(I) . mmu Vol. xiv. Astoria, Oregon, Tuesday - Morning, April 19, 1881. Ko. 92. SALMON. Observations by David S. Jordan and Chas. H. Gilbert. American NaUiralM. JihrehMli. During the most of the present year, the writers have been engag ed in the study of the fishes of the Pacific coast of the United States, in the interest of the United States fish commission and the United States census bureau. The fol lowing pages contain the principal facts ascertained concerning the salmon of the Pacific coast. Iti.s condensed from our report to the United States census bureau, by the permission of Professor Goode, assistant in charge of fishery in vestigations. There are five species of salmon (Oncorhynchus) in the waters of the north Pacific. We have st present no evidence of the exist ence of any more on either the American or Asiatic side. These species may be called the quinnat or king salmon, the blue back salmon or red-fish, the silver salmon, the dog salmon, and the hump-back salmon or Oncorhyn chus chouicha, verba, kisutch, hela anil forbuscha. All these species are now known to occur in the wafers of Kamtsehalka as well as in those of Alaska and Oregon. As vernacular names of definite application, the following are on recerd: a. Quinnat Choniclm, king sal mon, e'quinna, saw-kwe, Chinook salmon, Columbia river salmon, Sacramento salmon, tyee salmon, Monterey salmon, deep water sal mon, spring salmon, ck-ul-ba ("ekewan") (fall run). b. Blue-back krasnaya ryba, Alaska red-fish, Idaho red-fish, sukkegh, Fra.er's river salmon, rascal, oo-chooy-ha c. Silver salmon kisutch, win ter salmon, hoopid, skowitz, coho, bielaya, ryba, o-o-wun. d. Dog salmon kayko, lekai, ktlawhy, qualoch, fall, salmon, o-le-a-rah. The males of all the species in the fall are usually known as dog salmon, or fall salmon. e. Hump-back gorbuscha, had- do, hone, holia, lost salmon, Puget sound salmon, dog salmon (of Alaska). Of these species, the blue-back predominates in Frazer's river, the silver salmon in Puget-sound, the quinnat in the Columbia and the Sacramento, and the silver salmon in most of the small streams alonsr the coast. All the species have been seen by us in the Columbia and in Frazer's river; all but the blue-back, in the Sacramento, and all but the blue-back in waters tributary to Puget-sound. Only the quinnat has been noticed south of San Francisco, and its range has been traced as far as Ventura river, which is the southernmost stream in California which is not muddy and alkaline at, its mouth. Of these species, the quinnat and blue-back salmon habitually "run" in the spring, the others in the fall. The usual order of run ning in the rivers is as follews: nerka chouicha, hisulcJiyorbuscJia Tceta. The economic value of the spring running salmon is far greater than that of the other species, because they can be captured in numbers when at their best, while the others are usually taken only after de terioration. The habits of the salmon in the ocean are not easily studied. Quin nat and silver salmon of every size are taken with the seine at almost any season in Puget-sound. The quinnat takes the hook freely in Monterey bay, both near the shore and at a distance of six or eight miles out. "We have reason to be lieve that these two species do not necessarily seek gieat depths, but probably remain not far from the mouth of the rivers in which they were spawned. The blue-back and the dog sal mon probably seek deeper water, jis the former is seldom or never taken with the seine in the ocean, and the latter is known to enter the straits of Fuca at the spawn ing season. The great majority of the quin nat salmon and nearly all the blue back salmon enter the rivers in the spring. The run of both begins generally the last of March; it lasts, with various modifications and in terruptions, until the actual spawning aenson in November; the time of running and the proportionate amount of each of the sulordinHte runs, vary ing with each different river. In general, the i uns are slack in the summer and increase with the first hio-h water of autumn. 15v the last of August only straggling blue backs can be found in the lower course of any stream, but both in the Columbia and the Sac ramento quinuttt runs in consider able numbers till October at least. In the Sacrumento the run is great est in the fall, and more ran in the summer than in spring. Jn the Sacramento and the smaller rivers southward, there is a winter run, beginning in December. The spring salmon ascend only those rivers which are fed by the meltmir snows from the mountains, and which have sufiicient volume to send their waters well out to sea. Such rivers are the Sacramento, Rogue, Klamath, Columbia and Frazer's rivers. Those salmon which i tin in the spring an' chiefly adult (supposed to be at least three yeai-s old). Their milt and spawn are no more developed than at the same time in others of thesntne species which will not enter the rivers until fall. It would appear that the contact with cohl fresh water, when in the ocean, in some way caused ihqin to turn toward it and to "run," before there is any special influence to that end exerted by the develop ment of the orjjans of generation. High water on any of these rivers