SALMON AND TROUT IX ALASKA. 95 



farther do\\Ti the lake was 57°; it is said few sockeyes enter tliis. 

 The hatchery brook was 46°. The ba}' just off the stream August 5 

 was 64° at 6 p. m., or practically the same as the outflow from the 

 lake. 



At Kegan, October 3, fish were spawTiiing in the main stream above 

 at 47° and refusing a smaller stream at 43° flowing through the same 

 mouth; later ihej were reported to be spa^\^ling in both, tempera- 

 tures unknown, but doubtless ec[ualized to a degree. 



At Ward Cove, September 6, a few sockeyes were spawming in 

 the stream at 55 ^°, but this is not a sockeye stream, properh' speak- 

 ing, though it has the required lake and an extensive stretch of good 

 spawning bed. 



In the Wallowa Dr. Kendall observed that the dwarf sockeye 

 preferred the warmer water after temperatures fell below 45°, though 

 spa^\^ling continued until the temperature had dropped to 40°. 



These observations indicate that the natural spawning temperature 

 for the socke3"e is between 47° and 55°, probably not over 50° by 

 preference. (See p. 97.) The natural fall temperature for creeks not 

 draining lakes or extensive swamps is about 45° to 48°, lake outlets 

 55° to 60°. The presence in a stream's course of a lake of any large 

 size and a low altitude may usually be at once discovered by tem- 

 perature, except, of course, when the lake outflow is mingled with 

 another stream of low temperature, as from a glacier. Ordinary 

 springs have a summer temperature of 44° to 48°, winter around 40°. 

 Creeks, of course, fall with the air temperature to freezing. 



In the same manner in which they approach the ascent of a river 

 from the sea, the sockej^es school about the spawaiing stream a short 

 time before entering, and after entering the current proceed b}* easj'- 

 stages to the bed finally occupied. Frequently they are seen to drift 

 back over a riffle they had almost surmounted, and appear in most 

 cases to enter swift "water with hesitation and caution. It was 

 noted at the Fortmann Hatchery when high water prevented the 

 usual seining of ripe fish that the natural spawning did not com- 

 mence for a day or so after the fish covered the beds. A short 

 time seems to be spent in selecting nests. 



The sexes of the Alaska sockeyes as found during the fishing sea- 

 son are approximately equal, or perhaps there is more commonly a 

 slight excess of males. Of 1,025 examined at Karta Bay June 24 

 to July 8, 1904, the sexes were ec^ual; 548 of the first arrivals at 

 Xowiskay July 14-22 had an excess of 12 males, while of 551 at 

 this same place August 10-31 males were still in excess b}^ 19. At 

 Kegan fxom July 24-29, 988 examples showed 28 in favor of the 

 females; Yes Bay July 26-28, 1905, had an excess of males by 10 

 in 510, while on August 14 among 172 fish the females exceeded by 

 24; August 16-20, 1904, in 976 examples there were 31 more males 

 10731—07 7 



