THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 253 



Washington. At one time this was said to be an excellent blueback stream, able to supply to the In- 

 dians of the Quiniault Reservation a large part of their food. It is said that there is still a small run 

 here. There is also a small run in Ozette Lake, just south of Cape Flattery. 



Of the streams tributary to Puget Sound the only ones in whic"h the sockeye, as this salmon is usually 

 called in that region, is known to run are the Lake Washington system of lakes, the Skagit and, pos- 

 sibly, the Snohomish, the Stillaguamish, and the Nooksak. The only one of these, however, in which 

 there is any considerable run is the Skagit, which the fish ascend to reach Baker Lake for spawning 

 pm-poses. Doubtless the greatest of all the sockeye streams is the Fraser River. Ever since the 

 early days of the salmon canning industry on our western coast the Fraser has been famous for the enor- 

 mous runs of sockeyes which ascend that great river to the lakes at its headwaters. 



Going northward from the Fraser we find several streams in British Columbia in which the sockeyes 

 run in considerable numliers. The principal of these are the Skeena, Rivers Inlet. Xaas, Lowe Inlet, 

 Dean Channel, Namu Harbor, Bella Coola, Smith Inlet. Alert Bay, and Allierni Canal. It is liy far 

 the most abundant and most important salmon in British Columbia watei's. In Alaska, where it is 

 known as the redfish, red salmon, or sockeye, it is abundant and runs in great numbers in all 

 statable streams. In Southea-st Alaska the following are the most important red salmon streams; Naha, 

 Boca de Quadra, Yes Bay, Nowiskay, Keegan, Peter Johnson, Klawak, Hes.sa. Hetta, Hunter Bay, 

 Chilkat, Taku, Chilkoot. Karta, Thorne Bay, Stikine, etc.; in Central Alaska, Alsek, Copper. Afognak, 

 Karluk, Alitak, Chignik, Knik, and Sushitna; in the Bristol Bay region, the I'gashik, Xaknek, 

 Kvichak, Nushagak, and Wood, The red salmon is said to ascend the Yukim, at least to Caribou 

 Crossing, but we have seen no specimens from that river and do not know whether there is any con- 

 siderable run in it. Nor do we know whether the species occurs in the Kuskokwim. tire Kobuk, or any 

 stream north of the Nushagak. On the Asiatic side the red salmon is known to occur at Bering Island 

 and in all suitable streams south to Japan. 



This species of salmon is peculiar in that it rarely or never ascends a stream that has not one or 

 more lakes at its headwaters. Its spawning beds are invarialily in small streams tril)utary to lakes 

 or. rarely, in the lakes themselves. No red salmon is known to have spawned in any stream not con- 

 nected with a lake. Some have been seen occasionally in the lower part of a stream which had no 

 lake in its course, but it is believed such individuals soon discovered their mistake and promptly 

 returned downstream in search of the proper water. The only instances of this kind which have 

 come under the personal observation of the senior author are the following: In August, 1903, while 

 at Sitka, he saw a red salmon speared by an Indian in Indian River near the bridge, which, however, 

 is only a short distance above the mouth of the stream; it is understood there is no lake in this stream. 

 The other case is that of Gold Fork, a triljutary of Payette River, Idaho, ^\'hile at Payette Lake in 

 September, 1894, he learned, on what he believes to be entirely trustworthy evidence, that red salmon 

 are sometimes seen in the mouth of that stream, l)Ut that they soon return and ascend the main fork 

 of the Payette, which comes from Big Payette Lake, in whose inlet there were formerly important 

 spawning beds. The origin and significance of this peculiar haliit are not known. The problem is 

 one worthy of investigation. 



The red salmon is the neatest and most symmetrical of the salmon. In the sea, or when fresh 

 run, it is clear sky blue on the back and upper part of the sides, shading to clean silvery white below 

 and on belly. Soon after entering the river for the piu^ose of spawning, the color of the head changes 

 to a rich olive, the back and sides to crimson and finally to a dark l)lood red, richest in the males, and 

 the l>elly a dirty white. Some of the scales tiecome dark edged and the middle of the side shows the 

 darkest red, Init unevenly. At the same time the flesh l^ecomes spongy, the scales embedded, the 

 back somewhat humped, and the jaws hooked and <jtherwise distorted. 



The run of the red salmon in Alaska Ijegins usually in Juno; in Bering Sea and Central Alaska 

 early in June or even in May. while in Southeast Alaska it is one to three weeks later. The earliest 

 recorded date we have is May 6, for Eyak and the Copper River region. In Bering Sea the run is 

 usually over by the end of July, in Central Alaska and Prince William Sound by the end of August, 

 and in Southeast Alaska by- the 10th of Septemlier or earlier. The period of the run of red salmon in 

 different parts of Alaska, so far as the records show it, is given in the tal)le on page 254. 



