180 
BULLETIN or THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
14. Oiicorhynchus tschawytscha (Walbaum). Chinook Salmon; Quinnat Salmon; “ Doy Salmon” of 
Idaho. 
That part’ of the report upon the worlv done in Idaho in 189-i which pertained to the salmon, 
redfish, and salmon trout has already been published, with a large amount of information concerning 
these three species, gained by interviews and through our own observations. In the present connection 
the details of the observations made in 1895 are given. 
The following extracts from our field notes will most clearly show the condition of the upper 
portion of Salmon Eiver from time to time as regards the salmon ; 
July 10 : Mr. Timothy Cooper, who lives in Stanley Basin, 5 miles from Stanley Lake, 8 miles from 
Redfish Lake, or al)out 35 miles from Sawtooth, saw 2 salmon in Cape Horn Creek. This creek is about 
15 miles northwest from Mr. Cooper’s and is tributary to the Middle Fork of Salmon River. These 
fish were in excellent condition and were probably about the first to arrive. 
July '27 : Mr. Cooper noticed about 100 in the same stream, 10 of which he shot or speared. These 
10 averaged about 20 pounds each and were in excellent condition, being scarcely ripe. A good many 
were taken by other persons. 
July 24: Mr. Parks saw 4 salmon in Salmon River l)elow mouth of Alturas Creek. These were 
the first seen this far up the river and were i)robably the first to arrive. They appeared to be in 
excellent condition. 
July 31: Dr. Meek saw 2 salmon in Salmon River about 0 miles below mouth of Alturas Creek. 
No sores could be seen. 
August 1: Two were seen in same place where those were seen on .July 31, probably the same fish. 
A uyust 5: Dr. Meek saw 3 in Salmon River about 2 miles below mouth of Alturas Creek. No sores 
or mutilations could be seen. 
August 6: Mr. Coox>er saw 10 salmon in same stream, but did not note their condition. 
August 9: One largo fish seen in Salmon River 1 mile below mouth of Alturas Creek. No mutila- 
tions were noticed. Mr. A. G. Fletcher, of Camas Prairie, saw 2 salmon in Salmon Eiver above 
mouth of Smiley Creek. One was dead, it having probably been shot by someone; the other was 
caught. It was a rii>e female about 3 feet long, weighed 14 i)ounds, and was in good condition. 
August 11: The first examples caught in our gill nets were taken to day from the lower net in 
Alturas Creek. 'I'hese were 2 specimens, a male and a female, 40 and 31 inches, respectively, in total 
length, and weighing 18 and 91 pounds each. They were in perfect condition and were scarcely ripe. 
August 13: Six salmon seen in Salmon River between mouth of Alturas and Champion creeks. 
Four were going u]> stream, each by itself, while the other 2 were sjiawning on the upper end of a 
riffle. No mutilations seen. 
August 16: One male salmon was shot by Dr. Meek in Alturas Creek above the nets. It was 374 
inches long and weighed 20 ]iounds. It was ripe, but showed no mutilations. Two others were seen 
in Alturas Creek and 1 in Salmon River. 
August 17: One male salmon, 31 inches long and weighing 9 pounds, taken in gill net in Alturas 
Creek. This fish was nearly ripe, but showed no mutilations. The stream was examined for a consid- 
erable distance, but no other salmon were seen. 
August 20: One ripe male salmon weighing 25 pounds was caught in gill net in Alturas Creek ; no 
sores or mutilations of any kind. Two others were shot in Salmon River, about a mile below mouth 
of Alturas Creek; they were both ripe males, weighed 22 and 26 pounds, respectively, and were in 
prime condition. One sjient female was found dead in Alturas Creek below the net; it weighed 15 
pounds, and had the caudal liu and caudal peduncle considerably mutilated. At least 10 others were 
seen between the net in Alturas Creek and the mouth. They were ordinarily seen alone, only 3 being 
seen together. When frightened, all swam downstream into deep pools. 
About 2 miles of the river below the mouth of Alturas Creek were examined, and 15 salmon were 
found. Mr. Comstock examined a ]>ortion of the river still lower down, and saw 19 or 20 salmon, 5 of 
which he shot. A few of these fish showed some mutilations, but most of them appeared to be in 
excellent condition. Nearly all apx)eared to be going up stream. 
August 22: One spent female was foTiud on bank below Alturas Creek net. It was 25 inches long, 
and Avas not at all mutilated. Two others were seen in deep water a short distance below the nets in 
Alturas Creek. They appeared to be without imrtilatious, but could not be examined closely, as they 
hid under an overhanging bank when disturbed. 
August 24: One spent female was found in Alturas Creek below the nets. It weighed 16 pounds, 
and the caudal and dorsal fins Avere badly frayed out. On this date I traveled up the river from Redfish 
Lake and inspected it at several jilaces. In about 2 miles in the course of the river next above the ford, 
near Redfish Lake, 39 salmon were counted. They were usually in twos and threes, in shallow water, 
where the gravel was finest, and Avere evidently sijawuing. Some distance farther up at least a dozen 
were seen on one riffle, and in the next mile or tAvo at least 75 more were seen. All appeared to be 
S2iawning. and many were in water so shallow that their dorsal fins stuck out. 
The dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, in a great many cases, were more or less sore or frayed out, 
and in several instances the nose was sore and there was a large sore on the back at the front of the 
dorsal fin. In some cases this sore or abraded area was covered with a growth of fungus, 2 >resumably 
Saprolegnia. 
’A preliminary report upon Salmon InAmstigations in Idaho in 1894, by Barton W. Evermann, in 
Bull. U. S. Fish Commission for 1895 (1896), pp. 253-284. 
