78 



BULLETIN OF THE BTJEEAU OF FISHERIES 



from the region between Kanagunut Island and the mouth of Boca de Quadra. 

 Other recaptures were made in both the Skeena and the Nass Rivers; and on the 

 basis of these few data it was tentatively concluded that the Nass and Skeena Rivers 

 are important sources of the red salmon found in the region about Cape Fox, at least 

 during the latter part of the season. The experiments of 1926 support the theory 

 that the Nass River, at least, is the source of an important part of the runs that pass 

 Cape Fox, but show clearly (which the previous experiments did not) that a much 

 more important element of the run has its origin in the streams to the north, and 

 particularly in Boca de Quadra. 



In a recent report 2 Williamson gives the results of the tagging of red salmon 

 taken from traps at Haystack Island, British Columbia, just south of the inter- 

 national boundary, and only about 8 miles from Cape Fox. Between August 3 

 and 21, 1925, 659 sockeyes were tagged here. Of these 135 were recovered, 80 of 

 which (60 per cent) were taken in the Nass River and 10 in Portland Canal and 

 Observatory Inlet, waters immediately adjacent to the mouth of the Nass River. 

 Thirteen were taken in the Skeena River, 5 in miscellaneous localities in British 

 Columbia, and 27 in Alaskan waters. The Alaskan returns were mainly from the 

 region of Cape Fox, Revillagigedo Channel, Clarence Strait, and Ernest Sound, the 

 greatest number of returns from a single locality coming from Union Bay, Ernest 

 Sound. A few were also retaken along the west coast of Prince of Wales Island. 



Considering these experiments as a whole, both in Alaskan and in British Colum- 

 bian waters, they indicate an interesting and significant segregation of the fish. 

 Eighteen per cent of the recaptured fish tagged north of the international boundary 

 had crossed over into Canadian waters, and 20 per cent of the returns from fish 

 tagged south of the boundary were taken in Alaskan waters. The essential equality 

 of these percentages is remarkable. 



The experiments in Alaska have been carried on both early and late in the season 

 and probably present a fairly accurate picture of the distribution of red salmon from 

 the region of Cape Fox. The experiments in British Columbia are not quite so 

 conclusive, however, inasmuch as they cover only the latter part of the season, and 

 it would be extremely interesting and instructive if other experiments at Haystack 

 Island could be made earlier in the year. In the light of our present knowledge, 

 however, it appears that the red salmon that strike in through Dixon Entrance make 

 with considerable directness for the streams of their origin. Those bound for Alaskan 

 streams seldom swing south into the waters of British Columbia, and those bound 

 for Canadian streams as rarely swing north and pass through Alaskan waters. This 

 is, perhaps, the first recorded instance of fish respecting international boundaries! 



COHOS 



In the Cape Fox region 238 cohos were tagged between June 24 and July 1 and 

 41 were recaptured. The data are given in Table 3 and Figure 2. 



2 Pacific Salmon Migration: Report of the Tagging Operations in 1925. By H. Charles Williamson. Contributions to 

 Canadian Biology and Fisheries, new series, Vol. Ill, No. 9, 1927. 



