[5] OPEKATIONS AT m'cLOUD RIVER TROUT PONDS. 1083 



tbe trout in the river, and that they also were dying like the salmon. 

 The alarm was a very short-lived one, however, for the mortality among 

 the trout only lasted a few days, and it was found upon investigation 

 that only a very few trout died, and it is quite possible that these were 

 made sick by feeding on the salmon that had died of the disease. No 

 trout in the ponds were affected by the sickness at all, which showed at 

 least that the cause of the mortality among the trout, whatever it was, 

 did not extend up into the creeks. 



After the season closed at the salmon-breeding station in October, 

 the fitshiug for parent trout was vigorously prosecuted, aud much hard 

 work was done in repairing the trails and catching and bringing to 

 the ponds live trout, which had to be carried in some instances several 

 miles. 



The winter's wood was also cut and brought in, and on the ditch which 

 takes the water from the creek to the trout ponds a deep pond was sunk 

 a short distance above the trout ponds, to catch the mud that is brought 

 down by the water in the ditch. 



No great rains fell during the fall up to the present writing (Decem- 

 ber 31). The river had not risen to any considerable extent except once, 

 when it was 4 or 5 feet above the summer level. The breeding trout at 

 present in the ponds are looking well, and unless there is an excessive 

 rainfall like that of last winter there seems to be no reason why we 

 sliould not take several hundred thousand eggs during the next spawn- 

 ing season, the beginning of which now appears to be close at hand. 



Table showing the distribution of California trout {iSalmo iridea) eggs from 

 the McGloud River station in 1881. 

 1881. 



Jan. 26. T. B. Ferguson, Maryland 25, 000 



20. B. F. Shaw, Iowa 25, 000 



20. jST. K. Fairbanks, Illinois 25, 000 



Feb. 18. B. B. Eedding, California . 25, 000 



19. B. B. Eedding, California 15^ 000 



25. N. K. Fairbanks, Illinois 10 000 



25. B. F. Shaw, Iowa 10 000 



March 4. S. Webber, New Hampshire 4^ 000 



14. T. B. Ferguson, Maryland , 700 



31. T. B. Ferguson, Maryland 10 000 



April 7. T. B. Ferguson, Maryland 700 



10. J. G. Portman, Michigan 6, 000 



10. II. O. Sweeney, Minnesota _ 8, 000 



29. Philo Dunning, WiscoUvsin 5^ 000 



29. William Griffith, Kentucky 5^ 000 



29. J. P. Creveling, Pennsylvania 5, 000 



29. Eugene G. Blackford, New York 500 



Total 179, 900 



