PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1921. 17 
is the fourth consecutive year that the egg collections have exceeded 
50,000,000, and it would seem to indicate the permanency of the 
reestablished run, which was practically destroyed by the volcanic 
eruption of 1912. In none of these years do the egg collections 
afford an accurate index to the numbers of fish entering the lake, as 
it is the exceptional season when conditions are such as to permit 
active fishing throughout the spawning season. Thus, many of the 
fish annually escape to perform the spawning function under nat- 
ural conditions. During the fiscal year 1920 upward of 79,000,000 
eggs were taken, after which the tracks were removed from the 
spawning streams. It was estimated that not more than 50 per cent 
of the spawning salmon entering the lake were used. During the 
season of 1921 the egg collections did not fill the hatchery, as floods 
during August prevented successful fishing. 
Of the eggs collected 10,000,000 were transferred to other points, 
5,000,000 going to the Yes Bay (Alaska) station, 2,000,000 to 
Quinault, Wash., and 3,000,000 to the State fish hatchery at Bonne- 
ville, Oreg., in continuance of an effort to restock the Columbia 
River with the species. The eggs retained at the station were in- 
cubated with a loss of 63 per cent. In view of the excellent run 
of sockeye salmon that has entered Letnik River during the past 
four years, it may not be amiss to consider the opening of Letnik 
Bay to commercial fishing for the species after it has been ascer- 
tained that a sufficient number of fish has entered the lake to insure 
a satisfactory number of eggs for artificial incubation. This would 
involve the installation of a rack, making it possible to count the 
salmon passing through. It is believed the same rack would be 
useful in excluding Dolly Varden trout and silver salmon from the 
lake should this be considered advisable. The water temperature 
at the beginning of the spawning period registered 52° F.; at its 
close, 40°. 
YES BAY (ALASKA) STATION. 
[C. H. Van Arra, Superintendent. ] 
Fish-cultural work at this station was confined to the incubation 
of the sockeye-salmon eggs transferred from the Afognak station, 
4,025,000 fingerlings resulting from the 5,000,000 eggs received. Dur- 
ing December 350,000 of the eyed eggs were planted in three local 
lakes, which have been designated as Cannery Lake, Round Lake, 
and Lake No. 2. These bodies of water do not at present support 
a run of salmon, though they appear to be suited to the purpose. 
A rather casual inspection of the lakes on May 17 Aisclyeedcdvetal 
schools of sockeye-salmon fingerlings from 1 to 14 inches long, 
Each school was estimated to contain from 25 to 75 fish. 
In view of the extensive repair work in hand it was not possible 
to take up fish-cultural operations on the usual scale. The repairs 
were essential to prevent complete deterioration of valuable prop- 
erty and were made from the funds usually allotted for propagation, 
the special appropriation requested by Congress for the purpose 
having been refused. The main features of the work consisted in 
the installation of a new water supply and extensive repairs to the 
hatchery building, including new foundation piling, new floors, and 
a complete set of 240 hatching troughs. The water supply required 
