112 



FISHING-GEOUNDS OP isORTH AMERICA. 



iLc lagoons observed by me were well tilled with sticklebacks and young sciilpins. Lant and 

 capeliu abound. Smelt and grayling are reported as far around as Colville Eiver by Capt. E. E. 

 Smith, icepilot of the Corwin in 1880. A species of wliitefisli {Coregonus Lauretta) was obtained 

 in abundance by Captain ITooper j'rom natives at Point Barrow. We took tbe red-spotted trout 

 in our seine, and Captain Smith reports it from Colville Kiver, where he also secured herring 

 and humpback salmon [Oncorlujnchus gorhuscha). Seemann has declared that salmon are not 

 found in Alaska north of Kotzebue Sound. This is an error; we found remains of a species of 

 Oncorhyuchm, which I believe to bo gorhuscha, at Icy Cape, and Captain Smith, referred to above, 

 salted in 1875 two barrels of humpback salmon which he bought at the mouth of Colville River. 

 Concerning the whiteflsh of Point Barrow, Captain Hooper in his report, already referred to, says: 

 "We bought from the natives . . . some fish resembling shad, but smaller and very fat; they 

 differ also from the shad in having two (dorsal) fins. We saw the same species in Kotzebue 

 Sound and at other places within the Ai-ctic circle. They are called by the natives tuiwoJc." 



Farther on he writes thus: " The salmon is the only variety of fish in the Arctic that is of any 

 value. Although smaller than the salmon caught farther south, they are of fine flavor. They are 

 quite plentiful, and the coast natives care large quantities of them by smoking and drying for 

 winter use." 



The list of fishes given includes only such food-fishes as are known to occur; there ai'e no 

 doubt others which will be discovered by collectors in the future. The methods of capture do 

 not differ from those already described, seines, gill-nets, hooks, and spears being employed just 

 as they are farther south. 



The following is a partial list of Arctic- Alaskan fishes : 

 Pleuronectes stellatus. Osmerus deutex. 



" glacialis. Mallotus villosus. 



Coregonus INEerkii. 



" Laurettic. 



?Thymallus. (J'Jde Smith.) 



Salveliuus malma. 

 Oncorhvnchus gorbuscha. 



Boreogadus saida. 

 Lycodes cocciueus. 

 Cottus polyacanthocephalus. 



" tiieniopterus. 



" humilis. 

 Gymnacanthus pistilliger. 

 Ammodytes persouatus. 



17. STATISTICS OF THE ALASKAN FISHERIES IN 1880. 



Clupea mirabilis. 



Salmon exported from Alaska, 1880. 



Karlak Eivcr Fishery, Smith & Hirsch 



Do 



Do 



Karliik River Fishery, Western Fur and Trailing Company. 



Do 



Do 



EassiloT Fisliery, Western Fur and Trading Company 



Do 



Eenai Eivcr Fishery, Alaslia Comiuorcial Company 



Total 



Month. 



June 



August 



Septeuiber- 



Juno 



July 



August 



July 



August 



Barrels. 



125' 



399 



415 



205 



240 



150 



100' 



165'! 



150 2 



Number. 



2,089 



37, 500 



19, 950 



20, 750 

 20, 000 

 12, 000 



7,500 

 8,000 

 18, 500 

 7,500 



151, 700 



Pounds. 



375. 000 

 199. 500 

 207, 500 

 200, 000 

 120, 000 

 75, 000 

 320, COO 

 185, 000 

 300, 000 



1, 982, 000 



' Barrels of bellies. 



* CbowicLee bellies. 



' Silver or kcezitch. 



