; 



172 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



thougli Other causes, perhaps now unknown, ijrobably complicated the 

 matter and contributed to produce the general effect. 



During- the latter part of January there was a very heavy fall of rain, 

 such a rain-storm, indeed, as I suppose is encountered only in mount- 

 ainous regions like this. The McCloud Eiver rose rapidly, the mud 

 poured down the trout-pond creek, and, although Mr. Green was at 

 work to protect them two entire nights, 35,000 trout eggs in the hatch- 

 ing-troughs were killed by the excess of mud in the water. The storm 

 is described as a terrilic one, and did some other damage about the sta- 

 tion, which, however, was soon repaired. 



After the storm, the season proved as usual, with the exception of 

 the peculiarities above mentioned of the spawning trout. Notwith- 

 / standing the difficulties which had to be contended with this year, up- 

 * ward of 315,000 trout eggs were taken, most of which were sent to the 

 States of the Atlantic Slope, though some were given to the California 

 Fish Commission, some hatched and returned to the McCloud Eiver, and 

 some hatched and kept to be reared at the station. 



Below will be found notes from Mr. Green's diary, and tables of sta- 

 tistics, as follows : 



{a) Table giving daily number of fish spawned and eggs taken. 



(&) Table showing the distribution of the eggs taken. 



(c) Table giving temperatures of air and water. 



Charlestown, N. H., October 30, 1884. 



yOTES FROM DIARY OF MR. LOREN W. GREEN, SUPERINTENDENT OF 

 McCLOUD RIVER TROUT-BREEDING STATION, CALIFORNIA, EXTEND- 

 ING FROM DECEMBER 23, 1883, TO APRIL 18, 1884. 



Dec. 23. Rain and snow all day. 



24. Raining all day; river rising. 



25. Raining hard all day, water 2 feet high. 



26. Raining all day, water about the same. Snow on mountains. 



27. Went over fish in the upper pond to-day. Got tO ripe females. Raining 



hard. Fish commenced to spawn. 



28. Raining hard all day. No ripe fish. 



29. No rii)e fish. No rain, but cloudy. 



30. No ripe fish. A few fish ran uj) race, but no ripe one.s. 



31. Forty-nine fish ran up the race. Not one ripe or showing any signs of 



spawning. 

 Jan. 1. Ten trout ran iip race. Two ripe females and one ripe male. 



2. A few fish ran up. No ripe ones. , ' 



3. No ripe fish. 



4. No ripe fish. 



5. Heavy rain all day. 



6. Went over fish in lower pond — got several ripe females, and found 40 fe- 



males spawned out ; fish spawning very few eggs. 



7. Raining hard all day. Put trap in Hirtz Creek this evening. 



8. Raining hard all day ; finished trap at Hirtz Creek. 



9. Caught 3 trout in trap ; clear and cool. 

 10. No trout in traps; freezing hard to-night. 



