I70 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



The dog salmon enters all sorts of rivers in the fall, spawning at 

 no great distance from the sea. It is less abundant than any of the 

 other species, although it can be taken in almost any stream from 

 the Columbia Kiver to the rivers of northern Japan. 



The relative food value of the five different species of salmon may 

 be well expressed by the five digits, Quinnat five, red salmon four, 

 silver salmon three, humpback salmon two, dog salmon one. The 

 canned product has at the present time approximately the same relation 

 of values, except that the aggregate value of the red salmon now 

 considerably exceeds that of the Quinnat. 



The Trout of Alaska. 



Besides the five species of salmon, four species of trout are found 

 m Alaska. These may be briefly noticed. The steel head trout {Salmo 

 yairdneri) is frequently taken in the mouths of the large streams, 

 which it enters for the purpose of spawning. It reaches a weight of 

 10 to 16 pounds. The large examples are valued for purposes of cold 

 storage. The species is sometimes salted, but rarely canned. It is a 

 handsome fish, black spotted, and may be known by the very short 

 head, which it one fifth the whole length to the base of the tail. 



The cut-throat trout (Salmo clarki) is found in streams about 

 Sitka and southward to Vancouver Island. It has no economic value 

 in Alaska. Although sometimes weighing 15 to 25 pounds in favorable 

 lakes, it does not ordinarily exceed three pounds. The species may 

 always be known by a concealed dash of scarlet on each side of the 

 throat. This is wanting in the steel-head, which is likewise spotted 

 with black. 



The rainbow trout (Salmo irideus) occurs also in Alaska. It has 

 been taken in Naha Eiver at Loring and in some other places. It 

 lacks the red dash of the cut-throat trout and has larger scales. From 

 the steel-head it is separated by its larger head, larger scales and 

 smaller size. 



The Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), miscalled 'salmon trout' 

 in Alaska, is one of the most abundant fishes in Alaska. It swarms 

 in every stream and enters the sea, where it occasionally reaches the 

 weight of eleven pounds. The young trout are the most persistent 

 enemies of the salmon fry, destroying them by millions, although 

 in turn the salmon feed on the fry of the trout. The Dolly Varden 

 is one of the finest game fish — a fact little appreciated in Alaska. 

 In the rivers, its color is rich dark blue or olive with crimson spots. In 

 the sea, this color changes to steel gray with spots of paler gray. 



The trout is an excellent food fish, but of no economic value except 

 about the towns where it may be consumed fresh. It can not be taken 



