19 



days later, they had grown to an average length of 3.26 inches, or an 

 actual gain in length of 1.91 inches; an average gain per month of .33 

 inch. The specimens from which this average was taken contained 

 the smallest and largest salmon found, or 2.83 and 4.08 inches, between 

 which two lengths there was a perfect intergradation. 



On November 2, 1897, a little over two months later, Sulloway Creek 

 was again seined, and only about one half as many young salmon were 

 found, and from a representative series ranging from 3.30 to 4.18 inches 

 in length, the average was found to be 3.5 inches, or a gain of .24 of an 

 inch in the two months. 



Early in November, salmon fry hatched from eggs taken at Baird, 011 

 the McCloud River, were planted in Sulloway Creek, and by November 

 22d they had absorbed their yolk sacs. In the February following, 

 salmon fry hatched from eggs taken at Battle Creek were again planted. 

 These absorbed their yolk sacs about March 10th. No seining was done 

 between these two plants, and none after, until the 15th of May, 1898. 

 On this date young salmon were caught, and, after measuring a larger 

 series, it was found that they were of three well-developed sizes. Those 

 making up the smallest size exceeded all of the others 8 to 1, and they 

 had grown from a length of 1.35 inches on March 10th, to 2.18 inches, 

 or a gain of .83 of an inch, a rate of .38 of an inch per month. The 

 smallest salmon found belonging to this group was 1.64 inches, the 

 largest 2.8 inches. The next size ranged from 3.58 to 3.9 inches, and 

 averaged 3.73 inches. These had remained in the- stream since the 

 November preceding, and there were very few of them as compared with 

 the smaller size. They had been in the stream nearly six months, and 

 showed an average gain of .39 of an inch per month. Only two speci- 

 mens were found larger than this size, and they each measured 4.6 

 inches. These had undoubtedly remained in the stream at least since 

 March of the year before. 



Although it had been only a little over two months since several 

 millions of salmon fry were planted in this small stream, there were 

 compared with the immense number planted scarcely any left. These 

 observations seem to warrant us in drawing the following conclusions: 

 That the great bulk of the fry planted in February and March leave the 

 stream, on their way down the river to salt water, within two months; a 

 few of them remain until the rains of the following winter, and a few 

 individuals may even remain through the winter up to the beginning of 

 the rains the next fall. Of the fry planted in November, nearly all leave 

 the stream during the winter, and it is probable that they do the same 

 as the others leave the streams within two months. I should add that 

 the observations of the young salmon in Marin County, which are to be 

 found in a separate report, and the subsequent observations carried on 

 in the Sacramento, all demonstrate the correctness of these conclusions. 