in the spring is always fol lowed by an increased run of sal mon. The canners think, and this is probably true, that salmon which would not have run till later, are brought up by the contact with the cold water. The cause of this effect of cold fresh water is not understood. We may call it an instinct of the salmon, which is an other way of expressing our ignor ance. In general, it seoms to be true that in those rivers and dur ing those years when the spring run is Greatest, the fall run is least to be depended upon. As the season advances, smaller and younger salmon of these two spe cies (quinnat and blue-back) enter the rivers to spawn, and in the fall these 3oung specimens arc very numerous. We have thus far failed to notice any gradations in size or appearance of these young fish by which their ages could be ascertained. It is, how ever, probable that some of both sexes reproduce at the age of one 3'ear. In Frazer's river, in the fall, quinnat male grilse of every size, from eight inches upwards, were running, the milt full' developed, but usual!' notslowing the hooked jaws and dark colors of the older males. Females less than eigh teen inches in length were rare. All, large and small, then in the river, of cither sex, had the ovaries or milt well developed. Little blue-backs of even' size down to six inches are also fouud in the upper Columbia in the fall, with their organs of generation fully developed. Nineteen-twen-lieths of these young fish are males, and some of them have the hooked jaws and red color of the old males. The average weight of the quin nat in the Columbia, in the spring, is twenty-two pounds; in the Sac ramento -about sixteen. 1 ndi vidu als weighing from forty to sixty pounds are frequently found in both rivers, and some as high as eighty pounds are reported. It is ques tioned whether these large fishes are: (a.) Those which, of the same age, have grown more rapidly; (b.) Those which are older but have, for some reason, failed to spawn; or (c.) Those which have surviv ed one or more spawning sea son. All of these origins may be pos sible in individual cases; we are, however, of the opinion that the majority of these large fish are those which have hitherto run in the fall and so many have survived the spawning season previous. Those fish which enter the rivers in the spring, continue their ascent until death or the spawning season overtakes them. Probably none 0 of them ever return to the ocean, and a large portion fail to spawn. They are known to ascend the Sac ramento as far as the base of mount Shasta, or its extreme head waters, about four hundred miles. In the Columbia they are known to ascend as far as the Bitter Root mountains, and as far as the Spo kan falls, and their extreme limit is not known. This is a distance of six to eight hundred miles. At these great distances, when the fish have reached the spawning grounds, besides the usual changes of the breeding season, their bod ies are covered with bruises on which patches of white fungus de velop. The fins become mutilated, their eyes are often injured or de stroyed; parasitic worms gather in their gills, they become extremely emaciated, their flesh becomes white from the loss of the oil, and as soon as the spawning act is ac complished, and sometimes before, all of them die. The ascent of the Cacades and the Dalles probably c-iuses tne injury or death ot a great many salmon. When the salmon enter the river they refuse bait, and their stomachs are always found emp ty and contracted. In the rivers J hey do not feed, and when they reach the spawning grounds their stomachs, pyloric cieca and all, are said to be no larger than one's finger. They will sometimes take the fly, or a hook baited with the salmon roe, in the clear waters of the upper tributaries, but there is no other evidence known to us that they feed when there. Only the quinnat and blue-back (then called red-fish) have been found in the fall at any great distance from the sea. The spawning season is probably about the same for all the species. It varies for all in different rivers and in different parts of the same river, and doubtless extends from July to December. The manner of spawning is prob ably similar for all the species, but we have no data for any except the quinnat. In this species the fish pair off, the male, with taij and snout, excavates a broad shal low "nest" in the gravelly bed of the stream, in rapid water, at a depth of one to four feet; the female deposits her CS in it and after the exclusion of the milt they cover them with stones and gravel. They then float down the stream tail foremost. A great majority of them die. In the head-waters of the large streams all die, unquestionably. In the small streams, and near the sea, an un known percentage probably sur vive. The young hatch in about sixty days, and most of them return to the ocean during the high water of spring. The salmon of all kinds in the spring are silvery, spotted or not according to the species, and with the mouth about equally symmetri cal in both sexes. As the spawning season ap proaches the female loses her silvery color, becomes more slimy, the scales on the back partly sink into the skin, and the flesh changes from