264 BULLETIN OF THK BUREALT OF FISHERIES. 



36. Salvelinus malma iWalliaum). DolUj Varden Trout; Salmon Trout; Western Chan-. (PI. XL.) 



This is the most alnmdant trout in Alar^ka. It swarms in every stream and lake aliout the islands 

 from tlie Columbia to Bering Sea, and was seen liy us at practically all places visited. It is particularly 

 a):)undant about the canneries, where it feeds ravenously on the salmi m eggs and other refuse from 

 canning operations. 



Oiu' field notes make specific mention of the Dolly Vardrn ti-nut a,s seen at the following places: Fort 

 Rupert (abundant), stream at head of lake at Boca de Quadra (very abundant), Metlakahtla (seined), 

 Karta Bay (in Alaska Packers Association trap), Cleveland Pa-ssage (seined many, 5 to 14 inches long), 

 Taku Inlet cannery (several seen), Chilkoot cannery (very aliundant), Taku, Dewey Lake near Skagway 

 (common, but very small), Funter Bay (seined 4), Killisnoo, Sitkoh Bay, Dundas Bay (many seined and 

 many seen in salmon trap), Palilof Falls (many seined and many caught on hook and line), Indian River 

 at Sitka (several fine ones taken on hook and line, July 28), creek at Silver Bay near Sitka (many taken on 

 hook July 29), Afognak Falls (abundant August 3), Karluk, Uyak, and Alitak. 



On September 9, 1904, Mr. Hess, of the Geological Survey, found Dolly Varden trout 8 to 10 inches 

 long in Big Minook Creek 10 miles from Rampart. They were abundant and were spawning. Every one 

 e-xamined contained parasites in the air bladder. On September 5, 190,3, Mr. Hess obtained this trout in 

 Niukluk River near Council. In October, 190.5, the Bureau received 5 examples, 5.87 to 8.87 inches long, 

 from Mr. S. P. Robins, of Ram])art, who had caught them in Mynook Creek, a tril)Utary of the Yukon. 



At .Vfognak Falls on August 3. varinus parties from the .Ubatross caught many Dolly Varden trout and 

 salmon liy using a gang of 3 hooks tied together. The fish were s(j thick that they were readily hooked as 

 the gang wa-s dragged through the water. 



Xear Skagway is a small lake called Dewey Lake, which is some distance above sea level. It is said to 

 be impossible now for fish to reach it h'om the sea, yet Dolly Varden trout occtu' in this lake in some num- 

 bers. They are very small, only a few inches long, and more brightly colored than those fi'om salt 

 water. In a small stream near Unalaska these trout are found above what is now an impa.s.sable falls. 

 They never exceed a few inches in length, and are very richly colored. They were described as new in 

 1S73 by Cope who called them Salmo tudes. 



Previous Alaskan records for this trout are — Cope (1873), Captains Harbor, Unalaska. Bean 

 (18S2i: Sitka; Old Sitka; Port Althrop; Chugachik Bay, and Refuge Cove, Cook Inlet; St. Paul, 

 Kodiak Island; Humlioldt Harbor and Little Koniushi Island, Shumagins; Iliuliuk and Nateekin 

 Bay, Unalaska; Ky.ska Harbor; St. Michael; Unalaklik; Hotham inlet; Port Clarence; Cape Lisburne; 

 Arctic Ocean. Gilbert (1895), L'nalaska Island. Gilbert says "a small stream entering Captains 

 Harlior, Unalaska Island, has a series of impas,sable cascades aggregating several hundred feet in height. 

 Above these falls the trout are very abundant, but are dwarfed in size and remarkalily brilliant in 

 coloration. They seem to reach no larger size than 8 inches". Cantwell (1885) Koljuk River. Mur- 

 doch (1885), near mouth of Colville River and at Pergniak. Nelson (1887), Golsova River. Scofield 

 ;lS99i, Port Clarence, Point Hope, and Herschel Island. 



The Dolly Varden I rout attains a weight probably of 25 pounds, though the largest seen by us in 

 Alaska weighed less than 4 pounds. The maximum length of those we saw was 21.5 inches. 



The average weight of 64 fish weighed at Pablof Falls was 1.5 ounces; length, 7 inches. 



Twenty-four were examined at Snug Harbor, 16 males and 8 females. The males averaged 14.84 

 inches long and 11.28 ounces in weight; females, 17 inches long and 9.44 ounces in weight. 



Fom- males and 12 females were examined at Karta Bay. The males averaged 14.375 inches long 

 and 1.125 pounds in weight; females 15.77 inches long and 1..54 poimds in weight." 



At Chignik Bay 15 males averaged 16.2 inches long and 1 pound 12 ounces in weight; 2 females, 

 17.75 inches long and 2.5 pounds in weight. 



The 16 examined at Karta Bay were all that were fo\ind in a tra]> with aliout 300 to 400 sockeyes, 2 

 cohoes, and 3 stan'y flounders. 



In the quiet portion of the Home Stream at Point Ellis (really a part of the iijiper end of a small lake\ 

 Dolly Varden trout were very abundant August 22. In one pool, 2 to G feet deep anil 25 feet wide, we 

 saw 500 to 600. They ranged in length from a few inches to 2 feet. They were certainly spawning, and 

 they were not jiaired off but were all in a bunch. As one would swim over some clean gravel it would 

 turn on its side and rub against the bottom, evidently to press out the eggs or milt. 



