100 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



their parent river in spite of tlie fact that the river can not be found. The waters of 

 Russian Rivef soak through these sandbars, and the salmon instinct, we think, leads 

 them merely to search for fresh waters. This matter is much in need of further inves- 

 tigation ; at present, however, we find no reason to believe that the salmon enter the 

 Rogue River simply because they were spawned there, or tliat a salmon hatched in the 

 Clackamas River is more likely, on that account, to return to the Clackamas than to go 

 u]) the Cowlitz or the Des Chutes. 



Attempts have been made to settle this question by marking the fry. 

 But this is a very difficult matter, indeed. Almost the only structure 

 which can be safely mutilated is the adipose fin, and this is often 

 nipped off by sticklebacks and other meddling fish. The following 

 experiments have been tried, according to Mr. Davis: 



In March, 1896, 5,000 king salmon fry were marked by cutting off the adipose fin, then 

 set free in the Clackamas River. Nearly 400 of these marked fish are said to have been 

 taken in the Columbia in 1898 and a few more in 1899. In addition a few were taken in 

 1898, 1899 and 1900 in the Sacramento River, but in much less numbers than in the 

 Columbia. In the Columbia most were taken at the mouth of the river where most of 

 the fishing was done, but a few were in the original stream, the Clackamas. It is stated 

 that the fry thus set free in the Clackamas came from eggs obtained in the Sacramento — 

 a matter which has, however, no bearing on the present case. 



In the Kalama hatchery on the Columbia River, Washington, 2,000 fry of the quinnat 

 or king salmon were marked in 1899 bj' a V-shaped notch in the caudal fin. Numerous 

 fish thus marked were taken in the lower Columbia in 1901 and 1902. A few were taken 

 at the Kalama hatchery, but some also at the hatcheries on Wind River and Clackamas 

 River. At the hatchery on Chehalis River six or seven were taken, the stream not being 

 a tributary of the Columbia, but flowing into Shoalwater Bay. None were noticed in 

 the Sacramento. The evidence shows that the most wlio are hatched in a large stream 

 tend to return to it, and that in general, most salmon return to the parent region. 



There is no evidence that a salmon hatched in one branch of a river 

 tends to return there rather than to any other. Experiments of Messrs. 

 Rutter and Spalding in marking adult fish at Karluk wovild indicate 

 that they roam rather widely about the island before spawning. A 

 spawning fish set free in Karluk River was found three days later at 

 R id River, sixty miles away on the opposite side of Kadiak Island. 



The introduction of salmon into new streams may throw some light 

 on this question. In 1897 and 1898, 3,000,000 young king salmon fry 

 were set free in Papermill Creek near Olema, California. This is a 

 small stream flowing into the head of Tomales Bay, and it had never 

 previously had a run of salmon. In 1900, and especially in 1901, large 

 quinnat salmon appeared in considerable numbers in this stream. One 

 specimen weighing about sixteen pounds was sent to the present writer 

 for identification. These fishes certainly returned to the parent stream, 

 although this stream was one not at all fitted for their purpose. 



But this may be accounted for by the to2:)Ography of the bay. 

 Tomales Bay is a long and narrow channel, about twenty miles long 

 and from one to five in width, isolated from otlier rivers, and with but 

 one tributary stream. Probably the salmon had not wandered far 

 from it; some may not have left it at all. In any event, a large num- 

 ber certainly came back to the same place. 



