130 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



rSEPTEMBER 16, 1880. 



tliR "sood old .past" many large ones havebeen captured. 

 Tlii» Uirneht on record weiK'itd seventeen pounds, and 

 Wiis ensnared by the uresident of the "Klaw liammer 

 Anjjlins: Association," the velenm angler of thia portion 

 of the Stiite. The above mentioned "Klub" owes its name 

 to the style of coat worn by Us presiding officer on liigh 

 da.y, and" holidays. Will. 



M I I 1^ 



, THE REVISION OF TUE SALMONID^ai;. 



THIS work is progressing slowly but surely; is so in- 

 teresting, find has been si longneeded, that we hail 

 with jfiy every 111 ing concerning it from our ichthyologists. 

 Ithas been KUrli a reliff to have tho formidable list of 

 thirty or forty spfcies, recorded in the olden works, boiled 

 do-wii to about half a dozen. That the work is uot yet 

 complete is true, but the labors of Bean and Jordan show 

 that they are not idle, and there is no doubt that the 

 tangle into wliich Suckley got the Pacilic coast salmon 

 will eventually be straightened out. Suckley's work was 

 perhaps as good as could bo done vrith the material at his 

 ooniniaiul. iiuicli of which was in such a state that it is a 

 question whotlier it would have been a loss to science if 

 it was entir.ly lost. He describes species from dried skins, 

 and troin spncimens parlly destroyed by alcohol, as well 

 as made new species of niwlc and female, old and young, 

 as they ddfeit'd in iheir idiaractera. His limited number 

 of speeiraeiiH must, liowevi-i-. be bis apology, aHhedid not 

 have tlie advantages of the splendid collection of the Na- 

 tional Museum at his command. On the subject of these 

 "Western salmon Prof. Jordan writes tis as follows : — 



Blooiungxon, Ind., Sept. dth. 

 Editor Forest and Stream :— 



In reference to Dr. Bean's notes on the redflsh in your 

 paper of Sept. 2d, 1 liave to sai :— 



1. 1 have now no di>ubt lliat the "Idaho redfish," the 

 "redt^^h" par excellence, is Oacurhynchus kenwriyi. In 

 vas visit lo Oregon and Washington 1 obtained consider- 

 a le evidence which supports Dr. Bean'sview of the case, 

 which moi-edver is clinched by his positive examination 

 of the specimens sent bv CiipL Bendire. 



2. Il is prnlj:i,l.l\- irue ihatthe male of different species 

 is also known as '■•reillish' ill iljfterent localiiies, and of 

 these '-redlish,' O. hctka is certainly sometimes one. 



3. The deterniinatiou of lliese species, made three years 

 ago liy Gill and Jordan, were based on very insufficient 

 material; "the best we had," but still very pocr. Since 

 then. I have been able to examine them in their native 

 waters, and my ss-sistant, Mr. Charles H. Gilbert, is still 

 after them. We have thus far failed to find any evidence 

 of the existence of more tlian five species of swlmon on 

 our Western coast, althougn we are ready to enlarge our 

 notions if anv ne.re actunliy turn up. 



These are the rnllowing :— 



1. 0. /c./i"er/;// (Suckley). The redfish known by its 

 ppcuhar foi m. cmnpresstd and deep, the long compressed 

 head with the verv huge, oblique mouth. Tlie vomeaine 

 teeth, as stated n\ Dr. B-an, are more than usufdly de- 

 •yelopeil. Scales in a series alongside, 130-135. Branch- 

 ioBtegal" femleen to fifteen. Anal ra\s (developed), fif- 

 teen ' Bick and tail, with black spots." Weight, usually 

 less than live puuiids. ■ We know this to be Suckley's Sa/- 

 mo lo-niieyiyi. hence its specific name i.s probably fixed. 



a. 0. gu""n'''(Kieliaidsoii). The quinnat salmon, the 

 largest and by far the most abundant and valuable species. 

 Scales. 138-155. Bianehiosligals, fifteen to nineteen, us- 

 ually one more on one side than the other. Gill rakers 

 about fourteen, below the angle about twenty-four in all. 

 Pyloric coeca, about 160. Anal rays, about sixteen. Back 

 and tail, with black spots. Weight, filteen to seventy 

 pounds. We know this to be the original Sahno gidnnut 

 of Richardson, and its specific name is not likely to be 



3. O. iauppitch (Richardson). The "hooped" sahnon. 

 The smalhst salmon vet known on our West coast, 

 Scales. 1J7-130. Brancliiostegals, thirteen to foiirteen. 

