THE FISHES OF ALASKA. '237 



sticking out. The fulls arc in several part.-, three being of considerable height, and with quieter water 

 between. The upper or main fall is far more serious, and the salmon make many unsuccessful attempts 

 to ascend 't. Tin- lip of tie- fall is very irregular ami broken in many places, ami at different level* 

 are found pools or corners with less turbulent water where the fish can resl on their way up. 



.Inst below this fall i- a large relatively quiel | 1 extending the full width of the stream ami perhaps 



10(1 feet down the- stream. This pool was lite-rally packed with salmon: they seemed t<> he lying marly 

 :i- close together as possible ami there must have been many thousands i f them. Nearly or quite all of 

 them, unless disturbed, lay with their heads upstream. They were all restless and seemed to be moving 

 abouf more or less, usually trying to gel nearer the fall — some pushing upward to the edge of rough water, 

 then jumping wildly, sometimes gaining a little, but mure of ten hitting the bank or seme projecting reek 

 o; swift water and gaining nothing. Immediately under the fall they were jumping all the time. During 

 the hour of observation there was scarcely a moment when one or more salmon could not be seen in the 

 air or making their way against the nearly vertical current. The vantage ground from which they 

 started was not good and the jumping appeared to !"■ aimless and at random. < Iften they would jump 

 straight up when some distance below the fall, frequently the wrong way. sometimes even downstream; 

 sometimes striking the hank or a projecting rock, to he thrown back into the water, only to try the hap 

 again. Occasionally a salmon which had reached the foot of a desi ending sheet of water would, with 

 better judgment, jump toward the sleet and perhaps strike part of the way up, where it would maintain 

 itself for a moment, perhaps advancing a short distance, bul finally losing, to be carried or dashed, some- 

 times side wise, sometimes headforemost, hack inn. tlie ] 1 below. During all the time oi observation 



by the authors not a single salmon was seen to make the fall, bul others of the party saw some Bucceed, 

 and in the stream above the falls were seen several salmon that of course had gotten over. Into one pool 



easy of access, at the fool of the fall and containing as many salmon as il could possibly hold, em- of 

 us j.i it his 1 land to lift a salmon out. By closing the hand over the gills ii was possible to hold on to the 

 fish without any difficulty, and bo long as this succeeded the other fish took no alarm, hut when one 

 esc aped ii ami all the others scurried down the falls in the most reckless way. 



The entire .stream from the falls to its mouth was well filled with salmon. Nearly all appeared to 

 he humpbacks, although there were evidently a few soc keyi - among them. Nearly all oi both sp 

 were fresji from the sea and apparently in excellent condition. 



In many places humpback salmon were seen jumping, in bays, pi . .in lis. At 



Sitka I August 20 boys were- seen gaffing them in Indian River mar its mouth. The male- were greatly 

 humped. All reports were to the i Efecl that the- run in the streams mar Sitka was unusually large in 

 L903. The same was irm- at Killisnoo. We often -aw humpback salmon along the shore w here the only 

 fresh water was seepage through the sand and gravel. They would often throw themselves out on the 

 beach in their efforts to reach fresh water. Humpbacks are said to occur in the Yukon in July and 

 August, though in limited numbers. Wo seined large numbers on July 25 ai Pablof Bay, southeast 

 Alaska: al.-o at Sitkoh Bay, .luly 2(i. The species it i noted also in Silver Creek near Sitka. July 2'.». 

 Fry 1.3 inches long were taken .May 22 with a lot of coho fry in sloughs or little pools along the Karluk 

 River near ils source-. 



The run of humpbacks extends, perhaps, through a longer period than that of any other species. In 

 Southeast Alaska it begins in June- and continues uniil September or even later in some- places. North- 

 ward tin- period is somewhat shorter. On Puget Sound and southward ii is more prolonged and 

 continues late in the fall. As already stated, the humpback salmon as a rule do not ascend streams to 

 great distances. If they cuter large- i i\ ers ai all thej are apt to run into the first small tributary stream 

 which they reach. Tiny prefer, however, the smaller coastal streams, and are therefore- not often seen 

 in numbers at any distance from the sea. 



They are quite pet jistent, and, in a measure, successful in their efforts to ascend streams in which 

 considerable falls occur. Observations similar to those- on their attempts to ascend Afognak Falls were 

 macle at Pablof Falls July 25. and at Dorr Falls. Xaha Stream. August :i0. and indicate- that the hump- 

 back jumps quite as well as any of the other species of salmon. Where tin- water condition! — depth. 

 current, width, etc. — are favorable- it can probably make a vertical jump of 10 feet, but to ascend a fall 

 with that vertical height frequent attempts would probably 1»' made before success was attained, a- the 

 jumping appears to be in. in- or h-ss at random. It is perfectly evident that the salmon does not select a 

 particular point on or near the lip of tin- falls where it proposes to strike; it simply jumps aimlessly, 

 ami sooner or later strikes the- fall at a place where it is able to maintain itself and from which it can 

 ascend into more quiet water above the falls. 



