THE SALMON FAMILY. 51 



seine in the ocean, and the latter is known to enter 

 the Strait of Fuca at the spawning season, therefore 

 coming in from the open sea. The great majority 

 of the quinnat salmon, and nearly all the blue-back 

 salmon enter the rivers in the spring. The run of 

 both begins generally at the last of March ; it lasts, 

 with various modifications and interruptions, until 

 the actual spawning season in November; the time 

 of running and the proportionate amount in each 

 of the subordinate runs varying with each different 

 river. In general, the runs are slack in the sum- 

 mer and increase with the first high water of 

 autumn. By the last of August only straggling 

 blue-backs can be found in the lower course of 

 any stream ; but both in the Columbia and in the 

 Sacramento the quinnat runs in considerable num- 

 bers at least till October. In the Sacramento the 

 run is greatest in the fall, and more run in the 

 summer than in spring. In the Sacramento and 

 the smaller rivers southward, there is a winter 

 run, beginning in December. The spring salmon 

 ascends only those rivers which are fed by the 

 melting snows from the mountains, and which have 

 sufficient volume to send their waters well out to 

 sea. Those salmon which run in the spring are 

 chiefly adults (supposed to be at least three years 

 old). Their milt and spawn are no more devel- 

 oped than at the same time in others of the same 

 species which are not to enter the rivers until fall. 

 It would appear that the contact with cold fresh 

 water, when in the ocean, in some way causes 

 them to run towards it, and to run before there 

 is any special influence to that end exerted by the 



