30 SALM,ON AND TEOUT IN ALASKA. 



improbable, however, appears from the fact that such eggs could not 

 have hatched and the young developed by the time the fry were 

 noted. Ripe fish would scarcely fail to enter the lake up to the time 

 that ice formed upon it. It was shown that while ice is on the lake 

 the temperature of the river is not much above 34° F. At this tem- 

 perature the sockeye eggs would require about two years to develop 

 into migrating fry. 



CONDITIONS REPORTED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



The observations made in British Columbia, under the direction 

 of J. P. Babcock, on the Fraser and Wannuck rivers (see Annual 

 Reports of the Fisheries Commissioner for British Columbia, 1902- 

 1904) should be noted here. In the spring of 1902, following the big 

 run of 1901, fry were abundant in Lake Creek, the outlet of Seton 

 Lake, and apparently migrated downstream at the same time with 

 the yearlings. In 1903 swimming fry were seen in Lake Creek as 

 early as January, remaining till April. They seemed to move down- 

 stream in April and May, after which none was seen either in Lake 

 Creek or in Seton Lake. The movement of the yearlings began on 

 the spring floods early in April and continued to June, heh\g the 

 heaviest the first two weeks in May. Observations at Lytton, in the 

 main river, found fry and yearlings, the latter least in number, 

 traveling together between April 1 and July 13 in both the Fraser 

 and Thompson rivers. In 1904 no fry or yearlings were found in 

 the rivers. This was supposed to be due to the absence of spawners 

 in the waters above in 1902 and 1903. It would seem, however, 

 that if the movement of fry in 1903 was marked there should have 

 been a corresponding number of yearlings to show in 1904. It is 

 impossible to believe that the product of the 1902 eggs all left the 

 waters as fry. Trials in the Wannuck River at Rivers Inlet, north of 

 the Fraser, in 1904, discovered an abundant movement of both fry 

 and yearlings between April 13 and July 1. The fry were in greater 

 abundance than the yearlings and the height of the run was between 

 May 22 and Jiuie 16. This greater abundance of fry as compared 

 with the number of yearlings is thought by Mr. Babcock to be due 

 merely to the operation of the trap. Both fry and yearlings drift 

 downstream tail first. The tail coming in contact with the net, the 

 fish would attempt to rush upstream and avoid the obstacle. If the 

 net were set in water of moderate current the stronger yearlings 

 would be able thus to avoid it and escape, whereas the weaker fry 

 would be more likely to enter it. In swift currents both are forced 

 into the trap. 



