 
  other 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  commission 
  and 
  

   their 
  assistants 
  on 
  board, 
  sailed 
  from 
  Seattle 
  for 
  Alaska, 
  June 
  18, 
  

   and 
  the 
  investigations 
  were 
  in 
  progress 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year. 
  

  

  Blueback 
  salmon 
  in 
  Baker 
  Lake. 
  — 
  In 
  conjunction 
  with 
  the 
  opera- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  the 
  hatchery 
  for 
  blueback 
  salmon 
  on 
  Baker 
  Lake, 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  

   of 
  Skagit 
  River, 
  Washington, 
  the 
  superintendent 
  desired 
  to 
  have 
  cer- 
  

   tain 
  biological 
  investigations 
  undertaken, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Cloudsley 
  Rutter 
  

   was 
  assigned 
  to 
  the 
  inquiry. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  questions 
  raised 
  by 
  the 
  

   superintendent 
  was 
  whether 
  there 
  was 
  sufiicient 
  natural 
  food 
  in 
  the 
  

   lake 
  and 
  its 
  tributaries 
  to 
  support 
  the 
  young 
  salmon 
  liberated 
  by 
  

   the 
  hatchery. 
  When 
  the 
  lake 
  was 
  visited 
  in 
  November 
  young 
  salmon 
  

   were 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  abundant, 
  but 
  no 
  more 
  so 
  than 
  other 
  salmonoids 
  

   usually 
  are 
  in 
  suitable 
  waters. 
  It 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  established 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  

   the 
  bluebacks 
  go 
  downstream 
  at 
  an 
  early 
  age, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  food 
  enough 
  

   in 
  the 
  lake 
  for 
  all 
  that 
  remain. 
  Young 
  silverside 
  salmon 
  were 
  more 
  

   abundant 
  than 
  bluebacks, 
  although 
  bluebacks 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  exten- 
  

   sively 
  propagated 
  than 
  the 
  others. 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  

   Baker 
  Lake 
  station, 
  as 
  the 
  only 
  known 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  Puget 
  Sound 
  region 
  

   where 
  the 
  valuable 
  blueback 
  salmon 
  can 
  be 
  artificially 
  propagated 
  on 
  

   a 
  large 
  scale, 
  it 
  seems 
  desirable 
  that 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  a 
  thorough 
  study 
  

   of 
  the 
  entire 
  Skagit 
  basin 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  movements, 
  spawning, 
  

   etc., 
  of 
  the 
  salmon. 
  From 
  the 
  information 
  already 
  at 
  hand 
  it 
  seems 
  

   probable 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  other 
  sites 
  suitable 
  for 
  hatcheries 
  on 
  the 
  Skagit 
  

   or 
  its 
  tributaries. 
  

  

  Natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  guinnat 
  salmon. 
  — 
  The 
  investigations 
  of 
  the 
  

   quinnat 
  salmon 
  in 
  the 
  Sacramento 
  basin, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  in 
  progress 
  

   for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  years 
  under 
  the 
  charge 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Cloudsley 
  Rutter, 
  

   assistant 
  of 
  the 
  Commission, 
  were 
  incorporated 
  in 
  a 
  report", 
  issued 
  in 
  

   March, 
  1903, 
  which 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  contribution 
  to 
  the 
  knowledge 
  of 
  

   this 
  valuable 
  fish. 
  Supplementary 
  inquiries 
  addressed 
  to 
  special 
  points 
  

   in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  quinnat 
  salmon 
  of 
  the 
  Sacramento 
  were 
  carried 
  on 
  

   during 
  September, 
  October, 
  and 
  November, 
  1902, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Rutter 
  and 
  

  

  a 
  Natural 
  History 
  of 
  the 
  Quinnat 
  Salmon. 
  A 
  report 
  on 
  investigations 
  in 
  the 
  Sacramento 
  River, 
  

   1896-1901. 
  Bulletin 
  U. 
  S. 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  1902. 
  

  

  