THE FISHERY EESOURCES OF ALASKA. 83 



wLitetish, and reaches a weigbt of thirty pounds. It is distiuguished by its broad body, short 

 head, aud large scales. It is usually very fat aud excellent eating. It abounds in both winter 

 and summer, spawning in September in the small rivers falling into the Yukon.'" The "Round- 

 fish" of Mr. Ball's paper is Coregomis qvadrilateralis, Rich. "A long, slender, subcylindrical fish, 

 not very abundant, but of excellent quality. Thej' are caught occasionallj- throughout the 

 winter on the Y'uljon, and are distinguished by their attenuated muzzle aud peculiar form." The 

 " Humpback" of Mr. Dall is related to cliqwiformis, from which it is separated by its arched aud 

 compressed back. The "whitefish" (Russian Morslcoi cUja) is C. Luurettce, Bean. Mr. Dall says of 

 the Morsloi ciga: "This is the most abundant and best flavored species of Coregonus in most 

 localities. It is distinguished by its small scales, fins, tail, and head, aud is of symmetrical 

 proportions and moderate size. It rarely exceeds three pounds in weight, and is the staple article 

 of food in winter on the Y''ukon."' Coregonus Lauretta; is the pi'evailing species of the far north; 

 the writer obtained it in Port Clarence while in company with the United States Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey Expedition to Alaska, in 1880, and Capt. C. L. Hooper, commanding the 

 Revenue-Marine steamer Corwin, thus records it from Point Barrow in his report to the 

 Treasury Department of November 1, 1880 : 



" The temperature of the water was 40° F. "We bought from the natives some eider ducks, 

 which were found to have a strong fishy taste, and some fish resembling shad, but smaller and 

 very fat; they differ also from the shad in having two double [misprint for dorsal] fins. "We saw 

 the same species in Kotzebue Sound and at other i)laces within the Arctic circle. They are 

 called by the natives ' tupook.' I preserved some specimens for the Smithsonian Institution." 



The "Nulato whitefish" (Russian ^^^^ulotoski ciga") is evidently what I have called in my 

 list of Alaskan food-fishes Coregonus Merlii, Giinther, variety. This is a small, thin, bony species, 

 common near Nulato, on the Yukon, and is rarely more than half a pound in weight. It is of 

 little use as food, and is luincipally abundant in summer. Captain Hooper forwarded to the 

 Smithsonian Institution many specimens of this whitefish, which he obtained doubtless in 

 Kotzebue Sound and elsewhere in the Ai-ctic regions. The grayling or blanket fish concludes 

 the list of Coregonida: Of this Mr. Dall has written as follows: 



"Abundant in the small rapid rivers of Alaska. It is the only fish in the Yukon territory 

 NAhich will take the hook. It is of moderate value only for table use, and is especially abundant 

 in spring when the whitefish begin to be scarce." 



The greatest fish wealth of Alaska lies in its abundance of fine salmon, so far at least as 

 shore-fishing is concerned. There are five species of Oncorliynchus : chotiicJia, l-eta, nerlca, Tcisutch, 

 .and gorbuscha — all readily distinguished one from the other by well-marked characters, except the 

 first two. Three of them may be at once recognized by a single character even ; gorbuscha, for 

 example, has much smaller scales than any other species; Idsutcli has a much smaller number of 

 pyloric CiEca than all the rest; nerM has much the largest number of gill-rakers; chomcha is 

 the giant of the group, and may well be called the "king salmon." This is the largest and finest 

 of tiie Alaska salmon, reaching a weight of sixty to ninety pounds. Those weighing eighty 

 pounds are not uncommon, and others weighing a hundredweight have occasionally been taken. 

 This fish, or a fish called by the same name, ranges from Sitka to Bering Strait, and is found in 

 all water-courses from the tide-ways of the Alexander Archipelago to the broad current of the 

 Yukon. It ascends the latter river for at least twelve hundred miles and perhaps farther. It is 

 a short and broad fish, with a large head, but comparatively small mouth and fins. It reaches 



' Dall, Ioc. eit. 



