X.-IIEPORT ON THE PROPAGATION OF PENOBSCOT SALMON 



IN 1884-'85. 



By Charles G. Atkins. 



The purchase of breeding salmon began this year May ;>1, a little 

 earlier than usual, and, the catch being rather light through the month 

 of June, it extended into July, closing on the 5th day. There were 

 purchased in all 568 salmon; 40 of them died in the boats in transit, 

 472 were deposited alive in the usual inclosure in Dead Brook, and 50 

 were given the range of Eastern River from Orland Village to Orland 

 Falls, which was made into a great inclosure nearly 2 miles long by the 

 erection of grated barriers. 



The object of contining a portion of the fish in this large inclosure 

 was to ascertain whether, in the first place, there would be any less 

 mortality among them than among those confined in Dead Brook; and, 

 in the second place, whether they could be recaptured in the autumn 

 with equal facility and certainty. The result was not entirely decisive, 

 but in favor of the large inclosure. Of those that were deposited in the 

 river there were ascertained to have died during the summer ( = 

 14 per cent). Of those sent up to Dead Brook 40, as above stated, died 

 on the way, and 00 more died during the summer, a total of 20 per cent. 

 It is likely that some of those that died in the river escaped discovery, 

 and, if so, the advantage of the large inclosure is less than would be 

 inferred from the above figures. There were recaptured in the autumn 

 393 in Dead Brook, and 39 in the river, S3 and 78 per cent, respectively, 

 of those deposited alive. If, however, we compare the autumn catch 

 with the number originally dispatched to each inclosure, thus bringing 

 those that died in the boats into the computation, we find that 70 per 

 cent of those dispatched to Dead Brook were finally available, and 78 

 per cent of those dispatched to the river inclosure. 



The recapture of the fish from the river was accomplished by traps 

 of netting at either extremity of the inclosure, and about equal num- 

 bers were taken at the two points, 20 at the upper and 19 at the lower 

 end. Under these circumstances, therefore, salmon seem to be quite as 

 likely to descend as to ascend at the spawning season. The manipula- 

 tion of the fish at the spawning season proceeded without noteworthy 

 incident and resulted in a yield of 1,935,180 eggs as computed from the 



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H. Mis. 08 12 



