■604 MR. J. A. MILNE ON THE 



form any definite opinion as to the time spent in fresh water. 

 This scale shows clearly one winter band formed in the sea (AA). 

 I presume that it represents the growth of the second winter. 

 All the scales show a similar band, and many of them another 

 evidently formed a year later. 



I can give no measurements as I do not know the length, or 

 even the weight, of any of the fish when caught. 



The Dog (Salmon [Oncorhynchtis keta). 



The Dog Salmon frequents the Pacific Coast all the way from 

 San Francisco to the Arctic Circle, but is most plentiful between 

 Puget Sound and South-East Alaska. This fish is also called the 

 Chvim Salmon, and is known in Japan as Sake, and in Siberia as 

 .Kita. 



I have not before referred to the pi-evalence of any of the 

 species on the other side of the Pacific, and only do so now 

 because the Dog Salmon has long been a staple food of Japan, 

 and it is because this fish is white-fleshed, or almost white, that 

 the red colour of the other varieties has caused them to be 

 viewed with suspicion when exported to the East. This fact 

 was ascertained by me when I was in China and Japan in 1893. 



The Dog Salmon gets that name from the distorted appearance 

 of the mouth of the males at spawning time. They then look 

 not unlike snarling dogs. The average weight of the Dog Salmon 

 is about 8 lbs. In British Columbia it is higher, from 10 to 

 12 lbs. 16 lbs, would be about the maximum weight. 



The weight canned in 1909 was 25,660,845 lbs., and over 

 4,000,000 lbs. weight was otherwise dealt with for export. 



It is only in Washington State that these fish have been 

 spawned in the hatcheries. There an average of about 7,000,000 

 fry have been turned out in recent years beginning Avith the 

 year 1900. 



As a general rule the Dog Salmon comes in late in the year, 

 September to November. But in Alaska the run begins in June, 

 and in the Eraser River in the middle of August. 



In British Columbia they spawn close to the sea. This I had 

 gathered from the appearance of the scales before I found out 

 that it was known to be the case. I have received scales from 

 two specimens weighing 11| and 12 lbs. respectively, both caught 

 in Puget Sound on their way to the Eraser River. They show 

 no indication of fresh water feeding at all. The fry evidently 

 descend to the sea as soon as hatched out. The measurements of 

 10 scales of the 11 ^ lbs. fish, one of which is shown in text- 

 fig. 117, enable me to give the rate of growth as follows : — At 

 the end of the first year 7\ inches, at two years 13 inches, at 

 three years 22 inches, at four years 27| inches, and when caught 

 in its fifth year it measured 31 inches. Its capture was evidently 



