[9] FISHEEIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 395 



The greatest fish wealth of Alaska, so far as the shore fisheries are 

 concerned, lies iu the abundance of salmon of the genus Oncorhynclius, 

 which is represented by five species — chouicha, Tteta, Msutch, nerka, and 

 gorbuscha. The first three of these are the largest, the whole series be- 

 ing named in the order of their size. 0. chouicha is the giant of the 

 group, and is the most important commercially ; it attains to its great- 

 est size in the large rivers, which it ascends long distances in its spawn- 

 ing season. In Alaska it is known to extend as far north as Bering 

 Strait, and it is especially abundant in Cook's Inlet and in the Yukon. 

 Individuals weighing nearly 100 pounds are occasionally reported from 

 these waters, and even in the Columbia. The finest product of this 

 salmon is the salted bellies, which are prepared principally on the Kenai, 

 Kassilov, and Yukon Eivers ; the fame of this luxury once extended to 

 the center of Government in Eussia. The well-known u quinnat salmon " 

 is the same species 5 its importance, as evidenced by the efforts of the 

 United States Fish Commission and other commissions towards its 

 propagation and distribution, is too well understood to require additional 

 mention. The great bulk of the salted salmon exported from Alaska 

 are the small " red .fish," 0. nerlca; and this species is sought after 

 simply on account of the beautiful color of the flesh and not for its in- 

 trinsic value, which is far below that of most of the other species. All 

 the salmon extend northward to Bering Strait, but only one, gorbuscha, 

 is reported as occurring north of the Arctic Circle ; gorbuscha is said by 

 trustworthy parties to reach the Colville Biver. In the early part of 

 its run the flesh of this little " humpback " seems to me to be particu- 

 larly good. Other members of the family of 8almonida3, and very im- 

 portant ones, are the species of Salmo (purpuratus and gairdneri) and 

 Salvelimis malma, two of which reach a large size in Alaska. The first 

 two are not known to exist much to the northward of Unalashka, 

 while malma is believed to extend to the Cohille. 8. gairdneri re- 

 sembles the Atlantic salmon in size and shape, but its habits are differ- 

 ent ; it is found filled with mature eggs in June. I have not seen any 

 very large examples of 8. purpuratus from the Territory, but the species 

 is extremely abundant and valuable for food. The red-spotted char, 8. 

 malma, is everywhere plentiful and is highly esteemed as a food -fish; it 

 grows much larger in Northern Alaska than in California, and has some 

 commercial value as an export in its sea- run condition under the name 

 of " salmon trout." Natives of Alaska make water-proof clothing from 

 the skins of this fish. 



The total amount of salmon exported in 1880 from the fisheries on 

 the Kenai, Kassilov, and Karluk Eivers is reported to have been 

 2,089 barrels, estimated to contain the products of 1,982,000 pounds 

 of fish in the fresh state. The exports of 1882 are shown in a table 

 prepared by Mr. Win, J. Fisher, tidal observer for the United States 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey at Kodiak. Mr. Fisher confirms what I 

 have said elsewhere about the good qualities of the gorbuscha sal- 



