320 
ZOOLOGY. 
arrive and to die.” Again, he says of the stzoin, “they are not found dead, and are supposed 
to return to the sea.” 
The Nisqually Indians say that the majority of the TVhwhai salmon return to salt water after 
spawning j that many of the skowitz return, but that more die in fresh water. They think that 
but few of the other species, in proportion to their numbers, ever get back into salt water. 
The huddole , especially, generally die in fresh water, and they doubt if these return at all, or, 
if they do, only a few lucky individuals escape. 
I am assured, by a reliable observer, that he has found, in the autumn, the banks and 
sand bars of the Cowlitz river—a stream emptying into the Columbia at a comparatively short 
distance from the ocean—lined with dead and dying salmon. This argues in favor of death 
occurring more according to difference in species than from fatigue or distance from the sea. 
Fatigue and distance, however, have full weight in increasing the mortality. In conclusion, we 
therefore venture to suggest that probably certain individuals of all anadromous species do 
return to the sea after spawning ; but that the comparative numbers of individuals thus 
returning is varied, cceteris paribus , by distance from the sea, or the character of the streams 
traversed; and that the desire or instinct to return to the ocean after performing the sexual 
duties is much more strongly manifest in certain species than in others. 
The incurvation of the extremities of the intermaxillaries and chin, in certain species, varies 
greatly with the age and sex. According to some observers the females of particular kinds are 
always destitute of the “hooked snout,” while the adult male , even when in good condition, 
always has a lengthened decurved intermaxillary protuberance.* Other species, when in good 
condition, have both jaws symmetrical; but, when emaciated, an apparent prolongation, in 
a downward direction, of the intermaxillary protuberance is seen, and a corresponding 
exaggeration of the “knob” at the chin. Much of this is induced by the absorption of the 
fat and shrinking of the tissues along the sides of the jaws, the deficiency in contour thus 
produced by contrast causing the unabsorbed cartilaginous extremities to appear as if 
unnaturally developed. Examples of this are seen in the changes found in the mouth of the 
S. quinnat at different seasons, and also in that of the European S. solar. Indeed, I think it 
probable that much of the confusion in the synonomy of some of the European species has been 
caused by mistaking certain fish, which, in other respects, agree closely, but have the 
apparently elongated extremities to the snout and chin, for other species possessing normally 
their characteristics when not emaciated, and which, in other respects, agree very closely. 
Perhaps in this way the S. salar and S. hamatus have been confounded. Beyond a question 
the adult male S. scouleri has the decurved cartilaginous protuberance always well marked, 
which the female equally often lacks. The fresh run species, known as the S. quinnat , when in 
good order, has a mouth with regular outline in both sexes. I have, at times, noticed, in very 
large and fat individuals, that the snout was enlarged and somewhat decurved. 1 account for 
this by supposing that they are fish which, having been much emaciated from spawning at some 
previous season, had returned to the sea. Becoming recuperated and much increased in size, 
they have again ascended the rivers for the purpose of procreating, their condition and flesh 
having been entirely regained, with the exception of the fat deposits about the bones of the 
mouth. This theory, although, perhaps, fanciful and incorrect, is the best that we can offer 
while situated so remotely from the field, where alone the history of the fish can be thoroughly 
ascertained. As a reason why, on the contrary, the foregoing speculation may prove false is 
* See remarks concerning this character contained in the account of S. scouleri. 
