of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



247 



Add. 



A water fall in the upper reaches of this river was inspected by me in 

 July. The fall is about 5 feet 6 inches high, and takes the form of a 

 steep chute with a gradient of roughly 1 in 3^. There is also a lower fall 

 about 5 feet in height. A considerable stretch of spawning ground in the 

 upper waters is cut off by the fall, and Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch has, 

 since my visit, carried out suggestions which I ventured to make as to the 

 best means for allowing fish to negotiate the ascent. 



A Salmon Hatching Experiment in Alaska. 



A interesting example of a salmon-cultural experiment under apparently 

 most favourable conditions is to be found in the attempt of a resident of 

 Alaska, Mr. Callbreath by name, to increase from hundreds to thousands 

 the production of fish in a certain rocky stream. * The stream selected 

 for the experiment is at the head of the M'Henry Inlet, on Etolin Island, 

 in south-east Alaska. It is small, about one-half mile in length, and, like 

 most of the streams in this region, flows over a rocky and bouldery bed 

 between heavily- wooded shelving banks. At its head is a small lake, 42 

 feet above high water. The stream was considered to have a run of from 

 3000 to 5000 red salmon, a number too small to attract the fishermen, who 

 rarely visited it. In 1892 a hatchery was built on the stream about 

 200 yards from the mouth. In the spring of 1893, however, it was 

 removed to the lake, the first locality having been found unsuitable. 

 From the very beginning it was decided to exclude all but the most 

 desirable species from the lake. 



To accomplish this, dams were built across the stream, with racks below 

 them, at a point about 100 yards from salt water, where an inlet divides 

 the stream into two parts. 



The dam and fence on the western side of the inlet allowed nothing to 

 pass. The fence on the eastern side had a trap opening, admitting the 

 fish to the foot of the dam. 



Here the red and coho salmon were lifted by dip nets to the pool above, 

 from which point they could ascend quickly to the lake. Nothing could 

 enter the lake which was not passed over the dam by hand. In addition 

 to keeping out the hump-back and dog salmon and all trout, the lake was 

 carefully fished, and all enemies of the salmon that could be caught were 

 removed. 



Under these exceptionally favourable conditions the work was carried 

 on from 1892 until the spring of 1906, a period of 17 years. The following 

 statements show the number of red salmon passed over the dam each 

 season : — 



1892 . . 



3,000. 



1901 .. 



2,924. 



1893 . . 



3,010. 



1902 . . 



5,007. 



1894 . . 



4,463. 



1903 .. 



5,648. 



1895 .. 



5,026. 



1904 .. 



7,432. 



1896 .. 



3,627. 



1905 . . 



7,623. 



1897 . . 



2,589. 



1906 .. 



7,320. 



1898 . . 



2,010. 



1907 . . 



7,542. 



1899 . . 



2,233. 



1908 .. 



. .over 3,000. 



1900 . . 



3,854. 





* The Fisheries of Alaska in 1909." Bureau of Fisheries, Document No. 730. 



