40 



PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



fall as red-fish. In the upper courses of the Columbia and Frazer's 

 River, this species and the preceding are the only salmon found. The 

 blue-back, in all its protean forms, can readily be distinguished by the 

 much longer and more numerous gill-rakers. 



59. Oncorhynchtis keta (Walb.) Gr- & J- — Dog Salmon; Quarlsch; Kayko; Le Kai. 

 San Francisco to Behring's Straits ; very abundant in the fall, when 



it runs in all streams, but not to a great distance. Not seen by us any- 

 where in the spring. It reaches a weight of 12 to 20 pounds. As it is 

 taken only in fall, after the development of the organs of generation 

 has caused the deterioration of the flesh, it has little economic value. 

 Considerable numbers are salted or dried by the Indians. 



60. Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaiim) Gill i& Jordan. — HumpbacJc Salmon ; Eaddo; 



Rone; Hol'm. 



Sacramento River northward to the Arctic Sea 5 abundant in Puget 

 Sound on alternate years, 1880 being a year of scarcity. Occasionally 

 seen in the Columbia and Sacramento, but not sufficiently abundant to 

 constitute a distinct run. It reaches a weight of 3 to 7 pounds, being 

 the smallest of the salmon. The females are canned in summer and 

 fall, the hook-jawed males being rejected. 



The following table gives some of the specific characters of the species 

 of Oncorhynchus. The figures given are the averages of variation, so far 

 as known: 



61. Hypomesus pretiosus (Girard) Gill. — Surf Smelt. 



From Monterey to Alaska ; very abundant north of San Francisco, 

 and often seen in the San Francisco markets. It deposits its spawn in 

 the surf iu the spring. It reaches a length of nearly a foot and becomes 



