PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 43 



Height of first dorsal 075 



Distance between dorsals 25 



Length of second dorsal 045 



Height of second dorsal 04 



Length of anal 035 



Length of caudal 21 



Distance from ventrals to pectorals 25 



Length of pectorals 15 



Length of ventrals 045 



the: SUKF-SJIEIiT OF TBIE IVORTHWEST COAST, AIVD TTCSE IflETEaOD 

 OF TAIiarV« TBIEM BV TME QUILILEMIUTE irVUHANS, 'WES'T COAST 

 OF WASSIirVOTOIV TERS:iTORA'. 



By JAI«E8 G. SIVAN. 



Neeah Bay, Wash., Septemher 22, 1870. 



Thirty miles south of Cape Fhittery, at the eutrauce to Fuca Strait, 

 AVashiugtoii Territory, is the Quillehute Eiver, a small stream empty- 

 ing into the Pacific Ocean near some rocky islets, the largest of which, 

 named b}" the Indians "Alikistet," and by the whites "James Island," 

 is a landmark for the entrance to the little bay or cov e, on the shore of 

 which is the principal village of the Quillehute Indians, who collect 

 and dry for winter use a very choice variety of smelt {Rypomcsus oUchis), 

 which I have named the surf-smelt, from its peculiar habit of deposit- 

 ing its spawn among- the shingle of the beach, coming" in with the surf 

 in incredible numbers, and in this respect somewhat resembling the 

 capelin {MaUotus villosus) of ISTew Brunswick. 



The surf-smelt closely resembles the common smelt in shape, size, and 

 the pecidiar cucumber-odor, but differs in having its belly covered witli 

 a coating of yellow fat, which imparts an oily appearance to water where 

 the fish have been cleaned or washed, and makes them the very perfec- 

 tion of pan-fish. 



During' the' month of August, 1879, 1 was at the Quillehute Indian vil- 

 lage from the 17th to the 22d, with United States Indian xigent Charles 

 "Willoughby, and had an ample opportunity to witness the habits of the 

 surf-smelt and their capture by the natives. These Indians take them 

 by means of a i)eculiar-shaped hand-net of a parallelogram form at top, 

 five feet long, twenty inches wide, and from four to five feet deep, with 

 a curved handle. 



The specimen net which I send is made of the fiber of the common 

 stinging nettle ( Jjrtica dioica L.), which grows in luxurious abundance on 

 the northwest coast near Indian villages and deserted camps. A spe- 

 cimen of the prepared fiber is also sent with the net. 



The method of preparing the nettle by the Quillehute Indians, after 

 gathering a quantity and stripping off the leaves and twigs, is to dry 

 the stalks in the sun or on a frame in the lodge, near, but not directly 

 over, the fire. 



