﻿IX 
  -REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  PROPAGATION 
  OF 
  PENOBSCOT 
  SALMON 
  

  

  IN 
  1885-'86. 
  

  

  By 
  Charles. 
  G. 
  Atkins. 
  

  

  Operations 
  at 
  the 
  Penobscot 
  Station 
  were 
  conducted, 
  as 
  in 
  previous 
  

   years, 
  without 
  change 
  of 
  importance 
  in 
  methods 
  or 
  apparatus. 
  The 
  

   only 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  fixtures 
  requiring 
  mention 
  was 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  

   a 
  new 
  spawn 
  house 
  at 
  Dead 
  Brook, 
  and 
  some 
  improvements 
  of 
  the 
  

   stream 
  and 
  banks 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  purchase 
  of 
  breeding 
  salmon 
  was 
  begun 
  June 
  1, 
  and 
  brought 
  to 
  

   a 
  conclusion 
  June 
  20. 
  Between 
  these 
  dates 
  salmon 
  were 
  received 
  on 
  

   fifteen 
  days. 
  The 
  aggregate 
  number 
  purchased 
  was 
  091, 
  of 
  which 
  81 
  

   perished 
  in 
  transit, 
  from 
  excessive 
  heat 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  water. 
  The 
  re- 
  

   maining 
  010 
  were 
  all 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  inclosure 
  at 
  Dead 
  Brook, 
  where 
  they 
  

   suffered 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  a 
  further 
  loss 
  of 
  93. 
  At 
  the 
  spawning 
  sea- 
  

   son 
  there 
  were 
  recovered 
  501 
  , 
  leaving 
  10 
  not 
  accounted 
  for 
  ; 
  most 
  of 
  these 
  

   probably 
  died 
  and 
  escaped 
  detection. 
  The 
  net 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  purchase 
  

   of 
  091 
  salmon 
  was 
  therefore 
  72 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  those 
  purchased, 
  and 
  82 
  per 
  

   cent 
  of 
  those 
  placed 
  alive 
  in 
  the 
  inclosures. 
  The 
  corresponding 
  per- 
  

   centages 
  in 
  1884 
  were 
  09 
  and 
  75, 
  showing 
  a 
  slight 
  improvement. 
  The 
  

   cause 
  of 
  the 
  deaths 
  that 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  inclosure 
  is 
  not 
  yet 
  ascertained. 
  

   As 
  usual, 
  they 
  occurred 
  soon 
  after 
  the 
  first 
  fish 
  were 
  inclosed, 
  very 
  few 
  

   dying 
  after 
  the 
  first 
  month. 
  

  

  The 
  size 
  of 
  Penobscot 
  salmon 
  this 
  year 
  was 
  small. 
  The 
  estimated 
  

   average 
  of 
  those 
  purchased 
  for 
  the 
  station 
  was 
  12.95 
  pounds. 
  At 
  the 
  

   spawning 
  season 
  283 
  females 
  and 
  190 
  males 
  were 
  weighed 
  and 
  meas- 
  

   ured. 
  The 
  females 
  averaged 
  12.75 
  pounds 
  in 
  weight 
  before 
  spawning, 
  

   and 
  31.00 
  inches 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  males 
  averaged 
  10 
  pounds 
  in 
  weight 
  

   and 
  31.2 
  inches 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  females 
  yielded 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  3.19 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  eggs, 
  equal 
  to 
  8,007 
  in 
  number. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  was 
  accomplished 
  at 
  the 
  usual 
  date, 
  be- 
  

   ginning 
  October 
  27 
  and 
  closing 
  November 
  5. 
  After 
  manipulation 
  all 
  the 
  

   salmon 
  (except 
  19, 
  that 
  were 
  captured 
  after 
  the 
  rest 
  had 
  been 
  liberated) 
  

   were 
  towed 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Orlaud 
  and 
  liberated 
  in 
  tide-water 
  

   [l] 
  141 
  

  

  