 (Jill raker.-^, about thirteen below, twenty-three in all. 

 Pyloric coeca about sixty-three. Anal rays, thirteen. 

 Bwk. spotted; tail alwaysp'ain. except the uppermost ray 

 whicli is sometimes spotted. This species reaches a lengtli 

 of about eighteen inches, and a weight of four to five 

 piainds. It is probably, but not certainly, the Salvia 

 Uup)}'tiih of riichardsuii, and its proper specific natne is 

 uucertuiii. There were no specimens of this species in 

 the museum when our first studies of the oncurhynchi 

 were made, and the name tmppiteh was adopted by Gill 

 and Jordan for a different fish, which turns out to be the 

 same as Su/wio CV((' /ri. ^ 



4. O. verka (Walbaum). The blue back, or Fraser 



Tliis sni cics is found from Oregon to Alaska (ytde speci- 

 men from Ateuiain Island). It runs in small numbers in 

 theCohmibia with the quinnat sahnon. and m much 

 larger numbers further North. Scales, 130-i;jo. Brancb- 

 ioategals. thirteen to hfteen. Gill rakers, t\vemy-three 

 below, thirly-Hve to forty in all. Pyloric ccfica s'-7*:»l-y- 

 five to one hundred. Anal rays, fourteen. AVeight, 

 eightto ten potmds. A retnatluilly graeetul species the 

 back deep blue, an.l ne. black spots anywl.ere. This is 

 certaiidy the Oiicorlnirn-huH lycuudon of Gunther, and 

 probably lUeSahno u.,rka of Walbaum. Its name cannot 

 however be coit.-idere.l as deHnilely fixed. 



5 O. gnrlinncha (Walbaum). The iiump-back salmon. 

 Scales 215-3'iO. Brancliiostegals, twelve. Gill rakers. 

 twenty-eight. .Anal rays, fourteen. Weight, six to eight 

 pounds There is little tloubt that this is the Sulmo gur- 

 himdta of Waihautu, and if so, its present name in per- 

 manent. ^ David S. Jordan. 



Fi^niNa AT TiLoiTHA's Vineyard. — Cottage City. 

 Ma, than Vineyard. Ma.s.. A,'y. !«//<. -Several of your 

 subscribers liave been sojoining here lor a couple ot 

 weeks. Among the number are Mr. J J, Mc&'er and 

 Mr U. W. iM.uaons.Jr., ot vour city. Maj, Geo, Ixitford, 

 Of P'dhidelpMu. accompanied litem on tlie.r hsliing ex- 

 C, rsio IS diirm^ the past and present week, (.alchmg blue- 

 lifh oif Cape Pogue, soorit.K tweniy-severi one day, and 

 tniin-four another, and sull an.nher, and he.oued torty- 

 two,"losingninp. and parting one line, and snapping an- 

 other. Capt. Cleveland and his handsome cratt have 

 beeu chartered lor two weeks. The Island of Martha s 



Vineyard now teems with human beings, and all with 

 one accord pronounce the Vinevard fishing equal, if not 

 superior to any on the coast of Massachusetts, TheSSthof 

 August our city of col tribes was illuminated, and $500 

 woith of firework.s were exploded. Q. Q. 



Stbiped Bass in the Piscataqua. —Dwer, N.IL. Aug, 

 2Qth. — Within a short time quite a number of stripeil 

 bass have been caught at Piacataqaa Bridfre, a vlace on 

 the Pi.^cataqua River, some five miles from li'ere. and 

 eight from the sea. On Wednesday last, J\[i-. M. Clriii- 

 enis succeeded in landing one that tipped tlie seaiis at 

 forty-five pounds. He was brought to this city and 

 placed on exhiliition in one of our markets. Quite a little 

 army of fishers are preparing to make a descent ott the 

 above named place, in hopes they may bring lo the sur- 

 face, if no further, some of these" beauties of the deep. 

 W. A. G. 



HABITS OF SALMON— THE USE OF THE HOOK:, 

 ETC. 



1/ WINT.1S0H, Nova Scotia, Avg. 30th. 



