HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC SALMON. 



593 



compavatively small stream, or from some river with a bad mouth 

 which they might well find difficulty in entering again when 

 they wished to do so. 



The value of hatcheries is a much-disputed point on Avhich I 

 will not express any opinion. For the moment I am content 

 to assume that they are of some value on the Fraser, and that 

 being so, to point out how they ca,n best be utilized. But I will 

 say that if the falling off in the catches which has been apparent 

 since about 1900, when each year is compared with the fourth year 

 before it, proves to be more than a mere temporary fluctuation, 

 hatcheries alone will certainly not remedy the evil, and it will 

 be necessary for a time at any rate to restrict the number of 

 fish that are permitted to be caught. 



Text-fiff. 108. 



Piece of skin taken from a Sockej'e (0. nerka) after spawning-. 



I should mention that I have scales from Sockeyes in their 

 fifth year, but they came from the State of Washington, not 

 from the Fraser. 



In text-fig. 107 is shown the scale of a Sockeye which weighed 

 6| lbs. and was caught at Morris Creek near Lake Shuswap, 

 about 300 miles from the coast. So far as I can judge it is quite 

 typical, and its interest is in showing, from the worn condition 

 of its edge, that if a Sockeye ever returned to the sea after 

 spawning and was caught again, a clear spawning mark should be 

 ajjparent on its scales. The scales lie so far apart, and are so 



