1892-93.] 



NOTES ON THK WESTERN DENES. 



73 



this wise to the implement ; the whole of the bone pin including the sinew 

 line to which it is attached is passed through the anal part of the fish 



Fiij. 60. 



Fig- 59- 



and then one-half of it is inserted lengthwise through the body of the 

 fish commencing from the point of initial insertion of the sinew line to 

 the head, after which the whole is dropped in the water and held as in 

 the case of the bone coregone bait. The larger fish, generally the loche 

 or turbot {Lota maculosa) which is very voracious, overlooks the other 

 half of the implement left bare, and by gulping down the small fish 

 gives warning to the fisherman, who instantly pulls up the whole, thereby 

 sinking t!he bone pin in the gills of the large fish which is thus easily 

 secured. 



As a rule, the small end bones of the loon's wings, or occasionally 

 even young beaver ribs, are the material chosen to make the two last 

 mentioned implements. The same probably served also to fabricate the 

 needles of the prehistoric Den^s. But none of them is now extant, and 

 this may be a mere conjecture. 



Before proceeding further, a word about the species of fishes more 

 extensively sought after by the Carriers and the TsijKoh'tin may not be 

 out of place. They are of course very numerous, but king among them 

 all is the salmon, and of the five species which are now known to ascend 

 their rivers, the suck-eye {O^icorJiynchus nerka, Walbaum) or tlia-llo * is 

 by far the most important either on account of its economic value or of 

 the prodigious numbers of its annual run. Next in abundance and 



*" Water-fish. 



6 



