514 
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
ernment half way in inaugurating and 
enforcing measures for the prevention of 
overfishing or other destructive methods. 
One of the most novel and interesting 
pieces of work conducted by the Bureau 
of Fisheries in connection with the ad- 
ministration of the Alaska salmon fish- 
eries is the taking of a census of the 
spawning salmon moving up one of the 
principal streams in the territory. The 
results and the purport of this effort are 
most important, and a brief account is 
not out of place here. 
Since 1907 Nushagak and Wood rivers, 
which flow into Nushagak Bay, in west- 
ern Alaska, have been closed to commer- 
cial fishing by virtue of the power con- 
ferred by law on the Secretary of Com- 
merce and Labor. In 1908, through the 
liberal cooperation of two salmon com- 
panies operating in, the region, the Bu- 
reau at great expense and labor placed 
across Wood River an intercepting rack, 
which compelled all migrating salmon to 
pass through narrow tunnels or gates 
provided for the purpose and so arranged 
that the fish would be readily visible to 
persons on watch. 
Men provided with an automatic count- 
ing and registering device were stationed 
on the rack night and day and kept a 
tally of the salmon as they passed up- 
stream. The run continued during all 
of July and part of August, and on one 
day over 324,000 fish were recorded, and 
on another more than 402,000. The total 
tally was 2,603,655 salmon, all of the red 
species. 
These were fish that had escaped the 
very active fishing in Nushagak Bay, and 
in addition to them several million other 
fish are known to have gone up other 
tributaries of the bay to their spawning 
grounds, the data available indicating 
that the total run of red salmon in the 
Nushagak basin in 1908 was as many as 
13,600,000, with 10,100,000 as the mini- 
mum, of which 6,400,000 were caught 
and utilized at the local canneries. 
Therefore, under the most favorable 
conditions for reproduction, nearly 53 
per cent of the run escaped, and under 
the most unfavorable 37 per cent. 
During each of the three following 
years the rack was reconstructed at the 
same place, and the census of the run 
was taken in the same way, with the fol- 
lowing results: 1909, 893,244 fish; 1910, 
670,104 fish; 1911, 354,299 fish. Ar- 
rangements have been made to continue 
the count in 1912, which will be a most 
important year for the experiment, be- 
cause affording an indication of the ap- 
proximate number of fish resulting from 
the run of 1908. 
It is yet too soon to say what this ex- 
periment will lead to, but it is the expec- 
tation that it and similar trials in other 
streams will afford accurate data relative 
to the na^"ural increment of the fish, so 
that, the c jproximate size of the run be- 
ing known, the minimum number of fish 
necessary to maintain the supply may be 
allowed to pass to the spawning grounds 
each year and the remainder of the run 
placed at the disposal of the fishermen. 
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR MEMBERS 
The splendid picture of "The Matter- 
horn," which is published as a supplement 
to this number, shows the magnificent 
mountain in its grandest and most im- 
pressive aspect. For the convenience of 
members of the Society a limited edi- 
tion of the picture has been printed on 
heavy artist's stock, suitable for framing. 
Copies may be had, unfolded, for 50 
cents each, postpaid. 
Members desiring the address of the 
Magazine changed for the summer 
months are requested to send notice of 
the desired change immediately. 
Dr. Hiram Bingham has directed our 
attention to a misprint in the recently 
published account of his explorations in 
Peru, as follows : In the quotation from 
Professor Lull's article, through a cleri- 
cal error. Dr. Bingham's name was sub- 
stituted for that of Professor Bowman 
(first column, line 44, page 417, April. 
19 1 2, number). 
On page 427 of this number read "Ke- 
nai Peninsula" for "Seward Peninsula." 
