68 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Daily observations of the migrations of the young salmon in the main river 
were made at two stations, about 325 miles apart, from January to May, 1899. The 
hatchery experiments were carried on during two seasons, 1897 and 1898, at Battle 
Creek hatchery. Twenty-five thousand eggs were hatched at the Hopkins Seaside 
Laboratory at Pacific Grove during the winter of 1898-99, and the young were used 
in experiments testing the effect of sea water on alevins and fry. Experiments in 
planting alevins and fry were made at Olema, Marin County, and at Sisson, Siskiyou 
County, in 1897 and 1898. The investigations in 1900 and 1901 consisted of observa- 
tions on adult salmon at Pacific Grove and at various points on the Sacramento, 
especially at Black Diamond, Rio Vista, and Mill Creek and Battle Creek fisheries. 
Observations of the habits of the young were made first by watching them in the 
water. This, of course, could be done only in the small streams, but was very suc- 
cessful in the work the first year at Olema. Specimens were secured by means of 
the ordinary Baird seine; the one most used in this investigation was 50 feet long 
and 7 feet deep; smaller seines, 20 and 15 feet long, were used in small streams; in 
some of the work in San Pablo Bay a net 150 feet long was used. Traps constructed 
to suit particular purposes were employed where occasion required. 
The work was carried on under the direction of the United States Fish Com- 
mission, with the cooperation of the California Fish Commission, through Mr. N. B. 
Scofield, during the first two years. Mr. F. M. Chamberlain, of the United States 
Fish Commission steamer Albatross , assisted in the work from May, 1898, to April, 
1899. Mr. A. B. Alexander, also of the steamer Albatross , began the work at Olema 
in 1897. Much of the success of the investigation is due to the interest and counsel of 
Mr. J. P. Babcock, of the California Fish Commission; and Prof. Charles H. Gilbert, 
of Stanford University, has aided much in planning the work and in affording 
facilities for studying the collections. 
The author is under obligations to the agents of the Southern Pacific Company 
at the shipping-points along the Sacramento River, to the various fish-dealers in 
Sacramento, and to the salmon-packing associations at Benicia and Black Diamond 
for statements of the catch of salmon at various places along the river and bays 
and for other courtesies; also to the officials of the United States Weather Bureau at 
San Francisco and Red Bluff and to the agent of the Southern Pacific Company 
at Sacramento Bridge for river statistics. The directors of the Hopkins Seaside 
Laboratory at Pacific Grove gave the free use of laboratory facilities for carrying 
on the experiments at that place. 
GENERAL RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS. 
A great many points of more or less interest have been considered in this series 
of investigations, of which the following have the most practical value and deserve 
special mention : 
1. The original object of the investigation has been carried out in determining 
that young salmon should be released from the hatcheries soon after the yolk has 
been entirely absorbed and that they should not be released in the headwaters late 
in the spring. 
2. A method has been found for removing and fertilizing the eggs left in the 
fish after artificial spawning, thus increasing the take of eggs from a given number 
of fishes by about one-fiftli. 
3. The site for a new hatchery, Mill Creek station, has been discovered. 
