XV -REPORT ON THE PROPAGATION OF SCHOODIC SALMON AT 

 GRAND LAKE STREAM, MAINE, IN 1886-'87. 



By Chas. G. Atkins. 



The management of the Schoodic Station for this year was placed in 

 the hands of the assistant superintendent, Mr. W. O. Buck, of Bucks- 

 port, whose chief helper was the experienced foreman, Mr. William H. 

 Munson, of Princeton, who has served the station in that cipacity since 

 its organization, and to whose skill and fidelity the success of the work 

 has been largely due. 



Mr. Munson began work the first of September and placed the barrier- 

 nets across the outlet of Grand Lake on the 15th of that month. The 

 pounds were built at the usual date, and made ready for the capture of 

 fish on the 28th of October. The run of fish was rather small, not quite 

 equal to that of 1885. Of the 752 taken in all, 505, or G7 per cent., were 

 females, aud 247, or 33 per cent., males. The fish proved of satisfactory 

 size and fecundity, the females yielding an average of 1,935 eggs each, 

 a higher rate than ever before observed, except in 1881, when the yield 

 was 2,319 eggs per fish. 



The fishing and spawn-taking was accomplished under the disadvan- 

 tage of very low water and a current too sluggish to attract the fish into 

 the inclosures so freely as desirable, and a larger number than usual 

 spawned on the shallows above our nets. But for extra exertions to 

 capture the recusants, by stretching additional nets, the loss from this 

 cause would have been very serious. 



In 1885, at the close of the work of spawn-taking, the greater num- 

 ber of the salmon in hand were marked by cutting out a V-shaped piece 

 from the outer margin of the anal fin. This year all the salmon that 

 were handled were closely scrutinized for these marks, and 56 of them (5 

 males and 51 females) were found to bear what appeared to be the mark 

 sought for. In each of these cases there was a distinct, well-defined 

 triangular transparent spot in the requisite position. It appeared as 

 though the rays and integuments had been reproduced so as to com- 

 pletely fill out the outline of the fin, but that the new growth had as 

 yet assumed no color. So distinct were these marks that both Mr. 

 Buck and Mr. Munson were fully convinced that they were the marks 

 of 1885. Such a result was unexpected and great interest will attach 



[1] 751 



