154 Tzventy-nintli Annual Meeting 



PROPAGATION OF THE PACIFIC SALMON. 



BY S. W. DOWNING, PUT-IN-BAY, OHIO. 



Were T writing this article solely for tlie purpose of reading 

 before this meeting, I would not presume to go into details and 

 give a description of the manner of securing the eggs and the 

 methods employed in hatching them, as it is taken for granted 

 that all or at least most of the menibers present are familiar 

 with this work, but for the benefit of those who may read the 

 forthcoming account of the proceedings of this meeting wlia 

 are not familiar with tliis work, I will give a brief description of 

 the work as carried on at the different salmon stations where I 

 have been located during the last three hatching seasons. 



First, it is necessary to know something of the nature and 

 habits of the lish in question. In most of the streams, and espe- 

 cially those extending long distances from the ocean, there are 

 two runs of lish, the first occurring in March and April, and the 

 other in July and August. 



The fish coming into the streams in tlie first nin go to the 

 very head waters, reaching the spawning grovmds late in July 

 and August, where they remain until spent, and in fact until they 

 die, for it is a fact not gi.-nerallv known that all the salmon that 

 ascend the streams any distance above tide water, die soon after 

 the eggs are deposited. 



The second run enters the main streams about July or Au- 

 gust. These do not ascend the stream to the distance as the first 

 run, but they enter the small tributaries near the mouth of the 

 main streams, they apparently being more mature on entering; 

 the stream, and in consec|uence seek a siiitable place in which to 

 deposit their eggs soon after leaving salt water. 



The methods employed by the fish culturist in securing the 

 eggs, is to first find some suitable location on either the main 

 stream or some tributary, and throw a barrier across the slats 



