740 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



for a considerable distance up-streain. The fish then enter the river and run up and down with 

 the tides, usually starting up-stream when the first fall rain comes. During the fall, they have to 

 be caught with seines. The spring run this year was good, but the fall run promises to be light. 

 Nine thousand three hundred cases have been put up during the present year. 



A hatchery is in operation on Rogue River, and it is the intention of Mr. Hume, who controls 

 the river, to use every effort to keep it stocked in case the expected falling off in the product of 

 the Columbia River comes to pass. 



Canneries have been in operation at Siuslaw and Umpqua Rivers, in Douglas County, but 

 both are now closed. More or less of salmon are salted on the Umpqua, Siuslaw, and Yaquina 

 Rivers. 



The total catch of the entire coast, outside of fish taken by the Indians, will not vary far from 



1,000,000 pounds. 



2. THE SALMON FISHERIES OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA. 



1. THE SALMON. 



The fishing interests of the Lower Columbia River are entirely concentrated in the canning of 

 salmon. Their importance far exceeds that of all other fishing interests on the Pacific coast com- 

 bined. 



The species making up almost the entire catch on the Columbia Itiver is the quinnat, or king 

 salmon, Oncorhynchus chouicha, the chinnook salmon of the Columbia River canners. 



This species usually begins running in the Columbia late in March, the principal run being 

 from May to July. The laws of Oregon and Washington forbid the capture of salmon in March, 

 August, and September, and from 6 p. m. on Saturday to 6 p. m. on Sunday. 



As taken at the canneries early in the season, the average weight is 22 pounds, or 16 pounds 

 when " dressed." Larger individuals, weighing as high as 70 pounds, are sometimes taken. The 

 largest one seen by the writers weighed 58 pounds. Later in the season many smaller ones are 

 taken, so that the average weight is then much less. 



The following pages give in brief all that is known of the life history of the different species 

 of salmon : 



There are five species of salmon (Oncorhynchus) in the waters of the North Pacific. All of 

 these are widely distributed and all are now known to occur in the waters of Kamchatka as well as 

 in those of Alaska and Oregon. There is at present no trustworthy evidence of the existence of 

 any other species on either the American or the Asiatic side of the ocean. 



These species are (1) Oncorhynchus chouicha, the quinuat, chinnook or king salmon ; (2) 0. 

 nerka, the blue-back salmon or redfish; (3) 0. kfeutch, the silver salmon; (4) 0. keta, the dog 

 salmon ; (5) 0. gorbuscha, the humpback salmon. 



The different species, non migratory or imperfectly migratory, properly called trout, are ex- 

 cluded from this discussion. 



Of these species, the blue-back predominates in Frazer's River, the silver salmon in Puget 

 Sound, the quinuat in the Columbia and the Sacramento, and the silver salmon in most of the small 

 streams along the coast. All the species have been seen by us in the Columbia and in Frazer's 

 River ; all but the blue-back in the Sacramento, and all but the blue-back in waters tributary to 

 Puget Sound. Only the quinnat has been noticed south of San Francisco. The blue-back has 

 not yet been noticed from any stream south of the Columbia. 



