170 The Pacific Salmon 



salmon-roe bait. While the ascending salmon 

 has a mission to perform and never loses any 

 time seeking food, it may be induced to take 

 attractive baits that are thrown in its way. Most 

 of those so captured are males. 



The fact remains that, while food is sometimes 

 found in the fish, it feeds little and becomes more 

 and more emaciated, until at the conclusion of 

 the spawning season it dies from lack of nutri- 

 tion. 



Cultivation and Acclimatization 



The Pacific salmons received the attention of 

 fish culturists at a comparatively early date, and 

 to-day are among the leading fishes propagated 

 by the general government and the States of the 

 Western seaboard. Owing in part to the exten- 

 sive fishing, especially that at and near the 

 mouths of rivers, and in part to the pollution 

 of waters and to obstructions, the preservation of 

 these fish is to a very large extent dependent 

 on artificial propagation, and the maintenance of 

 the supply in the face of an enormous annual 

 catch is very generally attributed to the work of 

 the hatcheries. 



Associated with the first salmon hatching on 

 the Pacific coast is the name of one of the 



