Man and Nature 



429 



increase, due probably to increased facilitiL's for taking and 

 preserving the catch. 



The survival of the salmon in the face of so great difficulties 

 is undoubtedly duo in large measure to the extensive propa- 

 gation carried on maiidy by the government, but also by state 

 and private concerns. 



From California to Alaska the l>ui-eau of Fisheries main- 

 tains salmon luiteliei'ies, -which annually distribute in our 

 waters some 2(H ),()(>( ),()()() eggs, fry ami older lish. Since tl)e 

 start of propagation work in 1872 to the end of 1921 a total 

 of about 4, ()()(), ()()().()()() salmon eggs have been hatched aiul 

 "planted'' in Pacific waters, besid(>s those which have been 

 sent to the Atlantic Coast and to foreign countries. The 

 hatcheries are located on some salmon stream, where there 



Tray of Salmon Eggs 



Courlcsy of the U. S. liitrcftit of Finlicrirs. 



is an abundant supply of good water and plenty of fish from 

 which to strip the eggs. The fish are caught on their way 

 to the spawning grounds, either by seining them from the 

 river, or in a trap, and if not "ripe'" (i. e. ready to siied their 

 sperm and eggs) they are i-etained in a pound or enclosure 

 until the proper time. In obtaining the eggs two methods are 

 employed, either the living fish is "stripped" of her eggs, 

 or she is killed, opened and the eggs removed. The latter 

 method causes no loss of fish as might appear at first sight, 

 since the fish die after spawning in any case; and is more 

 efficient than the former, since all of the eggs are obtained, 

 which is not the case in "stripping." In "stripping" the 

 female, she is held in the hand or placed in a si)ecial frame 

 for this purpose, while the "stripper" runs his thumb down 

 her belly and squeezes out the eggs into a pail. The sperm 

 or "milt" of the male is obtained in the same way. After 