salmon red and becomes variously paler, from the loss of the oil; the degree of paleness varying much with individuals and with inhabitants of different rivers. In the lower Sacramento the flesh of the quinnat in either spring or fall is rarely pale. In the Columbia, a few with pale flesh are sometimes taken in spring, and a good many in the fall. In Frazer's river the fall run of the quinnat is nearly worthless for canning purposes, because so many are white meated. In the spring very few are white meated, but the number increases towards fall, when there is every variation, some havinfr red streaks runninjr through them, others being red toward the head and pale toward the tail, the red and pale ones cannot be distinguished externally, and the color is dependent neither on age nor sex. There is said to be no difference in the taste, but there is no market for canned salmon not of the conventional orange color. As the season advances, the dif ferences between the males and the females become more and more marked, and keep pace with the development of the milt, as is shown bv dissection. The males have: (a.) The pre maxillaries and the tip of the lower jaw more ana more prolonged, both of them becoming finally strongly and often extravagantly hooked, so that either they shut by the side of each other like shears, or else the mouth cannot be closed. b.) The front teeth become very long and canine-like, their growth proceeding very rapidly, until they arc often half an jneh long, (c.) The teeth on the vomer and tongue often disappear, (d.) The body grows more compressed and deeper at the shoulders, so that a vory distinct hump is formed; this is more developed in 0. rjorbmtcha, but is found in all. (?.) Thescales disappear, especially on the back, by the growth of spongy fckin. (J'.) The color changes from silvery to various shades of black and red or blotchy, according to the species. The blue-back turns rosy red, the dog salmon a dull, blotch red, and the quinnat generally blackish. These distorted males are com monly considered worthless, re jected by the canners and salmou salters, but preserved by the Indians. These changes are due solely to influences connected with the growth of the testes. They are not in any way due to the action of fresh water. They take place at about the same time in the adult males of ail species, whether in the. ocean or in the rivers. At the time of the spring runs, all are symmetrical. In the fall, all males of whatever species are more or less distorted. Among the dog salmon, which run only in the fall, the males are hook jawed and red-blotched when they first enter the straits of Fuca from the outside. The '-imp-back, taken in salt water about. Seattle, shows the same peculiarities. The male is slab-sided, hook-billed and dis torted, and is rejected by the can ners. No hook-jawed females of any species have been seen. It is not positively known that any hook-jawed male survives the reproductive act. If any do, their jaws must resume the normal form. On first entering a stream the salmon swim about as if playing; they always head towards the cur rent, and this "playing" may be simply due to facing the flood tide. Afterwards they enter the deepest parts of the stream and swim straight up, with few inter ruptions. Their rate of travel on the Sacramento is estimated by Stone at about two miles per day; on the Columbia at about three miles per day. As already stated, the economic value of any species depends in great part on its being a "spring salmon." It is not generally pos sible to capture salmon of any species in large numbers until they have entered the rivers, and the spring salmon enter the rivers long before the growth of the organs of reproduction has reduced the richness of the flesh. The fall salmon cannot be taken in quantity until their flesh has de teriorated, hence the "dog salmon" is practically almost worthless, except to the Indians, and the hump-back salmon is little better. The silver salmon, with the same breeding habits as the dog salmon, is more valuable, as it is found Jn Puget-sound for a considerable time before the fall rains cause the fall runs, and it may be takeu in large numbers with seins before the season for entering the rivers. The quinnat salmon, "from its great size and abundance is more valuable than all other fishes on our Pacific coast together. The blue back, similar in flesh but much smaller and less abundant, is worth much more than the combined value of the three re maining species. The fall salmon of all species, but especially the dog salmon, ascend streams but a short dis tance before spawning. They seem to be in great anxiety to find fresh water and many of them work their way up littleJjrooks only a few inches deep, where they soon perish miserably, floundering about on the stones. Every stream, of whatever kind, has more or less of these tall salmon. It is the prevailing impression that the salmon have some special instinct which leads them to re turn to spawn in the same spawn ing grounds where they were originally hatched. Wc fail to find any evidence of this in the case of Pacific coast salmon, and we do not believe U to be true. It seems more probable that the young