138 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
bard, superintendent of Clackamas hatchery, who tried the experiment, reported 
that 375 of the marked Ashes were taken in 1898. The smallest weighed 10 pounds, 
the largest 57 pounds, and the average was 27.7 pounds. Besides these, 5 were 
taken in the Sacramento River in 1898. A few more were taken both in the Colum- 
bia and in the Sacramento in 1899, and also in 1900. The 1900 specimens, however, 
may have been of those marked in the Sacramento in 1898. From those 5,000 fry 2.5 
inches long, costing less than a dollar to produce, Ash weighing over 5 tons were 
taken. That means that for every female Ash stripped at the hatchery the Ashermen 
should catch about 5 tons three years later. About 400 of the 5,000 marked Ashes 
were reported taken. We have no means of knowing how many came back to fresh 
water and escaped the nets, or how many were caught but not noticed. 
INJURIES AND DISEASES. 
General effects of spawning . — Notwithstanding their long journey from the ocean, 
the salmon reach their spawning-grounds in good condition. They are not nearly 
so fat as when they left the ocean, but all their bruises are received after arrival at 
the spawning-grounds. This fact has already been noted by Evermann (Bulletin 
United States Fish Commission 1896, p. 191). 
Spawned-out female. Battle Creek, October 20, 1900. 
As spawning progresses the abdominal walls of the female contract and she 
becomes as thin as the male. Her caudal An is worn off to a mere stub. All A ns of 
both sexes become more or less frayed, the skin wears off the sides of the tail and 
the prominent portions of the body, such as the edges of the jaws and bases of the 
Ans. Fungus nearly always attacks the gills and the various bruised places and 
frequently destroys one or both eyes. 
It has been supposed that the exertions of spawning completely exhaust the 
female and that she dies immediately upon its completion. It would seem rather 
strange if there were just enough energy to spawn all the ova, and that with the 
extrusion of the last one the Ash should die at once. Observations indicate that 
the female has considerable energy left after spawning all of the ova, and that she 
continues on the spawning-beds for some time thereafter. The injuries are 
received only after most of the ova have been spawned. She probably does not 
know when the ova have all been extruded, and her instinct compels her, when once 
spawning has begun, to continue the spawning efforts as long as energy lasts. The 
complete extrusion of the ova, since it is not noticed, is merely incidental. 
In 1900, 14 spent females were taken alive on natural spawning-beds; 7 of them 
had extruded all ova, in one specimen there was 1 ovum yet unspawned, in two 
