282 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



month, the fish following the herring north around Point Roberts. A 

 second run is said to begin the latter part of April and to continue 

 during May and June, small numbers also passing Point Eoberts during 

 the remainder of the summer, when they may be taken in the traps set 

 for the sockeye. The fall run starts in the latter part of September 

 and ends some time in October. Among the San Juan Islands the 

 movements were described as practically the same. 



This species seems to enter many, if not most, of the rivers of this 

 region, the abundance in each being measured by the size of the stream. 

 A few, it is said, may be found in the lower 40 miles of the Fraser 

 River during the entire winter, but nothing is known of their habits 

 there at that time. Scattered individuals begin to enter and ascend 

 the river in February, and in some years, it is claimed, as early as 

 January, dependent upon the openness of the winter, but the species 

 remains scarce until in April. Some fishing may be done the last of 

 March, but not until the river becomes somewhat discolored by the 

 spring freshets are the conditions favorable for the extensive use of 

 drift nets. The main j)art of the spring run occurs in May and June, 

 being heaviest in the latter month, when the best fishing may be had. 

 As July comes on the supply drops off, and during that month and 

 August only a few are obtained, in conjunction with the sockeye. The 

 fall run, commencing generally in the latter part of September and 

 continuing into October, while of some importance, is much inferior to 

 the spring run. 



The quinnat apparently distribute themselves quite generally 

 throughout the Fraser River system, and ascend the different branches 

 as far as conditions jjermit. The earlier or spring runs travel farthest 

 upstream, the fall fish, it is said, spawning in lower tributaries, one of 

 which is Pitt River, only about 50 miles above New Westminster, and 

 another, Harrison River, somewhat higher up. The spawning season, 

 according to Canadian authorities, is mainly in the latter part of Sep- 

 tember and during October. 



The artificial propagation of the species was taken up on the Fraser 

 River in 1884, at the same time as the sockeye, but was discontinued 

 after five years' trial. It had been the original intention to obtain at 

 least a portion of the spawn from the Columbia River, with the object 

 of attempting to increase the proportion of fish with more deeply col- 

 ored flesh, but this part of the plan was never carried out, operations 

 being entirely confined to the local run. The parent fish were cauglit 

 with dip nets at night in swift water on the Harrison River rapids, 

 where they lay, and were held in cribs awaiting stripping. According 

 to Mr. Mowat, the species is hard to strip, and in some cases it is 

 necessary to handle the fish two or three times to obtain all their spawn. 

 The eggs are large and vary a great deal in color. Their number is 

 small in comparison with the Salmo salar, averaging only about 4,000 

 to each fish, and the period of incubation is very much shorter, this 

 being accounted for by the temperature of the water, which is higher 



