BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 463 



aud the Kowiik are all large rivers emptying iuto Behring Sea; in 

 fact, the Yiikou is one of the largest rivers in the world, and is now re- 

 ported as having a navigable length of 2,000 miles, and through its 

 whole course there is always an abundance of salmon in the proper 

 season, aud well up the other two rivers named the same condition ex- 

 ists. The general atmospheric conditions, however, are vastly different 

 over the inland portion of Alaska from what they are over the coast 

 country and the adjacent waters, but it is not likely that it will ever 

 be necessary to establish fisheries on any of these streams at any con- 

 siderable distance above their mouths. A limited number of fisheries 

 are now in operation at the mouth of the Yukon River, and there are 

 yet plenty of good sites for the establishment of more of them, and as 

 the business is steadily growing and enlarging there seems to be no 

 doubt but that a vast fishing trade will yet grow up and flourish at the 

 mouth of the great rivers. 



With proper fixtures and improvements there is no doubt but that 

 the catching and curing of salmon and codfish can be carried on cheaper 

 here than can be done on any other fishing grounds in the world. In 

 the Alaskan waters the general quality of the fish taken is rather infe- 

 rior to the fish of the same kinds that are caught on the Atlantic fishing- 

 grounds. They are also reported to be inferior in quality to the Colum- 

 bia Eiver salmon. A main point involved in the development of this 

 branch of industrial pursuit in Alaska will be the matter of finding con- 

 sumptive demand for all the salmon and codfish that could be packed 

 in the Alaskan waters more cheaply than such fish can be jiacked at 

 any other fishing-grounds in the world. It has been the expectation, 

 when all the transcontinental lines of railway get into full operation, 

 that a largely increased movement of Pacific coast salmon and codfish 

 towards the central portion of the country will be develoi)ed. With the 

 completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, it is fair to calculate that 

 this road, with the Northern Pacific road, will be abundantly able to 

 supply all the western half of the Mississippi Valley with fish of the 

 kinds here spoken of at lower prices than they can be furnished from 

 any other source. The expense of shipping canned fish from the m^uth 

 of the Yukon River to either Coal Harbor, Port Moody, or Victoria will 

 be light. From any of these points articles can be shipped by rail to 

 any part of the United States. 



Fish-culture in Xew Zealand. — Alexander J. Rutherford, hon 

 orary secretary of the Wellington and Wairarapa Acclimatization Soci- 

 ety, writing from Parliament Buildings, Wellington, April 19, IS^G, 

 says that the United States reports on fish-culture are a great boon to 

 those in these islands, who are trying to stock the inland waters with 

 fine varieties of fish. In South Island, the acclimatization societies have 

 been very successful in introducing the brown trout {Salmo fario), but in 

 Xorth Island there has been much apathy, and it is only of late years 

 that they have been able to do good work. Some years ago a number 



