Prince. — Why Do Salmon Ascend from the Sea? 127 



floods the salmon become impatient to hasten up-stream and in 

 a few weeks, in some cases a few days, they reach the breeding 

 areas and carry out the important processes of spawning. Often 

 ten to fifteen days suffices for the ascent; but in the giant rivers 

 of the Pacific Coast many months are occupied in the migration 

 to the head waters. Species such as the dog-salmon (Oncorhynchus 

 keta Walbaum) and hump-back (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Walb.) 

 enter the rivers in a very advanced and ripe condition, and many 

 spawn within a very short time in creeks, and small streams only 

 a little distance from the mouth ; but the spring salmon, or King, 

 or Quinnat salmon, and the Blue-back or Sockeye salmon do not 

 reach their spawning grounds, in many cases, for several months. 

 The early Sockeye schools of the Fraser River, British Columbia, 

 entering from the sea, late in June or in July, do not reach such 

 waters as the Quesnelle, or Stuart's Lake or Fraser Lake until late 

 in August or early in September, the arduous journey occupying 

 eight or ten weeks ; but in the case of the Quinnat or King salmon 

 ascending the Yukon River (2000 miles long) the fish take five 

 or six months to reach the upper waters and winter has set in 

 before the main schools arrive at Dawson, where they are eagerly 

 captured for food purposes, in spite of their unfavorable condition, 

 after 1200 or 1500 miles ascent. 



Salmon, a Marine Type. 



Authorities are divided in their opinion as to the marine or 

 fresh-water character of the salmon. The determined persistence 

 with which the schools of salmon work their way up their native 

 rivers, no obstacles, rushing rapids, precipitous cascades, almost 

 impassable falls, or other barriers, being sufficient to deter them, 

 has been taken as evidence of fresh-water origin. Why should 

 they make such extraordinary efforts to get far from salt-water, 

 if the sea is their natural habitat? Moreover, salt-water is fatal 

 to the eggs and to the young stages, as Professor Mcintosh, of 

 St. Andrews, Scotland, proved fifty years ago, for the yolk acquires 

 the consistency of dense Indian-rubber, and later if preserved in 

 alcohol, assumes a corky character, while the early maturer fish 

 in the advanced "parr" and "smolt" stages require slow and 

 gradual acclimatization to sea-water in their descent from the 

 upper fresh-water pools to the ocean. In adult life the change from 