salmon, hatched in any river, mostly remain in the ocean within a radius of twenty, thirty or forty miles of its mouth. These, in their movements about in the ocean, may come into contact with the cold waters of their parent rivers, or perhaps at any other river at n considerable distance from the shore. In the case of the quinnat and the blue-back, their "instinct" leads them to ascend these fresh waters, and in a majority of cases these waters will be those in which the fishes in question were originally spawn ed, kater in the season the growth of the reproductive organs leads them to approach the shore and to search for fresh waters, and still the chances are that they may find the original stream. But un doubtedly many fall salmon ascend, or try to ascend, streams in which no samou was ever hatched. It is said of the Russian river and other California rivers, that their mouths in the. time of low water in sumuer, generally be come entirely closed by sand bars, and that the salmon in their eager ness to ascend them, frequently fling themselves entirely out of water on the beach. But this does not prove that the salmon are guided by a marvelous geographi cal instinct which leads them to their parent river. The waters of Russian river soak through these sand bars and the salmon "in stinct," we think, leads them merely to search lor tre.sii waters. This matter is much in need of further investigation; at present, however, we find no reason to believe that the salmon enter Rogue river simply because they were hpawned there, or that a salmon hatched in the Clackamas river is any the more likely on that account to return to the Clacka mas than to go up the Cowlitz or the Des Chutes. "At the hatchery on Rogue river, the fish are stripped, marked and set free, and every year since the hatchery has been m operation some of the marked fish have been re-caught. The young fry are also marked, but none of them have been re-caught." This year the run of silver salmon in Frazer's river was very light, while on Puget-sound the run was said by the Indians to be greater than ever known before. Both these cases may be due to the same cause, the drv summer, low water and consequent failure of the salmon to find the rivers. The in ii in the sound is much more irregular than in the large rivers, i Jne year they win auounu in one bay and its tributary stream and hardly be seen in an other, while the next year the condition will be reversed. At cape Flattery the run of silver salmon for the present year was very small, which fact was gener ally attributed by the Indians to the birth of twins at Neah hay. In regard to the diminution of the number of salmon on the coast. In Pugot-sound, Frazer river and the smaller streams, there appears to be little or no evi dence of this. In the Columbia river the evidence appears some- the number caught was about half as great as now, the amount ef: net ting used was perhaps one-eighth as much. With a comparatively small outfit the canners caught half the fish, now the nets much larger and more numerous, they catch them all, scarcely any escap ing during the fishing season (April 1 to August 1). Whether an ac tual reduction in the number of fish running cau be provpn or not, there can be no question that the present rate of destruction of the salmon will deplete the river be fore many years. A considerable number of quinnat salmon run in August and September, and some stragglers even later; these how are all which keep up the supply of fish in the river. The. non-mo lestation of this fall run, therefore, does something to atone for the almost total destruction of the spring run. This, however, is insufficient. A well ordered salmon hatchery is the only means by which the des truction of the salmon in the river San be prevented. This hatchery should be under the control of Oregon and Washington, and should be supported by a tax levied on the canned fish. It should be placed on a stream where the quinnat salmon actually come to spawn. It has been questioned whether the present hatchery on the Clack amas river actually receives the quinnat salmon in any numbers. It is asserted, in faet, that the eggs of the silver salmon and dog sal mon, with scattering quinnat, are hatched there. We have no erxact information as to the truth of these reports, but the matter should be taken into serious consideration. On the Sacramento river there is no doubt of the reduction of the number of salmon; this is doubt less mainly attributable to over fishing, but in part it may be due to the destruction of spawning beds by mining operations and other causes. As to the superiority of the Co lumbia river salmon; there is no doubt that the quinnat salmon average larger and fatter in the Columbia than in the Sacramento and in Puget-sound. The differ ence in the canned fish is, how ever, probably hardly appreciable. The canned salmon from the Co lumbia, however, bring a better price in the market than those from elsewhere. The Canners there have had a high regard for the reputation of the river, and have avoided canning fall fish or species other than the quinnat. In the Frazer's river the blue-back is largely canned, and its flesh being a little more watery and