THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 267 



the maxillary extending to below middle of eye; mandible extending to nearly posterior edge of orbit; 

 teeth minute, numerous in both jaws and along maxillary, none on tongue; eye large, longer than snout, 

 but not equal to interorbital space. 



Scales on side about uniform in size; the caudal lin well scaled. two rows of small scales forming 

 radiating feather-like projections on some of the interradial spaces of the lobes of the fin; a naked patch 

 back of isthmus; scales of jugular region minute, becoming larger backward and upward. 



Dorsal fin long and high, the longest ray about 4 in body, its base 1.5; adipose fin small; longest 

 ray of anal 2 in head, its base about the same length; gillrakers medium length, firm, rather stout, acute, 

 6+13 and 6-4- 12. 



Color in life, back light olive, edges of scales dark; side bluish silvery, centers of scales brhj 

 belly dull white, a dirty, rusty wash from base of ventral to lower pari of pectoral lies rub off 



an orange color is shown; anterior part of side with 11 or 12 small blue-black spots; cheek somewhat 

 rosy; membrane between rami of lower jaw black; dorsal olive, with :'• rows of rosy or purplish, lighter- 

 edged, almost coalescing spots at base, above these about i; less distinct rows of more isolated spots of 

 same color; distal edge of fin purplish, posterior edge blackish above; ventrals olive, with 5 longitudinal 

 purplish lines; pectoral, caudal, and anal olive, the caudal somewhat dark at base and ed 



A LO-inch specimen and 10 others taken at Caribou Crossing, July 18, had the following colors in life: 



I tack olive, the i -enter <>i -eales lighter; side silvery, underlaid with olive; borders of scales dull 

 golden; L0 inky black spots, irregularly arranged on anterior part < f body, mostly below lateral line, 

 these varying much, numbering from 3 to 17 in the 10 specimens at hand; one specimen has 

 over 70 spots, rather paler, and arranged in irregular rows, extending back to adipose dorsal; head olive, 

 with bluish Luster, with some gold and brassy; a blue-black blotch under rami of lower jaw; branchios- 

 tegals brassy; dorsal dusky olive, upper edge blue-black, I row- of -pot-, the upper violet blue, others 



anteriorly violet, posteriorly reddish or yellowish green, a fifth partial row (6 on some), the smaller fish 



with spots less distinct; adipose dorsal dusky olive; caudal dusky with a submarginal paler -treak; 

 anal olive, dusky a i tip; ventral dusky anteriorly, with 3 lengthwise strips of bright - r; pectoral 



greenish; inside of opercle bluish. 



Color in alcohol (No. 2928), back and upper parts of side pearly blue, somewhat paler below, nearly 

 everywhere finch pi i net ulate with minute black dots, but especiallj so in a streak on each side extending 



from the base of the pectoral to origin of ventral lin; a black of dark blue -treak eaeli Bide of chin, almost 



concealed by fold of jaw; a few (5 LO) roundish blue -pot- along anterior part of side; dorsal lin highly 

 colored, the ground-color dark blue, interrupted by elongate elliptical pink or red spots these extending 



in rows between ray.-, their long a\i- parallel with those of the ray- the spots also in rows parallel with 

 the hack, almost forming continuous line- near the base of the fin; ventrals bluish dusky, with longi- 

 tudinal bright dashes; other tin- du-kv. 



Most of the grayling from Caribou Crossing wen- taken with a fly from a small pier at the mounted 

 police station a few rods below the railroad bridge, in water 2 to 5 feet deep. A very small fly Marl, 

 gnat i was used. The fish look it either al tin- surface or when it was sunk a foot to :; feet. The local 

 anglers usualh fish with tin- artificial ft) ami. of course, without any sinker, -imply whipping the -ur- 

 face or allowing the fly to lloa i down Some, however, use a very light sinker and find thai the grayling 

 will sometimes take the fly even better when it is sunk 2 or :; feet. Very small bits of fresh red meat 

 are sometimes used ami found attractive. 



Considering the small size of these fish they were quite good lighters and afforded much sport. 

 Those taken in the swift water of Kilbourne Creek seemed decidedly more gamy, partly, doubtless, 

 on account of the current, but they were really bitter fighters. 



The 15-inch example from bake I'.eiinett was caught while we were still-fishing from a pier near 

 the hotel. This fish was seen in water 4 feel deep and was n-peatedly tried with various kind- of flies, 

 but it paid no attention to any of them. A- a la-t resort a -mall piece of fresh. ,ed meat was placed 

 on the fly, when the fish rose at once and took it greedily, proving very energetic and vigorous, and 

 making a very pretty fight. 



Family 15. ARGENTINIDiR The Smelts. 



38. Mallotus villosus 1 Muller 1. Capelin 



Eight (4 male. 1 female) specimen- ;;..*. to 5 inches long, collected by the Albatross at Port Chester, 

 September 26, 1900. and one 4 inches long from boring. 1904. 



