184 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Young salmon. — Young salmon were found in abundance in many places. At the bead of Alturas 
Lake .July 20, August 9, and September 9 and 10 numerous specimens Avere collected. They appeared 
to be most numerous at this place August 9. In the small creek at White’s Warm Springs 5 small 
specimens Avere collected July 23. In MeadoAV Creek, on July 30, numerous specimens Avere obtained. 
In Alturas Inlet, about half a mile aboA'e the lake. Dr. Meek caught a 3^-iuch chinook salmon on a 
hook, using a rediish egg for bait. 
The table on pages 185 and 186 shoAvs the total lengths and comparative measurements of a 
number of these siAecimens. The following table gives the number of specimens now in the collections 
and the minimum, maximum, and average lengths of those collected on each of the Auxrious dates: 
Date. 
Locality. 
Number of 
specimens. 
Minimum 
length. 
!Maxiinum 
length. 
Average 
length. 
Inches. 
Inches. 
Inches. 
July 20 
Alturas Late 
5 
21 
3 
2J 
23 
AA^arm Springs Creek 
5 
li 
2J 
2* 
30 
MeadoAV Creek 
83 
li 
H 
21 
Aug. 9 
Alturas Lake Outlet 
50 
13 
3| 
2i 
Sept. 7 
Alturas Inlet 
1 
SI 
9 
Alturas Late 
5 
3} 
3J 
10 
do 
2 
Si 
31i 
An inspection of this table will give some idea of the rate of growth. The few specimens collected 
July 20 were probably selected because of their large size, and are likely larger than the average at 
that date. While the table is scarcely available for showing the rate of increase from date to date, 
it clearly shows a general increase. There is close agreement in size among those taken on any one 
date, and it is quite certain that all these young salmon were hatched from eggs laid during the 
S2Aawning season of 189t. The maximum and minimum sizes are so close to the averages as to estab- 
lish this fact beyond doubt. It is further certain that the fish which hatched from the eggs spawned 
in 1893 AA^ere not to be found in these waters in July, August, and Sejxtember, 1895. 
We are not yet able to say just when the young salmon leave the waters where they were hatched 
and begin their journey to the sea, but it undoubtedly occurs some time between Seixtember of the 
first and July of the second year following that in Avhich they were sjxawned; thus, a young salmon 
which was spawned in Alturas Creek in August, 1894, would leave that locality at some time between 
Seiitember, 1893, and July, 1896. The probabilities are that eggs deposited in these Avaters in August 
hatch early in the sjxring of the following year and the young go down the river during the high 
water of the next spring. But this remains to be iiroved. 
Wanderings of the young salmon . — As already stated, the only siiawning-beds of the salmon in the 
Sawtooth region are in Salmon Elver itself and in the lowermost mile of Alturas Creek. By reference 
to the table of localities from which young salmon AA'ere collected, it will be seen that they had 
scattered greatly from where they were hatched. They were found in Warm Spring Creek 3 or 4 
miles from the nearest spawning-beds, and the head of Alturas Lake where they were common is at 
least 5 miles above Avhere they could haA^e been sj)awned, and one was caught and others seen in the 
inlet some distance above the lake. From these facts it Avould appear that after hatching, the young 
salmon spread into all the suitable AA^aters in the vicinity, entering the shallow waters of the sloughs, 
smaller creeks, and little jjonds along the streams (where the minute forms of animal and plant life 
suitable for food are abundant), app>areutly more prone to run up stream than down, and thus reach 
the lakes aboA'e and eAmn their inlets, AA^here they find an amiile food suiijxly among the heavy growth 
of aquatic vegetation at Amrious x>laces in the lakes. 
Young salmon taking the hook. — At various times in September young salmonids were seen in the 
last nnle of Alturas Inlet, which Avere jxrobably all of this species. They were aipAarently 2 to 4 
inches long and were noticed only in the quiet iiarts of the stream, where they kept A’’ery still, swim- 
ming about Amry little, after the manner of Lepomis. When tempted Avith the artificial fly or baited 
hook they would rise to it, but usually very slowly, and after inspecting it closely, would seize it and 
start dowuAvard. They Avere not at all Amracious, but would generally rise to the hook in a A'ery 
deliberate way. We at first regarded them as small trout, but on September 7, Avhen Dr. Meek caught 
a 34 inch sp)ecimeu, examination showed it to be a young chinook salmon, and I am inclined to think 
all the small fish in Alturas Inlet Avhich Ave thought to be trout were really salmon. The fact that no 
large trout were seen in the inlet is additional evidence that these Avere salmon. 