FOREST AND STREAM, just received, contains a 

 courteous note of inquiry from Mr. G. G. Atkins 

 respecting iheuseof the liook on the !o ■ ; :' ' 



male salmon, also noies vy '■ Strinstean, 

 writer asserts that he has •'■ taken c -risi ; 

 get the opinions of many of the matli z-i ... :. . .... 



din- soui- of the theories advanced 1 



■ 1.1 le 



lialsp: 



, JM.lt fl 



ad" 



ud ottej 



■ purpo 

 s to 1,;. 



were 



f tlie lil 



U'P- 

 r to tliee;:,herni;,n s Nier.-s. 



i: itr, Mowat's 



liich he rakes e.-vception to the 



■egarding the scarcitv eif salmon 



' ■ " d' the lijth 



Salmo 



i lette 

 ,'e advE 

 Finally, a St. John, N. B., pap 

 rhapsudv from (he (j 



lo 



ndled for 

 of '■ Sain 



tries, ill which 1 

 it til ing to doubt the 

 ilijjotii," as now car- 



spitee I would like to Khmeeat aU 

 >ns, oi-jining with the last lirst:. 

 I a-iii,iutii begins by calling names, 

 1 sns[)icions, but as it appears to 

 tint i let it pass. Referring to my 

 vhich V.HI thought worthy of pub- 

 lys: ■■"lie (Uinil) delivers himself 

 ■espeeting there; 



that saint 

 for sail 1 la 

 The rei..li( 

 uot favier. 



In your 

 ilUeresttn 

 view 1 ha 

 this year. 

 August, c 



Wil rnotii," accord ing 

 am rather rouglily ha. 

 efficacy of tlie work 

 lied on. 



If you can allow ne 

 of these communicati 



The author of Saiiu 

 This is unscientific in 

 be an acquired local li 

 letter to Prof. Baird, 

 lication, this author ; 



of a stupid ojiinion respecting the reasons why tl 

 are backward tlds year in their navigation inland," and 

 in argument against my view the author of Suitao U"il- 

 motii. urges the following luminous reason : " Kverybody 

 wilt agree that last winter was not a severe winter?" In 

 reply, 1 say that I did not consult everybody, or anybody 

 about the winter. 1 r( ferred to the comprehensive series 

 of meteoroloiiical observations classified in the War De- 

 partment of the United Stales, under the siipervi-ion ot 

 the late Gen. Meyer. I supplemented my iiapiiries witli 

 a review of the meteorological observations classified at 

 Toronto, under Prof. Kingston, and reeeiilly imder Supt. 

 Caipmael. I did not encumber my letter to Prot, Batrd 

 with a reference to these authorities, because I knew 

 that he perfectly understood where and how I had ob- 

 tained my meteoroh.igical iofortuation. 



And here, before rel erring to any oil 

 linger ior a laoment to write a word ii 

 to the memory of Gen. .Me^\er, ^ as to c 

 much for humanity, and has left us in 

 four years. Gen. Meyer did me the h^ 

 sent to ine with unvaiy' 

 Weather Revieiu, from the 



er .subject, let me 

 I grateUtI respect 



.-. For 

 se to be 

 g regularity, the Jloiiihhj 

 iffice of Lite ciiief signal ofli- 



cer, andthis witboul any 



.iiaige whatever. 1 was iu- 



debted to Prof, Bainl. in i 



lie tosL instance, forthL-; eour- 



tesy, who suggested il, an 



1 v.iiuel Jiave pli'iisttre m ao- 



knowledging mv indebte 



Juess 10 tlie one, it is iittillg 



that Isliould record a r-sp 



eelfiil appreciiition of the life- 



work ot the oilier, Uei 



. jUeyer initialed and guided 



to marked success a seiiei 



le ot ceoperaiive observation. 



which will enroll his name among the benefactors of 

 mankind. 



I ob.-erve that Mr. Mowat states in the letter you have 

 reprinted, "our weather here last fall was not ColdeT than 

 usual." In answer lo these generalizations, 1 submit the 

 following observations taken fi'oin the authorities al- 

 ready named. 



MEAN TEMPERATUKE I.O-\\T!B IN IS79 THAN THE OORRESPOSDINO 

 MONTH IN I8I». 



Ocioher. Novemlier. 



Freticriotnn, N. B 1,3-3 a Si 



St. Jolni, N. B... 2ul 3.48 



Hulitax, ,N..S 3.16 2.3U 



Sjdney, C, B,Is 5.10 5.20 



M1NU11T.M TKMPBRATUBE8. 



Ooiobor. Koveinber. 



December. 

 «,90 

 3 40 

 1,»3 

 5.35 



. 17 3 



30 



DefeinTjei'. 