perhaps paler, is graded below the quinnat. On Puget-sound, various species are canned; in fact, everything with red flesh. The best canners on the Sacramento apparently take equal care with their product with those of the Columbia, but they depend largely on the somewhat inferior fall run.' There are, how ever, sometimes salmon canned in San Francisco, which have been in the city markets, and for some rea son remaining unsold, have been sent to the canners; such salmon are unfit for food, and canning them should be prohibited. The fact that the hump-back salmon runs only on alternate years in Puget-sound (1875, 1877, 1879, etc.) is well attested and at present unexplained. Stray indi viduals only are taken in other years. This species has a distinct "run," in the United States, only in Puget-sound, although individ uals (called "lost salmon") are oc casionally taken in the Columbia and in the Sacramento. BUSINESS CARDS. Q. A. BOWLBY. ATTORNEY AT LA"W. Chenamus Street. - ASTOKIA. OEEGC r XV. FUEiTOX. ATTORNEY AT LAW, ASTORIA - OREGON Office over Pajje & Allen's store, Cass street T IV. JtOBB, ATTORNEY AT LAW, ASTORIA .... OREGON Office over "Warren & Eatou's Astoria Mar ket, opposite the Occident Hotel. "P C. HOLDEN.I NOTARY PUBLIC, AUCTIONEER, COMMISSION AND IN. SURANCE AGENT. A VAN DUSEN. NOTASYPUBLIC. Chenamus Street, near Occident Hotel, ASTORIA, OREGON. Agent 'Wells, Fargo & Co. "P I 1IICKN. PKNTIST, ASTORIA, - - OREGON. Rooms in Allen's building up stairs, cornr or Ca.ss and Sqemocqhe streets. TV- TtT. 1. JEW'IN'GS, " rirYSICIAN AND SURGEON. Graduate University of Virginia, j68 Pnyiclan to Bay View hospital, Baltimore City. iSTO-TO. Okkicr. -In rage & Allen's building, up stairs. Astoria. JAY TUTTIiK, 31. 1). PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Okfick Over the White House Store. Rksidkxck Next door to Mrs. Munson's boarding house, Chenamus street, Astorl Oregon. f C. ORCHARD, t J DENTIST, Dental Rooms. SHUSTEU'S Photograph Buihhn; 2BNs T A. JlrlXTOSH. MERCHANT TAILOR, Occident Hotel Building, ASTORIA - - - OREGON Q H. BAIN ifc CO., OKA1JCR IX Doors, IVlndowH, .Blinds, Traa soxhm, IiHmlwr, Etc, AH kinds ot Oak Lumber, Glass, Boat Ma terial, etc. Steam Mill near Weston hotel. Cor. Gen evive and Astor streets. J G. BIRFOWL & SON, STEVEDORES AND RIGGERS Portland and Astoria, Oregon. Refor by porinisaion to Kozers.Meyers&Co, Allen fc Lewis, Cor bitt.fcMacleay, Portland. Oregon. yM. UIIIEX'HART. Occident Hotel Hair Dressing Saloon ASTORIA - OREGON. Ilot, Cold, Shower, Steam and Sulphur BATHS. JST-Speclal attention given toladles'anfl hlldren's hair cutting. Private Entrance for Ladies. PRACTICAL BOOT AND SHOE MAKER. Chkxamus Stiiekt, opposite Adler's Book store, - AsToitiA, Oregon. tST Perfect fits guaranteed. All work warranted. Give me a trial. AH orders promptly filled. Jod. what conflictinir; the catch during: the present year (18S0) has been considerably greater than ever be fore (nearly 540,000 cases 48 lbs. each having been packed), although the fishing for three or four years has been very extensive. On the other hand, the high water of the present spring has undoubtedly caused many fish to become spring salmon which would otherwise have run in the fall. Moreover, it is urged that a few years ago when w. r M'CAHK, Astoria. illlv J. A. BKOW2J Portland. BROIVX &. MoVABE, STEVEDORES AND RIGGERS. Astoria office At E. C Holden's Auction store. Portland office 24 B street. 13-tf Music Lessons. T. F. CULLEN and C E. BARNES TEACHERS OF VIOLIN, PIANO, GUITAR, COR NET AND BANJO, Would like a few pupils on either of the nliore instruments. Terms Eight lessons for live dollars. JSJOrders left at Stevens & Sons book store will be promptly attended to. To-Night. To-NigJit. GRAND BALL, AT MUSIC HALL, THIS BVEXING. dealer in FAMILY CSItOCEISIES, KAFLS, TOIUL FEED AHTD HAY Cash paid for country produce. Small profits on cash sales. Astoria, Oregon, cor ner of Main and Squemocqhe streets. A cough, cold or sore throat should be stopped. Neglect frequently results in an incurable lung disease or consump tion, lirown's Bronchial troches do not disorder the stomach like couch syrups I and balsams, but act directly on the m- iiuiueu piirus. uimyiug irruauuii, Kivc relief in asthma, bronchitis, coughs, catarrh, and the throat troubles which singers and public speakers are subject to. For thirty years BrowuTs bronchial troches have been recommended by physicians, and always giva perfect satisfaction. Having Deen tested by wide and constant use for nearly an en tire generation, they have attained well merited rank among the few staple remedies of the age. Sold at 25 cents a box everywhere. Warranty dee.-!" quitclaim deeds and mortgages, for saiu at this office. QPILES. The undersigned Is prepared to furnish a large number of Spiles and Spars at hta place on short notice, at reasonable rates. Apply to C.G.CAPLES, Columbia City I. W. CASE, IMPORTER AND WHOLESALE AND RE TAIL DEALER IN &ENEM MERCHANDISE Corner Chenamus and Cass streets. ASTORIA - - - OREGON. Wm. Houseman of Portland BEGS LEAVE TO NOTIFY HIS friends and customers, that he has opened A FISHERMAN'S CLOTHING AND FURNISHING GOODS STORE Next to G. "W. Hume's grocery store. F. HOUSEMAN', Agsct r r