THE SALMON AND SAL:\rON PTSHERIES OF ALASKA. 
13 
liers iiutil it seemed as tliongli in places one conld no longer advance through them. It was simply full 
of dog salmon in all stages, from those in but a short time from the sea to the spent and dying. There 
were thousands upon thousands of them and other thousands dead on the hanks or lloating down with 
the current. They struggled over riffles only a few inches deep and when disturbed dashed about, 
frequently throwing themselves bodily on shore. We followed the stream about two miles and it 
seemed in places as though we were wading in salmon ; they would often strike one’s leg with consid- 
erable force, swim between one’s feet, and in walking we at times .stepped on them, and frequently 
touched them with the foot. Hut what a change had come over these lish from the time they first 
entered! Tho.se that were spent, and some that had not spawned, were in all stages of decay, 
repulsive-looking objects, all dying, some in their last struggles. The flesh of many was deeply gashed 
as though decaying, the lins frayed and torn, tie skin gone in places showing dirty and siekly-looking 
yellow flesh, skin hanging in shreds from the head, jaws heavily hooked in the males, teeth prominent, 
body thin and emaciated. The water was polluted and had a bad smell which was intensified by the 
stench from the decaying salmon on the beach. Those in the last stages when turned over had hardly 
the strength to right themselxes. I had my trout gear with me and there were plenty of trout 
hanging around the salmon, the more vigorous of which, divining their inirpose, would frequently dart 
at them, but the sight of the lish and the stream quelled my fishing ardor and the gear was not jiut 
in service. 
We kicked a large number of salmon out on the banks and hooked others out with sticks, and 
examined them. My first surprise was that the males were largely in excess, and whatever the condi- 
tion, with few exceptions, even those nearest death had milt. Of the females, the greatest number 
were full of eggs, separated and ready to flow, not only those that were still vigorous, but including 
many in the last stages, fish that certainly no longer had strength for uest-buihling. These fl.sh when 
kicked out would void some of their eggs, and when pressed along the belly would shoot their eggs 
in great jets. In a few instances we found dead fish on the banks that had spawn in them. I did not 
understand these conditions then and do not now. My impression was that the salmon arrived on 
the spawning-ground in ripening condition, performed its natural function, declined, decayed, and 
died. But hero were fish, and many of them not more than a few days, some indeed hours, from 
death, that wore full of spawn. They were on the spawning-ground, for the bottom of the stream was 
in holes and ridges, made so by the nests. 
Oil August 25 I spent a day on a liuiiijdiack stream in Piince William Sound. 
The stream is a very small one, not more than 15 feet wide, and did not carry much 
water, though there were many deep pot holes. This stream, in places, seemed to be 
packed solidly with humpbacks, all struggling to ascend. In places where the water 
flowed over riffles, not over an inch or two deep, they seemed to rise out of the water and 
would wriggle, moving rapidly, for a distance of 10 to 15 feet, until deeper water was 
reached. At the moutb of the stream 1 kicked out 40 or 50 Ash and examined them. 
The males were hook jawed and humped, but all were bright-colored and vigorous fish ; 
yet upon pressure the milt flowed readily in the males and the eggs were separated in 
the females, some of the eggs being voided in landing on the banks; yet these fish were 
evidently just entering the stream. 
Near the head of the stream I was much interested in observing the spawning. 
A female was over a so-called nest, whicb was an excavation in the gravel, of ajipar- 
ently rounded form atid quite large — I should say nearly 4 feet Iti diameter and 18 inches 
deep. The female remained over the nest, but occasionally turned from it to di'ivc 
off what seemed to be one of her own sex; the favorite male was near by, but he 
was more busily employed in keeping at a distance a number of male intruders. This 
male every minute or two would rise to the surface, and half out of the water would 
flap sideways on the surface as if beating the water; at other times he would descend 
to the bottom and seem to cliafe his belly on the gravel. A small pebble thrown in 
the water did not disturb them, but a larger stone thrown with a splash over the nest 
sent all scurrying away, the female darting back very warily after a few minutes and 
