FISUERIES OF SACRAMENTO AND COLUMBIA RIVERS. 809 



males and females go in pairs, or one female and two males ; whether 

 the sexes are mixed indiscriminately, &c. ? 



Answer. The following description of the spawning of these fish is 

 tafeen from p. 313 of volume XIT, part II, of Pacific Kailroad Reports: 



'* The fish remained stationary over the bed about half a minute, 

 keeping herself from being forced down with the current by gentle mo- 

 tion of the fins, and during her stay apparently discharging a few ova, 

 some of which were probably washed down the rapid, the rest falling 

 into their proper receptacles. She then suddenly darted up-stream to 

 a quiet resting-place. Immediately upon her departure several males 

 took her place over the bed and remained there about the same length 

 of time; they, hi turn, retreated to a place of repose, the spawning-bed 

 being quickly again occupied by one or more females, followed by males 

 as before ; the same bed thus serving for about half a dozen individ- 

 uals of both sexes. The period of repose seemed to be about two or 

 three minutes for each individual." 



Question. Is the water ever whitened by the milt of the male ? 



Answer. Cannot say. 



Question. What temperature of water is most favorable for hatch- 

 ing? 



Answer. Probably from 55° in the main river, down to very cold 

 water indeed in the headwaters. 



Question. At what depth of water are the eggs laid, if on or near the 

 bottom ? 



Answer. On the bottom, at a depth of 3 or 4 feet of water usually. 



Question. What is the size and color of the spawn ? 



Answer. Color, reddish-yellow. Size, about a quarter of an inch in 

 diameter. 



Question. What is the estimated number for each fish ; and how as- 

 certained ? 



Answer. Cannot say. 



Question. Answer the question for one season, and for the lifetime. 



Answer. Cannot. 



Question. Do the eggs, when spawned, sink to the bottom, and be- 

 come attached to stones, grass, «&c., or do they float in the water until 

 hatched ? 



Answer. The eggs sink to the bottom, and are covered by the parent 

 salmon with stones and coarse gravel. 



Question. Do the fish heap up or construct any kind of nest, whether of 

 sand, gravel, grass, or otherwise ; and if so, is the mouth, the snout, or 

 the tail used for the purpose, or what ; and if so, how is the material 

 transported ; or do they make any excavation in the sand or gravel ? 



Answer. They scoop out a kind of nest in the gravel and rocks, about 

 3 feet in diameter, using the snout, mouth, and tail in their work. 



Question. Do they watch over their nest, if made, either singly or in 

 pairs ^ 



