Blueback Salmon; Sockeye Salmon 



Adult Male Little Redfish, showing condition at end of spawning season 



ever, the majority became more or less injured by rubbing 

 against the gravel of the spawning-beds, or by fighting with one 

 another. Soon after done spawning every one of these fish died, 

 not only both forms of redfish, but the chinook salmon as well. 

 There was no tendency to run down stream, but they all died 

 on or near their spawning-beds. The dying is not due to the 

 injuries the fish receive while on the spawning-grounds; many 

 were seen dying or dead which showed no external or other 

 injuries whatever. 



The dying of the West Coast salmon is in no manner de- 

 termined by distance from the sea. Observations made by us 

 and others elsewhere show that the individuals of all the species 

 of Oncorhynchus die after once spawning, whether the spawn- 

 ing-beds be remote from the sea or only a short distance from 

 salt water. The cause of the dying is deep-seated in its nature 

 and general in its application. The cause is the same as that 

 which compasses the death of the ephemera or may-fly after an 

 existence of but a few hours, or of the corn-plant or melon- 

 vine and all annual plants at the end of one season. 



This species, known locally as benimasu or red salmon, is 

 landlocked in a few lakes (Akan, etc.) in Nemuro, in northern 

 Japan, but it is rare on the Asiatic side south of Kamchatka. 



Head 4; depth 4; D. n; A. 14 to 16; scales 20-133-20; 

 Br. 13 to 15; gillrakers 32 to 40, usually 14 or 15+22 or 23, 

 as long as eye; pyloric coeca 75 to 95; vertebrae 64; snout z\ in 

 head in fall males, 3^ in females; mandible \\ in head in fall males, 

 if in females. Body long, elliptical, rather slender; head short, 

 snout long, pointed, sharply conic, the lower jaw included; maxil- 



158 



