914 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF PISH AND FISHERIES. 



the Stream from Big Lake or not. Probably they do, but not in large 

 numbers 5 so little was expected from this source, that it has been 

 entirely neglected in the spawn -gathering operations. In Dobsis stream, 

 a similar state of things exists; nearly all the fish frequenting the 

 stream for spawning, descend into it from Dobsis Lake ; a very few 

 ascending from Pooumpus Lake, and this, in spite of the fact that the 

 head of the stream is obstructed by a dam which renders it very diffi- 

 cult for either old or young fish to return to the Dobsis Lake, while passage 

 between the stream and Pocumpus Lake is quite unobstructed and easy. 

 Whatever may be the cause, it appears that these fish when seeking 

 spawning-ground are more likely to move down stream than up stream. 

 It is supposed that they always enter streams to spawn unless shut out 

 by some extraordinary obstruction ; but this is not positively known to 

 be the case. 



The fish that earliest seek the stream at the approach of the spawn- 

 ing-season are mostly males. But as the season advances the females 

 become more numerous, and of the whole number visiting the stream, 

 the females have, during these two seasons, been in the decided majority. 

 The sexes invariably consort in pairs, but it does not appear that the 

 pairing takes place till the female is about to spawn. 



The spot chosen by the pair for a spawning-bed is in a strong current 

 ot water, one or two feet deep, on a bottom of coarse gravel or small 

 bowlders. The operation is generally performed at night, but has been 

 often observed on a cloudy day and very rarely in sunshine. The tw« 

 salmon lie on the bottom near each other, the male two or three feet 

 farther down stream and a little to one side from the female. Occasion- 

 ally the female turns upon her side and fans violently against the bot- 

 tom with her tail, loosening up the gravel and moving it by the help of 

 the current, a few inches down the stream, where it is deposited in the 

 form of a small mound. In this mound the eggs are supposed to lie 

 buried. The male is occupied most of the time in driving away rivals, 

 chasing them off for a few feet and sometimes several rods, and return 

 ing from each sally to the exact position occupied before. Occasionally 

 he is seen to approach close to the female, and lie for a few seconds by 

 her side. 



When spawning begins, the temperature of the water in the stream is 

 about 47° F., but before the eggs are all laid it has cooled to below 40° 

 F. During the winter, it varies but little from 33° F. The eggs are be- 

 lieved to hatch about the first of May. 



B— SPAWN-GATHERING IN 1875 



1. — GENERAL PLAN OF OPERATIONS. 



None of the other breeding-grounds of the Schoodic River, and prob- 

 ably not all combined, are frequented by so many fresh-water salmon as 

 those of Grand Lake stream. Here, then, of course, it was decided to 



