158 Tzventy-niitt/i Animal Meeting 



not return before the fourth season, and it is our opinion that 

 the males mature, even if under size, and return with the regular 

 run, while in the case of the female, she does not mature until 

 after sufficient time has elapsed for the ova to mature, and thus 

 she has one more season's growth than the male, and is conse- 

 quently larger, on an average, although there are instances of very 

 small females coming into the streams, and some have been 

 taken and spawned that have weighed but from six to eight 

 pounds and the eggs from them hatched and the fry seemed 

 strong and healthy. 



Hie writer is aware that this article is but a poor, crude 

 affair, but hopes that the main idea, i. e., the need of more ex- 

 tended work m the propagation of this most valuable fish, has 

 been made apparent. 



DISCUSSION OF MR. DOWNING's PAPER. 



Mr. O'AIalley : I didn't quite catch whether Mr. Downing 

 limited the spawning of his fish to the blue-back salmon or to 

 the Pacific salmon? 



Mr. Clark : He refers to the quinnat salmon. 



Mr. O'Malley: I should say that with the blue-black the 

 male and female work together. 



Mr. Hubbard : I have had considerable experience with the 

 salmon, and I wish to say that the males do work with the females 

 in spawning naturally. The female will work alone, but usually 

 there will be one to three or four males just below, and when 

 these males notice the female excluding the eggs they will rush 

 up and deposit their fluid over them. 



Mr. Ravenel : I think, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hubbard is right. 

 It is true of all other fishes and must be of the quinnat; but if 

 not true, there would not be one-tenth of one per cent of the eggs 

 deposited that would be fertilized. Extensive experiments have 

 been made showing that the milt is absolutely fruitless after it 

 has been in the water two or three minutes. I don't think there 

 is any question at all but that two minutes is the dead line, and, 

 in fact, one and one-half, I think, will not produce a lo per cent 

 fertilization. 



