Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-06-14

in fact, they are found here IN such .
great abundance that the Columbia and
MeCIOud rivers might properly ba said
10 belong TO them. AZ q food Ash they
ara the equal, if not ne superior, OF
any OF the other salmons.
This ish has q large pointed bead,
occupying in length abOnt One.dfth the
body, a nearly iorked tail, specks upon
The back, fms and tail, inlermixed with
half spots, showing 9 general
tint on the back Of blueish gray, which
changes after q few hours removal
from the wafer into mountain green.
The sides are ssh gray With silvery
lustre, while the belly is white. 10
shape, It lie on the "heavy.s sal" order, its
greatest circumference being nearly
equal to the length. The color Of the
flesh Ia a rich "salmOn-red." The aver.
age weight OF this fsh In the Caliior.
MIA rivers exceeds twenty pounds, to
which 1t Ia said TO attain In the sur
prisingly short time OF three years.
Large ones have been caught exceed.
ing sixty pounds, though 1t Is but rare.
ly one |, captured so large as this.
The habils OF these fish are TO spend
the Winter season In the ocean. They
begin entering fresh water In limited
numbers early 10 the Spring, increasing
until July, when they are found In the
greatest numbers ascending the rivers
far up towards their heads for the pur.
pose of breeding. This movement 10
very gradual, 1t Rking many weeks to
reach the upper waters. Here, In shall
low water, In a hollow place on the
sandy or gravelly bottom two or three
feet In diameter scooped out for the
purpose by her, the female deposits her
spawn, which Is Immediately thereaf.
ter %impregnaled with the milt of the
male, aud afterwards covered with
sand or loose stones. Here the eggs
are left TO hatch, receiving no further
attention whatever from the parent
i.h. The "smaIl fry" are left TO look
out for themselves. They might be
said to be orphans, az for all the tender
care the parent fish give them, though
it Il certain they stand in need Of pro.
lection, In the eggs II not well GOV.
cred, waterfowl and some kinds Of
ish prey upon them even after hatch
lug sud learning to swim on their own
accouOt, they are often chased aud
"scoOped IN" by some hungry pur-
suers, who indulge IN no sympathies
over their OrphansgG. Those that es-
cape, after growing to q proper size, 20
to s'a, acting much after the fashion Of
their parents, invariably making an-
nual re urns 10 the head waters where
they were bred. II takes about sixty
days for the spawn to hatch, but II Is
not known at what age the "young
blOods" eight out" for the sea.
It Ia on these annual trips of the cal.
mon into fresh water, they are cap.
lured BY the Fish Commissioner, This
10 done by SEEMING, the river sometimes
being damned to retard their further
progress. The female fsh, after hav-
ing been caught, ia made TO spawn arti-
IDEALLY by the hand. The milt Of the
male is similarly taken. Afterward
the eggs are placed In vessels, the milt
Is poured over them, aud the who e
carefully and thoroughly intermlxed
In order that each egg may receive it's
portion of the milt aud become i'm
p~regnsted. In about three weeks time
a small speck appears upon the egg,
showing that the operation of imprep-
mating has been successfully done. In
the mean time the eggs have been
packed in shallow trays aud placed 10
q house built for the purpose, where
they are supplied with cool running
wafer, which 10 conveyed to the build
ing through troughs, the water having
first been pumped 10 q necessary ele'
walton. In this condition they are KEEP
until the shipping season.
The labor of taking and caring fol
these eggs is very great. The fish are
large and powerful and the femslel
don't believe In artificial spawning
Neither do the males believe in giving
out their impregnating milt In thai
way. They struggle violently, ant
often jag the attendants with theil
sharp and poisonous GINS. They havt
been known to bite In defense OF theil
rights. Besides, the water is cold tht
men are. constantly wet with Il; thr
position necessary to be taken being
STOPPING one, Is trying on the back
Many other difficulties are met with
Nevertheless, over one million egg
. have been taken by the Governmen
=, on the McClOud river Ia q single day
During September and October, thI
eggs are packed In aud shipped
, They are distributed ell over To
Union. Occasionally some are sent Il
Europe. In shipping, It is requires
that the eggs should be kept at q Low
temperature, which necessitates the EN-
? ployment of an expert and the use Q
a Ice. There is IN arrangement with III
railroads which makes their transpoT
taiion free. When they reach their des
liustiou, they are placed Ia g Matching
house built for the purpose. Here the
q are placed 10 gravel and supplied wit
q q flowing stream Of cool water, unde
y which process they are hatched. A
D this stage they are fed and otherwis
cared for. Finally, the young feb a.
transferred TO streams where It is pre-
Q posed they shall grow and prospe
: make their way 10 sea, remain theT
through the Winter months, and retur
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