﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  3 
  

  

  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  tlie 
  Sacramento 
  until 
  nearly 
  half 
  their 
  bodies 
  were 
  

   exposed 
  to 
  the 
  air. 
  No 
  nuitter 
  how 
  far 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  a 
  river 
  are 
  

   from 
  the 
  ocean, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  will 
  press 
  forward 
  until 
  stopped 
  

   by 
  impassable 
  obstructions 
  or 
  water 
  too 
  shallow 
  for 
  them 
  to 
  swim 
  in. 
  

   On 
  reaching 
  the 
  headwaters 
  they 
  remain 
  for 
  a 
  week 
  or 
  two 
  before 
  

   proceeding 
  to 
  the 
  spawning-grounds. 
  Their 
  rate 
  of 
  i)rogress 
  varies 
  with 
  

   tlie 
  seasou, 
  and 
  probably 
  depends 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent 
  on 
  the 
  rainfall 
  and 
  

   the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  rain, 
  roily 
  water, 
  and 
  high 
  water 
  always 
  hastening 
  

   their 
  progress. 
  

  

  When 
  they 
  first 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  ocean 
  the 
  sexes 
  are 
  almost 
  identical 
  

   in 
  appearance, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  time 
  for 
  spawning 
  approaches 
  a 
  difference 
  is 
  

   noticed 
  between 
  the 
  males 
  and 
  the 
  females, 
  which 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  

   season 
  becomes 
  more 
  nnxrked. 
  The 
  fully 
  develoi)ed 
  ova 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  

   give 
  her 
  a 
  round, 
  plump 
  appearance, 
  Avhile 
  the 
  male 
  grows 
  very 
  thin 
  ; 
  

   his 
  head 
  Hattens, 
  the 
  upper 
  jaw 
  curves 
  like 
  a 
  hook 
  over 
  the 
  lower, 
  the 
  

   eyes 
  become 
  sunken 
  ; 
  large, 
  powerful, 
  white, 
  dog-like 
  teeth 
  appear 
  on 
  

   both 
  jaws, 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  acquires 
  a 
  gaunt 
  and 
  savage 
  appearance. 
  As 
  

   soon 
  as 
  they 
  reach 
  fresh 
  water 
  their 
  appetites 
  grow 
  less, 
  their 
  throats 
  

   begin 
  to 
  narrow, 
  and 
  their 
  stomachs 
  to 
  shrink. 
  This 
  does 
  not 
  at 
  first 
  

   entirely 
  prevent 
  them 
  from 
  feeding, 
  but 
  it 
  changes 
  them 
  enough 
  to 
  

   enable 
  them 
  to 
  overcome 
  the 
  temj^tatiou 
  to 
  return 
  to 
  their 
  well-stocked 
  

   feeding-grounds 
  in 
  the 
  ocean, 
  and 
  the 
  longer 
  they 
  remain 
  in 
  fresh 
  water 
  

   the 
  greater 
  are 
  the 
  changes, 
  and 
  the 
  -desire 
  to 
  turn 
  back 
  for 
  food 
  is 
  

   correspondingly 
  lessened. 
  This 
  change 
  comes 
  about 
  gradually, 
  increas- 
  

   ing 
  day 
  by 
  day 
  from 
  the 
  time 
  they 
  leave 
  tide 
  water 
  until 
  at 
  the 
  near 
  

   approach 
  of 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  their 
  throats 
  and 
  stomachs 
  become 
  

   entirely 
  incapacitated 
  for 
  receiving 
  food, 
  and 
  the 
  desire 
  and 
  ability 
  to 
  

   feed 
  leave 
  them 
  entirely. 
  The 
  great 
  reserve 
  of 
  fiesh 
  and 
  blood 
  which 
  they 
  

   bring 
  with 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  ocean 
  enables 
  them 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  vital 
  organs 
  

   active 
  until 
  their 
  mission 
  up 
  the 
  fresh-water 
  streams 
  is 
  accomplished. 
  

  

  Quinuat 
  salmon 
  that 
  spawn 
  a 
  long 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  ocean 
  do 
  not 
  

   return 
  to 
  it 
  again, 
  but 
  die 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  their 
  spawning-grounds. 
  This 
  

   singular 
  fact 
  has 
  been 
  disputed, 
  but 
  its 
  truth 
  has 
  been 
  proved 
  repeat- 
  

   edly 
  and 
  conclusively. 
  After 
  spawning 
  they 
  'rapidly 
  deteriorate, 
  the 
  

   fl.esh 
  shades 
  off 
  to 
  a 
  light, 
  dirty 
  pink 
  and 
  tliey 
  become 
  foul, 
  diseased, 
  

   and 
  very 
  much 
  emaciated 
  through 
  wounds 
  and 
  great 
  exertion. 
  Their 
  

   scales 
  are 
  wholly 
  absorbed 
  in 
  the 
  skin, 
  which 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  dark 
  olive 
  or 
  

   black 
  hue, 
  and 
  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 
  fins 
  and 
  tails 
  become 
  badly 
  mutilated, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  

   time 
  they 
  die 
  exhausted. 
  

  

  The 
  quiunat 
  salmon 
  first 
  appear 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  at 
  Monterey 
  Bay, 
  

   where 
  many 
  are 
  caught 
  with 
  hook 
  and 
  line 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  the 
  second 
  week 
  

   in 
  January, 
  and 
  are 
  next 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  Sacramento 
  River 
  in 
  numbers 
  in 
  

   February. 
  In 
  the 
  Columbia 
  River 
  they 
  appear 
  in 
  March, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  

   abundant 
  until 
  April 
  or 
  May. 
  They 
  arrive 
  in 
  southern 
  Alaska 
  in 
  

   May 
  and 
  farther 
  north 
  in 
  June, 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  later 
  

  

  