808 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISU Ai^D FISHERIES. 



and these were so fresh from the sea that their last meal in salt 

 water had probably not had time to digest. 



QuestioD. To what extent do they suffer from the attacks of other 

 fish, or other animals? 



Answer. Large numbers are destroyed by seals and sealions. Many 

 are also killed by otters, fisher-cats, and other animals, after ascending 

 the river ; but compared with the whole number of fish in the river, the 

 proportion thus destroyed is small. 



7.— Food. 



Question. What is the nature of their food? 



Answer. Smelts, small fish, and crustaceans, form their food in salt 

 water. In fresh water they eat nothing. 



Question. Are there any special peculiarities in the manner of feeding 

 of these fish ? 



Answer. None that I know of. 



Question. What amount of food do they consume? 



Answer. They are voracious eaters, biitthe exact amount of food they 

 consume is unknown. 



8. — Reproduction. 



Question. Js there any marked change in the shape or color of either 

 sex during the breeding-season, or any peculiar development of or on 

 any portion of the body, as the mouth, fins, scales, &c. ? 



Answer. A very marked change comes over each sex, both in shape 

 and color, at the breeding-season, affecting especially the male sex. 

 What this change is, it is not quite safe yet to describe, as it is not ascer- 

 tained to a certaintj'^ which of the species found on the spawning- 

 grounds of the Columbia is the Salmo quinnat. 



Question. Are there any special or unusual habits during the spawn- 

 ing-season? 



Answer. See last part of answer to previous question. 



Question. Is spawning interfered with by lines or nets, or otherwise? 



Answer. Not much. 



Question. At what age does the male begin to breed ; and at what ag© 

 the female? 



Answer. The male at two years, probably, and the female at three. 



Question. For bow many years can these fish spawn ? 



Answer. Not known. 



Question. Does the act of spawning exert an injurious effect? 



Answer. These salmon, without doubt, die in vast quantities after 

 spawning at the headwaters of the river. 



Question. Where do these fish spawn, and when ? 



Answer. In the tributaries of the river, and on the sand-beaches of 

 the main river, even within 50 miles of the sea. 



Question. Can you give any account of the processj whether the 



