264 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHEBIES. 



36. Salvelinus malma (Walbaum). Dolly Varden Trout; Salmon Trout ; Western Chan. (PI. XL.) 



This is the most abundant trout in Alaska. It swarms in every stream and lake about the islands 

 from the Columbia to Bering Sea, and was seen by us at practically all places visited. It is particularly 

 abundant about the canneries, where it feeds ravenously on the salmon eggs and other refuse from 

 canning operations. 



Our field notes make specific mention of the Dolly Varden trout as seen at the following places: Fort 

 Rupert (abundant I, stream at head of lake at Boca de Quadra (very abundant i, Metlakahtla (seined), 

 Karta Bay (in Alaska Packers Association trap), Cleveland Passage (seined many, 5 to 14 inches long), 

 Taku Inlet cannery (several seen), ( ihilkoot cannery (very abundant), Taku, Dewey Lake near Skagway 

 (common, but very small), Funter Bay (seined 4 I, Killisnoo, Sitkoh Kay, Dundas Bay (many seined and 

 many seen in salmon trap >, Pablof Falls (many seined and many caught on hook and line), Indian River 

 at Sitka (several fine ones taken on hook and line, July 28), creek at Silver Bay near Sitka (many taken on 

 hook July 29), Afognak Falls (abundant August 3i, Ivarluk. Uyak, and Alitak. 



On September 9. 1904, Mr. Hess, of the Geological Survey, found Dolly Varden trout 8 to 10 inches 

 lung in Big Minook Creek 10 miles from Rampart. They were abundant and were spawning. Everyone 

 examined contained parasites in the air bladder. On September 5, 1903, Mr. Hess obtained this trout in 

 Niukluk River near < touncil. In October, 1905, the Bureau received 5 examples, 5.87 to 8.87 inches long, 

 from Mr. S. P. Robins, of Rampart, who had caught them in Mynook Creek, a tributary of the Yukon. 



At Afognak Falls on August 3. various parties from the Albatross caught many Dolly Varden trout and 

 salmon by using a gang of 3 hooks tied together. The fish were so thick that they were readily hooked as 

 the gang was dragged through the water. 



Near Skagway is a small lake called Dewey Lake, which is some distance above sea level. Itissaid to 

 be impossible now for fish to reach it from the sea, yet Dolly Varden trout occur in this lake in some num- 

 bers. They are very small, only a few inches long, and more brightly colored than those from salt 

 water. In a small stream near Unalaska these trout are found above what is now an impassable falls. 

 They never exceed a few inches in length, and are very richly colored. They were described as new in 

 1873 by Cope who called them Salmo tudes. 



Previous Alaskan records for this trout are — Cope (1873), Captains Harbor, Unalaska. Bean 

 (1882): Sitka; Old Sitka; Port Althrop; Chugachik Bay, and Refuge Cove, Cook Inlet; St. Paul, 

 Kodiak Island; Humboldt Harbor and Little Koniushi Island, Shumagins; Iliuliuk and Nateekin 

 Bay, Unalaska; Kyska Harbor; St. Michael; Unalaklik; Hotham inlet; Port Clarence; Cape Lisburne; 

 Arctic Ocean. Gilbert (1895), Unalaska Island. Gilbert says "a small stream entering Captains 

 Harbor, Unalaska Island, has a series of impassable cascades aggregating several hundred feet in height. 

 Above these falls the trout are very abundant, but are dwarfed in size and remarkably brilliant in 

 coloration. They seem to reach no larger size than 8 inches". Cantwell (1885) Kobuk River. Mur- 

 doch i L885), near mouth of Colville River and at Pergniak. Nelson (1887), Golsova River. Scofield 

 ^899), Port Clarence, Point Hope, and Herschel Island. 



The Dolly Varden trout attains a weight probably of 25 pounds, though the largest seen by us in 

 Alaska weighed less than 4 pounds. The maximum length of those we saw was 21.5 inches. 



The average weight of 04 fish weighed at Pablof Falls was 1 . 5 i unices; length, 7 inches. 



Twenty-four were examined at Snug Harbor. 16 males and 8 females. The males averaged 14.84 

 inch es long ami 11.28 ounces in weight; females, 17 inches long and 9.44 ounces in weight. 



Four males and 12 females were examined at Karta Bay. The males averaged 14.375 inches long 

 and 1.125 pounds in weight; females 15.77 inches long and 1.54 pounds in weight. 



At Chignik Bay 15 males averaged 16.2 inches long and 1 pound 12 ounces in weight; 2 females, 

 17.75 inches long and 2.5 pounds in weight. 



The 16 examined at Karta Bay were all that were found in a trap with about 300 to 400 sockeyes, 2 

 cohoes, and :'. starry Sounders. 



In the quiet portion of the Home Stream at Point Ellis (really a part of the upper end of a small lake), 

 Dolly Varden trout were very abundant August 22. In one pool. 2 to 6 feet deep and 25 feet wide, we 

 ,-;i\\ 500 to 600. Tiny ranged in length from a few inches to 2 feet. They were certainly spawning, and 

 they were not paired off but were all in a bunch. As one would swim over some clean gravel it would 

 turn on its side and rub against the bottom, evidently to press out the eggs or milt. 



