320 STATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS IX ALASKA. 



darker as the Hue is approached. Above hvteral Hue the color changes to a bright metallic steel 

 blue, becoming very intense as the median dorsal line is approached. Along the dorsal line, how- 

 ever, the color is a dull bluish-olive, produced by a heavy olive shade over the blue. Top of head 

 dark olive, fading into silvery on sides, which are finely and thickly sprinkled with dark dots. 

 Below white. Iris very pale goldea-yellow. 



f Sa64T. (19.) Norton .Souud, July20, 1677. 



Slender Salmon. Male.— Length, 25 inches; depth, 5 inches. 



Back olive green, with a silvery luster on each scale. The olive fades away below the lateral 

 line, but is invaded from below by irregular blotches of light silvery or of a delicate rosy pink, 

 which e.Kteuds from the abdominal region. Top and sides of head tinted olive green, fading as on 

 body. A I'aint copi)ery tint to the silvery on opercular bones. The lower surface is made darker 

 by the numerous line dots. Dorsals, pectorals, and caudal dull clayey olive. Ventrals olive with 

 a light spot on tip. Anal bluish-olive, with similar light spot on tip. 

 3:i-!l7. Locality not stated. 



47. Oncorhynghus gorbuscha (Walb.). Hump-backed Salmon (GorbusJca of Russian; 

 Bsk. TuM-tulc). 



29890. (-224.) Saiut Michaels, July 27, 1830. 



Dorsal surface dull olive bluish, with a tinge of purple along side on lateral line. Upper 

 fins and tail uniform bluish olive. The bluish of the upi)er surface becomes rapidly re|daced 

 by white below the lateral line, but the whole side has a dingy bluish-white appearance, though 

 each scale is silvery white. Top of head greenish olive; sides of same purplish olive ; beneath 

 pure white. Pectoral tins bluish black, with white base close to body. Yeutrals : Anterior halt 

 of upper surface a little lighter thau pectorals, the rest of this flu dingy white. The dorsal sur- 

 face above lateral line, from occiput to tail, including dorsal tin, and the entire tail irregu- 

 larly but profusely marked with oblong black spots at intervals of about one-fourth to one-third 

 of an inch. The spots ou the back have their greatest diameter at right angles to the lateral line. 

 On the tail the spots are rather more numerous, are rounder, and have their longest axis parallel 

 to the lateral line. The spots on the back are about twice as long as wide. Iris pale yellow. 



(In a specimen fresh from water the whole ui)i)er half with fins is strongly shaded with a 

 purplish or reddish tint.) 



29891.(226.) Saiut Michaels, July 29, 1880. 

 20897. (292.) Saint Michaels, July 24, 1880. 



Young male. This species is rather uncommon here but very numerous at this season at 

 Uualakleet. 



The Gorhusla are lirst taken about the middle of June along the coast of Bering Sea, and are 

 rather numerous until the end of July, with more or less common stragglers until late in fall. They 

 run at the same time and in about equal numbers in the rivers well into the interior. The 

 Gorhusla is less regular in its appearance than the other species of small salmon iu the Yukon. 

 Some years only a few will be taken, and again they will run iu such excessive numbers in the 

 Lower Yukon that the wicker fish-traps must be emptied several times a day. The flesh of this 

 si^ecies dries orange yellow. This is the least palatable of the salmon, being dry and tasteless. 



48. Clupea mirabilis Girard. Herring (Esk. t-hi thlu-tiKK-puk). 



29887. (295-302.) Saint Mich.aels, June 16, 1881. 



Herrings from s])awning bed on reef. 



32872. (53.) Saiut Michaels, spring, 1877. 



On June 9, 1877, I saw a large school of herrings in Uualaska Harbor, and ou the 10th of the 

 same month and yenr they were noted for the first time that season at Saint Michaels, in Norton 



