PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1921. 21 
The output consisted of 950,000 fry and 3,448,000 fingerlings of 
the sockeye salmon, including 1,500,000 fingerlings carried over from 
the preceding year, 1,398,000 silver salmon, and 24,800 chinook finger- 
lings, with 1,000,000 sockeyes remaining on hand at the close of the 
fiscal year. 
From time to time there has been some criticism regarding the 
bureau’s work at Quinault, particularly on the part of the Quinault 
Indians. The substation is located on the Quinault Indian Reserva- 
tion, and salmon fishing is the principal means of support for the 
Indians. Following the passage of regulations that had the effect 
of restricting salmon fishing to some extent in the Quinault River, a 
petition was submitted to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, ex- 
pressing the belief of the petitioners that the work of the hatchery 
had been detrimental rather than beneficial to the fishery of the 
river. The statement appeared to be founded on prejudice rather 
than on fact. The results of artificial propagation at other points 
do not bear out the contention, and in Quinault waters the fish taken 
for artificial propagation represent but a small part of the fish reach- 
ing the spawning grounds, probably not more than 10 per cent in any 
season. Furthermore, for several years considerable numbers of 
sockeye-salmon eggs transferred from the Alaska stations have been 
incubated in the Quinault hatchery and the resulting fingerlings 
planted in Quinault Lake or its tributaries. 
Notwithstanding these facts, it was decided to try an experiment, 
which it was hoped would furnish reasonably reliable data on the 
results of artificial propagation as compared with natural reproduc- 
tion. The plan suggesting itself was to take an accurate census 
of the sockeye salmon entering Quinault River and Quinault Lake 
for a period of years and by checking the returns from each year 
involved to secure at the proper time the desired figures for com- 
parison. During the first two years of this period no artificial 
propagation of the sockeye salmon was to be conducted, and all fish 
of that species entering the lake were to be permitted to seek their 
natural spawning grounds for natural reproduction, this period to 
be followed by two years of artificial propagation. 
Conditions in Quinault Lake and Quinault River are particularly 
favorable for the conduct of an experiment of this character. A 
fairly accurate record of the number of fish taken by the Indians 
as a commercial venture each season is available, and it remained 
only to obtain a count of the fish escaping the fishing operations in 
the river as they entered the lake on their way to the spawning 
grounds. ‘To accomplish this a row of piling was driven across the 
outlet of the lake, approximately 700 feet at the site selected. Four- 
inch mesh cotton webbing was attached to the piling in such a 
manner as to prevent the fish from entering the lake except by way 
of a 16-foot entrance provided in the weir at the point of deepest 
water. This entrance was so arranged that the fish were forced to 
pass near the surface of the water over a strip of white canvas, mak- 
ing them plainly visible to the attendant located in a small building 
on the piling above. Provison was also made for closing the en- 
trance at times when the observer was not present. The first count 
was made on April 14, when three sockeyes passed over the counting 
entrance, and was continued to June 10. The results of the census 
are indicated in the following table: 
