CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 107 



is shown as figure 48. A comparison of this with figure 43 is made 

 easy in figure 49, where selected parts of eacli are placed side by side. 

 There is liere demonstrated the possibility of recognizing unmarked fish 

 which are liberated with marked ones, providing all were treated alike, 

 and this wdll warrant the close scrutiny of a great many four-year fish 

 which enter the Klamath a year hence, especially at the Klamathon 

 racks, where all that escape the vicissitudes of sea and river may be 

 expected to arrive. 



In 1919 a single marked fish was ol)tained in the Klamath estuary as 

 the only result of an experiment initiated in 1916. An account of this 

 experiment reads as follows (California Fish and Game, Vol. 2, No. 4, 

 p. 209) : ''On February 15, 1916, 3500 marked 3'earling quinnat salmon 

 were liberated in the Klamath River at Klamathon. They were hatched 

 at the Sisson Hatchery from eggs taken on Butte (meaning Battle) 

 Creek in November, 1914. Each was marked by removing the left 

 ventral and the adipose fin. It is expected that a few of these will be 

 recovered in the Klamath River in 1917 as male grilse, and that both 

 males and females will be taken in 1918, 1919 and 1920 as 4, 5 and 

 6-year-old fish." The single fish recovered was first observed by Henry 

 Jackson, an employee in the cannery of the Klamath River Packers 

 Association at Requa, August 29, 1919. The specimen w^as presented 

 to an agent of the Fish and Game Commission by Mr. G. R. Field. It 

 measured 43 inches and weighed 35 pounds. Its age is plainly shown 

 by the character of one of its scales in figure 50. Because of unfor- 

 tunate circumstances, no very definite effort was made to recover 

 marked fish from this experiment until it was almost too late, and the 

 very meagre results serve to illustrate the futility of initiating an 

 experiment when not fully prepared to closely follow it up. 



The experimental planting of 1919 now gives promise of unusually 

 good results, and no reasonable effort should be spared to secure full 

 data relating to it. Fish bearing its mark may appeal* along the coast 

 in the catches of troUers, and thus offer some evidence relating to the 

 contribution of Klamath salmon to sea fisheries. It is known that 

 Klamath fish are caught at sea, as salmon on entering the river bring 

 from time to time mute evidence in the form of embedded hooks, and 

 even entire spoons, which look like those used in sea trolling to the 

 southward. 



This particular experiment is part of an effort of the Fish and Game 

 Commission to accumulate facts relating to the habits and distribution 

 of the king salmon which shall contribute toward the conservation and 

 maintenance of the fisheiy. It is of interest to fisherman, dealer, 

 packer and consumer alike, and no opportunity should be lost to con- 

 tribute to its results. Any one so fortunate as to catch one of these fish 

 should make an accurate note of it. He should measure its length 

 from the snout to the end of the middle part of the tail (see figure 40), 

 determine its sex, cut the mutilated fins from the body, including a 

 liberal piece of skin, scrape a hundred or so scales from near the middle 

 of its side, write down the date and exact locality of capture, the name 

 and address, and mail the entire data to the Fish and Game Commis- 

 sion. The fins should be well salted, and the scales may be spread out 

 between two papers. 



