182 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



now come down to the river in great numbers to eat the salmon, and the 

 Indians stop spearing and go bear-huntiug. About this time — the hitter 

 half of September — a new run of salmon makes its appearance in the 

 McCloud, called the " fall run." They were not by any means plentiful 

 this year, (1872,) but kept the river from beiug actually deserted by sal- 

 mon for a month or more. During October there are no salmon in the 

 McCloud, except the few new-comers of the "fall run," and by the 1st 

 of November all the salmon are gone from tbe river except one or two 

 individual stragglers here and there. By this time the Indians have all 

 their salmon dried and packed away for winter. Some of the Indians 

 have moved back into the woods, while those that remain on the river 

 have built little wigwams of drift wood, to protect them from the winter 

 rains, and have gone into winter quarters. From November till March 

 there are no salmon in the McCloud Kiver. 



All I could learn about the young salmon in the river was that in 

 May the young fry, about two inches long, are very abundant. Soon 

 after this they wholly disappear, and their destination is unknown. 

 During my stay on the McCloud through August, September, and Octo- 

 ber, I saw no small fish which I recognized as young salmon, nor could 

 I learn from any source where the young salmon were. Their where- 

 abouts at this season still remains a mystery. 



18. — CONDITION OF THE SALMON DURING THEIR STAY IN THE M'CLOUD 



RIVER. 



In March, when the salmon first arrive in the McCloud, they are in 

 fine condition. They are now bright and silvery, with shining scales. 

 They are fat and excellent for the table, but not large. The spawn in 

 the females is very small. Their flesh is of a deep-red color. The males 

 and females are almost indistinguishable at this time. This state of 

 things remains till August, except that the salmon gradually deteriorate 

 in quality, and the eggs increase in size. The first marked change in 

 the fish takes place a little before the middle of August. The salmon 

 then become very black. The males grow deep and thin, and the dog- 

 teeth begin to show themselves, and to increase rapidly in size. The 

 females are now big with spawn, and the sexes are easily distinguish- 

 able. From this time they rapidly deteri(n'ate. Their flesh shades off to 

 a light, dirty pink. They become foul and diseased, and very much 

 emaciated. Their scales are wholly absorbed into the skin, which is of 

 a dark olive hue, or black. Blotches of fungus appear on their heads 

 and bodies, and in various places are long, white patches where the skin 

 is partly worn off. Their flns and tails become badly mutilated, and in 

 a short time thej^ die exhausted. By the 1st of October most of the fish 

 that were in the river in August are dead. The height of the spawn- 

 ing-season in 1872 was about the 8th of September. The salmon had 

 begun to spawn when I arrived on the McCloud, the SOth of August. 

 By the middle of September nearly all the salmon had spawned, except 

 the "fall run." 