Below zero. 



3i a 



lii.n 



Freflerictnn. N. B 



tit..I.ihn, N. B -.- sou 



H.ilif.i.v, N S 2:14 



Sydney, C B. Is 27. 13.5 9.0 



From these observations it appears that, in all cases, 

 the mean temperature of October. November and De- 

 cember, 1879, fell very considerably below the mean 

 temperalure of the corresponding months in 1S78, 



In Gen. Meyer's comments on December, 1870, in rela- 

 tion to low temperature, he says : ■■ The follo>viiig notes 

 are of interest, as indicating the ea'cessiye culd (aic) of 

 the month in various sections," etc., etc. 



So much, then, for the "stupid opinion" which I 

 gleaned from the results of very many independent ob- 

 servers, and which the author of S((/)/io wilmotd has 

 courage to contradict bv quoting " everybody." 



Now, let me reply to "Stanstead." 8. W., and Mr. 

 Mowat, all in one, respecting the point that salmon enter 

 rivers for sanitary purp^ises. and not neces'arily for 

 spawning, and enter different rivers to those in which 

 thev were born. "Stanstoad" wants proof; the other 

 gen'llemen don't believe it. 



Record of the experiments of the proprietors of the 

 Erne River (Ireland). ]Hiblished in the offii-ial reports on 

 lite Irish Salmon Fisheries for 1S75 and 1876, Oct. 19th, 

 1875 : Male fish, caught in theErne, weighing 10 lbs. Red. 

 that is. in spawning condition, marked with medal No. 

 15, This fish was oaptureil by angling in the Bandfowes 

 River on I he 30th March, 1876, and weighed 12 lt)s. 



Aug. 39th, 1876 : Male fiali, fresh, weighing 13 lbs., 



caught in the Erne, and marked with medal No. 20. 

 Released, and sub.'equenily found killed in the Lougll- 

 head River on the 3,'ilh November, 187G. 



Here you have positive proof of identity, and of visit- 

 ing a parent river to spawn, of leaving tluit river, and of 

 being taken in a neighboring river some months after- 

 u ard. What did these flsh ascend the neighboring rivers 

 f e,r y It was not for spawning purposes — it was too early ; 

 and the rivers in which they were found were some mife.s 

 distant from tlieir native rivers. It was not for food, for 

 tlie adult sea salmon does not feed in rivers. 



Again, salmon are frequently reported by the watch- 

 ful water-bailiffs in Ireland " about the mouths ot 

 rivers," waiting, it is supposed, for " a rise or freshet." 

 Tliey suddenly disappear, but not up the river ; they go 

 out lo sea, or it may bo to try other rivers. Thia is a con- 

 stant observation, 



SPRING SPAWNING SALMON, 



Mr. Mowat incidentally actnowledges this habit, in 

 describing the "spring kelts." I first saw the nests of 

 spring spawning salmon on the 24th July, 1864, at the 

 head waters of the northwest branch of the Southwest 

 Miramichi. 1 was at (lie time making a geological sur- 

 vey of New .Bri.iM.s.vi,.-k for tlui governnient:. My canoe 

 men were both e,\eellent salmon ]joaeln:a>, and spoke of 

 Hit. aiivin.:- n.--r. ... Iiyiiomtans unconiiuon. The nests 

 e or April, pccordinc: to the se.tson. I 

 i-iie nests I saw. Tlie eggs were there, 

 ■iisequentlv alive. It thev had been 

 n->(K i.d the fall sehouLs. the eggs would not be there 

 .■ilive: these would htive hatclietl in May, oe, if they had 

 dir.l, then decomposed by July. 



I wanted to get a salmon, and said to my cnnoe- 

 men : '-Catch me a salmon." "To-night," was the re- 

 ply. They constructed a negog, or Indian spear, making 

 it out of a large nail, the tynes ot birch. An hour after 

 nightfall I had two salmon and three grilse, and could 

 have obtained five times that number, if I had been so 

 disposed. 



The bright salmon caught in the Moi.sie River, on the 

 spawning grnunils in Octnlier, uie s)i.ing sjiau tiers, 

 coming up the river in the fall. Mr. Meiwat's "spring 

 kelts coming from the sea lute in November, with the 

 ova at the same stage as the Juno fish," are spring 

 spawners. I have mentioned spring spawners in New- 

 foundland waters in my article on " Spring Spawn- 

 ing," published in Foitiisr \kd Streaji in January, 1880. 



