﻿12 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  THE 
  HUMPBACK 
  SALMON. 
  

  

  The 
  humpback 
  salmon 
  {Oncorhynclms 
  gorhuscha) 
  is 
  the 
  smallest 
  of 
  

   the 
  Pacific 
  salmons; 
  its 
  average 
  weight 
  is 
  only 
  5 
  i)ounds, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  

   found 
  weighing 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  10 
  pounds. 
  Its 
  geographical 
  range 
  is 
  from 
  

   San 
  Francisco 
  probably 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  the 
  Mackenzie 
  River, 
  and 
  it 
  

   is 
  also 
  common 
  on 
  the 
  Asiatic 
  coast. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  abundant 
  and 
  

   generally 
  distributed 
  salmon 
  in 
  Alaska, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  Pacific 
  States 
  it 
  

   does 
  not 
  ordinarily 
  occur 
  in 
  great 
  abundance, 
  although 
  there 
  is 
  some- 
  

   tnnes 
  a 
  noteworthy 
  run 
  in 
  the 
  Puget 
  Sound 
  region. 
  

  

  In 
  food 
  value 
  the 
  fresh-run 
  humpback 
  is 
  scarcely 
  inferior 
  to 
  any 
  other 
  

   salmon. 
  While 
  the 
  flesh 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  fine 
  flavor, 
  it 
  is 
  paler 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  

   other 
  red 
  salmon, 
  and 
  the 
  species 
  has 
  consequently 
  been 
  neglected 
  by 
  

   canners. 
  It 
  is 
  i)robable, 
  however, 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  eventually 
  be 
  utilized 
  for 
  

   canning 
  purposes, 
  and 
  its 
  excellent 
  qualities 
  when 
  fresh 
  are 
  undoubtedly 
  

   destined 
  to 
  give 
  it 
  a 
  great 
  commercial 
  value. 
  The 
  chief 
  consumption 
  

   now 
  is 
  by 
  Alaskan 
  natives, 
  who 
  cure 
  large 
  quantities 
  for 
  winter 
  use. 
  

  

  The 
  humpback 
  salmon 
  generally 
  seeks 
  the 
  smaller 
  streams 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  spawning 
  and 
  deposits 
  its 
  eggs 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  

   sea, 
  sometimes 
  within 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  rods 
  of 
  the 
  ocean. 
  At 
  Kadiak 
  Island, 
  

   Alaska, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  often 
  very 
  abundant, 
  it 
  arrives 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  

   July, 
  the 
  run 
  continuing 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  weeks. 
  Si^awning 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  

   August. 
  There 
  are 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  eggs 
  to 
  each 
  fish, 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   being 
  smaller 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  quinnat 
  but 
  larger 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   redfish, 
  and 
  paler 
  in 
  color 
  than 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  either 
  of 
  those 
  species. 
  

  

  When 
  this 
  salmon 
  first 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  ocean 
  it 
  resembles 
  a 
  small 
  

   quinnat, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  advances 
  it 
  develops 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  

   and 
  prominent 
  hump 
  on 
  its 
  back. 
  This, 
  with 
  the 
  distortion 
  of 
  the 
  jaws, 
  

   gives 
  the 
  fish 
  a 
  very 
  singular 
  appearance. 
  The 
  extreme 
  emaciation 
  and 
  

   the 
  extensive 
  sloughing 
  of 
  the 
  skin 
  and 
  flesh, 
  which 
  are 
  incident 
  to 
  

   spawning, 
  result 
  in 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  fish, 
  either 
  on 
  the 
  spawning- 
  

   grounds 
  or 
  after 
  being 
  swept 
  out 
  to 
  sea 
  by 
  the 
  current. 
  

  

  THE 
  SILVER 
  SALMON. 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  {Oncorhynclms 
  Tcisutch) 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  silver 
  salmon, 
  silversides, 
  

   skowitz, 
  kisutch, 
  hoopid 
  salmon, 
  and 
  coho 
  salmon. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  beautiful 
  

   fish, 
  having 
  a 
  graceful 
  form 
  and 
  a 
  bright 
  silvery 
  skin. 
  The 
  flesh, 
  which 
  

   is 
  fairly 
  good, 
  usually 
  has 
  a 
  bright 
  red 
  color, 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  its 
  fading 
  

   on 
  cooking 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  highly 
  regarded 
  for 
  canning 
  purposes, 
  although 
  

   large 
  quantities 
  are 
  thus 
  utilized 
  in 
  the 
  Columbia 
  River, 
  Puget 
  Sound, 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  short 
  coast 
  streams 
  of 
  Oregon 
  and 
  Washington. 
  Its 
  average 
  

   size 
  in 
  the 
  Columbia 
  and 
  Puget 
  Sound 
  is 
  8 
  pounds, 
  but 
  in 
  Alaska 
  the 
  

   average 
  is 
  nearly 
  15 
  pounds. 
  It 
  rarely 
  reaches 
  30 
  j'jounds 
  in 
  weight. 
  

   Its 
  range 
  is 
  from 
  San 
  Francisco 
  to 
  northern 
  Alaska, 
  and 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  

   on 
  the 
  Asiatic 
  coast 
  as 
  Japan. 
  It 
  runs 
  n\) 
  the 
  rivers 
  to 
  spawn 
  in 
  late 
  

   fall 
  or 
  early 
  winter, 
  when 
  the 
  waters 
  are 
  high, 
  but 
  does 
  not 
  ascend 
  

   great 
  distances 
  from 
  the 
  ocean. 
  The 
  average 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  to 
  a 
  fish 
  

   is 
  about 
  2,000. 
  

  

  