COLLECTION OF EGGS OF SEBAGO SALMON. 779 



was uo i)robability of sucli a rise of eitlier river as would endanger our 

 work. Should tbey stand and prove as efficient as we hoped, we should 

 be in position to take almost every fish that entered the river, for all the 

 spawning- ground lay above our nets. 



No little difficulty was exjierienced in fixing upon a convenient site 

 /or a hatching-house. Mr. Joseph E. Dillingham, whose premises were 

 occupied, had a very good hatching-house of small size fed by a small 

 spring brook, but our anticipations were so great that his supi)ly of 

 water appeared insufficient. After a deal of searching we finally, a few 

 weeks later, found an admirable site at the outlet of Trickey's Pond, a 

 short distance to the westward from the lock. 



5.— THE SEASON'S WOEK. 



Mr. Buck returned to the scene of operations on the 22d of August 

 with a sui)ply of api^aratus, and immediately set about the construction 

 of the works. The main net was sufficiently advanced to prevent fish 

 passing up by us on September 12, the date when, we had been assured, 

 the fish invariably made their ajipearauce here. We were ardently ex- 

 pecting to see great numbers of them in the lock, where they can always 

 be seen if present, and where many of them, it is said, always turn aside 

 from Crooked Eiver ; but neither on the 12th nor for many days after- 

 wards did any salmon make their a^jpearance. Mr. Buck's diary shows 

 that the first one was taken in the pounds September 20. From this 

 date they continued to straggle in, one or two at a time, at intervals, 

 until the large number of 15 were secured. Of these, nine were males 

 and six were females. This was the entire catch. 



But meanwhile disasters had occurred. On October 24 a freshet oc- 

 curred which bore down our net until the top line was three feet under 

 water. Some salmon undoubtedly passed by at that time. The net 

 was again in complete order on the 27th, and so remained until Novem- 

 ber 24, when the river had again risen to such a height and brought 

 down such an accumulation of leaves, brush, trees, and logs as to com- 

 IDletely wreck the net. It was again rei^aired and kept in position until 

 December 1, when it became evident that it was a hopeless case, and 

 the enterprise was brought to a close. 



Among the reasons for our fiiilure, I place, first, an absolute dearth 

 of fish ; second, the inability of our fixtures to withstand the freshets. 

 The result of Mr. Buck's observations and other testimony collected 

 satisfies me that there was really a very small number of fish in the 

 river that season. The net was in place and efficient until October 24, 

 nearly six weeks after the date when we were warned to expect the ad- 

 vent of the salmon, and during that time neither did they come into our 

 inclosures, nor did they enter Sougo Lock, nor did they accumulate in 

 any considerable numbers below our barrier. Had there been many 

 fish in the river they surely could have been seen. The fatal gap of two 

 or three days after October 24 doubtless allowed some salmon to pass, 