EllWMlAL SrAWNERS. 



This habit, to whieh some Kentleinen take exception, 

 is perfectly well known in Europe. The London mar- 

 ket in .January is so pel ied I'rom the liiennial spawnera 

 which congregate in the rivers in Holland during the 

 winter season, and which are known .is fat winter s,il- 

 mon ; also, from the fat tidal salmon caught, until 18T8, 

 on the 1st of January and subsequently, in the Sligo 

 District, in Ireland, and to a less extent in the Diibiin 

 Disirict, 



The chief spawning season in the SI igo District is the 

 Inst fortnight in December. The fish taken in the 

 tid al vin iters the moment the close time ceased at mid- 

 nigj^^n the Slat of December, were fat .biennial spawn- 

 ersWB the finest quality." Tliis salmon was cautiht by 

 huncTreds the moment the church bells in Sligo District 

 anuonneed the opening of the new year, up to 1878. 

 Then the proprietors of the upper portions of ihe rivers 

 exerted themselves to have the close time extended to 

 the 15th of January, and now tidal salmon fishing begins 

 there at midnight on the 15th. 



In brief, the gentlemen who contend against the idea 

 of biennial salmon spawtiers, should read, «iih care, Bar- 

 fnrlh'a article on tin-' food of the nalinon, translated by 

 Dr. Theodore Gunther, and printed in Idof. Baird's Re- 

 port for 1873 to 187.5. They stiould read Dr. File's ac- 

 count of the Bohemian salmon. They should look be- 

 yond their ov/n rivers, and see what the rest of the 

 world has done ajid is doing. 



•XHE hook on the LOWER JAW OF THE UKUS. SALMON. 



It must not be supposed that the honk is a constant de- 

 velopment on the lull grown male. Duilng his offsea- 

 sons he does not develop a hook. During his spawning 

 s(«isoiis It is lower jaw alone protrudes and curves upwards. 

 This is a very important fact in relation to the habits of 

 the salmon and its uiatiiicts. It is very wonilerful, and 

 opens a new and I believe an untrodden field of inquiry 

 in relation to the movements of mmy tpecies of fish, 

 partijularly the anadromous sjiecies in conmction with 

 tenlperatureand food supply. 'I'ie- principle it involves 

 probably extends to various genera of tiic cold water 

 fishes, and greatly ailects their movements. 



But, while during their barren seasons the old males 

 are almost liookhvs, the young mttles, developms milt, 

 always show ilie hook, 1 think that the old males c<m- 

 gregate together in the sea during the barren years. 

 That they visit the mouths and lower reaches of rivers in 

 schools is certain {vide Barfurtli). As a guide to the 

 proper understanding of the use of the hook, we may 

 glance at another of the salmonidse. thecaplin. As June "' 

 apiiroaches, two fleshy ridges develop themselves on the 

 hack of Che male oaplm, running from head to tail. The 

 femftli has no such ridges developed duiing the spawn- 

 ing season. In July, wh?n the caplin spawn, two males 

 inclose a femiile between them, thedevehiped ridges on 

 their backs pieventing the female from rising or slipping 

 npvv.Miis. 'J he trio then swim vigorously up a gently 

 sloping beach, eiilier tidal or submarine, to a depth of 

 thiiiy fathoms, the one condition being that the beach 

 must be gently sloping. The pressor ■ of the two 

 males, with the female between tlieni. ajiinsr the fandy 

 beach compels the spawn from the female, the milt is 

 discharged at tiie same nioment, and the trio complete 

 the process, npparently in a single rush, but of this 1 am 

 n t sure. Tlie ridges are absorbed subseqiifntly, and 

 the backs of the males become nearly smooth, like those 

 of the females. 



I receiverl the first hint of the use of the hook on 

 the male salmon's lower jaw from an Abenaquis half- 

 breed Indian, who was one of my canoeinen wiien I was 

 exploring the interior of the Labrador Peninsula in 1801. 

 At the lirst fall^ of the Moisie River, where palmon in 

 great nuniber-j were crowded together, this half Inditm, 

 ••Pierre," told me vvhat he ha 1 seeo vvheiiwatohing.I idian 

 fashion, the 8 ilmm sptwalng. A-l this ojcars imly at 

 night, or at evenitig, and pirh.ipi in glo nay rivers late ia 

 the aiternooo, it id rarely Cttdt ttu ooidr v«jr h jj Clia ciwaca 



