70 REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



work out the important problems remaining unsolved requires well 

 organized and sustained effort. 



The chief object here is to acquaint ourselves as much as possible 

 with the life and habits of the salmon, for intelligent attempts at con- 

 servation must depend largely on our knowledge of the natural history 

 of the species. The fact that rapid depletion and almost total destruc- 

 tion of the supply of salmon has occurred in certain localities to the 

 northward, is sufficient warning that the question of conservation must 

 be considered by us even more seriously than in the past. In addition 

 to a constantly increased effort to supply a growing demand for fish 

 fond, we are faced with the rapid development of irrigation and power 

 construction, which in some instances completely closes or threatens to 

 close large tributaries of our rivers which have served as natural breed- 

 ing grounds for salmon. The recent growth of sea fishing for salmon 

 also furnishes a problem for careful investigation. The main hope of 

 being able to combat these destructive agencies lies in iutellgently 

 administered conservation and propagation. 



Artificial propagation seems to have reached a high state of perfection, 

 but there are many questions relating to methods of liberation, distribu- 

 tion and breeding of young salmon that need immediate attention. It is 

 quite possible that some of our smaller coastal streams might be made 

 through artificial propagation to contribute largely to the demands of 

 sea fishing, and that with a little aid more or les? permanent migrations 

 might be established in some of them. 



Tlie salmon investigation work has been placed in charge of Dr. J. 

 0. Snyder of Stanford University, who is exceptionally well qualified to 

 carry on this line of work. 



During the past two seasons a'-sistants, under his direction, have 

 been engaged in making observations at Monterey Bay, Fort Bragg. 

 Klamath, Trinity, Smith and Sacramento rivers, and elsewhere. There 

 have been assembled considerable data relating to sea fishing and river 

 migration, collections of scales from which something of the life history 

 of the fish may be obtained, collections of young salmon from dift'erent 

 localities, etc. Laboratory studies of this material is now in progress. 

 Attention has been directed principally toward king salmon, but observa- 

 tions of value have been made on silver salmon, steelheads, sturgeon, 

 and other river fishes as well. 



What is most urgently demanded now is some knowledge of the com- 

 position or source of origin of the schools of salmon upon which the sea 

 fishing draws, of the movements, source of food, and other facts relating 

 to the ocean life of salmon, of the location and extent of spawning 

 grounds, the migrations of adults and young, and methods of introduc- 



