SALMON FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 37 



This species, according to Mr. Charles Hirsch, arrives at Karluk in August in 

 small numbers. I saw a moderately large number of Steel-heads at Karluk on Sep- 

 tember 4, but their abundance was nothing in comparison with that of other species. 

 It is seldom used at Karluk. I saw a few small individuals in process of drying there. 



The spawning habits of the Steel-head are scarcely known. At Sitka we were 

 told that it spawns in lakes not far from the sea and immediately after spawning goes 

 into the salt water. 



Another large black spotted species is Clark's trout (Salmo purpuratus, Plate 

 IV, fig. 11). This occurs in southern Alaska and north to the Bristol Bay region ; it 

 grows to a length of 30 inches, and must soon become commercially valuable. 



The Dolly Varden Trout (Salvelinus malma.) 

 (Plate in. fig. 8.) 



This handsome species bears a very close resemblance to the sea trout of Labrador. 

 It is known to commerceunder the nameof Salmon Trout. In some parts of the West 

 it is called the Bull Trout. The ttussian name of the species is Goletz, and in Kamt- 

 chatka it is the malma. 



The average weight of this trout in the sea fishery at Kadiak is about 2£ pounds. 

 It reaches a length of 30 inches, and individuals weighing 8 pounds are often taken. 

 It increases in size to the northward. 



The Dolly Varden is a migratory species and passes much of its time in the sea 

 near the river mouths ; it enters the rivers late in the fall and descends in the spring. 

 At St. Paul Mr. Washburn informed me that it arrives at that place in April. It 

 remains in the bay near St. Paul throughout the summer. Mr. Charles Hirsch told 

 me that it reaches Karluk in the latter part of May and runs through the whole 

 season. Dolly Vardens of a pound or more can be found in the streams at any time 

 during the summer. We saw them in abundance throughout the Karluk in August, 

 and in the small streams tributary to Karluk Lake. Kelson found them at Unalashka 

 early in June, and in the Yukon in the same month, but he says they are most 

 numerous in the fall just before and after the streams freeze over. They enter the 

 rivers and go up to their headwaters for the purpose of spawning. The spawning 

 season is in winter and may begin very early in this pari of the year. A female, opened 

 on the beach at Karluk August 2, contained eggs which seemed to be nearly ripe. 



Individuals taken at sea sometimes have capelin in their stomachs. In Karluk 

 Biver, near its mouth, we saw many examples feeding on eggs of the Red Salmon, which 

 had been thrown into the water from the fish-cleaning houses. On the 5th of August 

 we found a female Dolly Varden with very small ovaries. This example was long and 

 slender. On August 16 a spent or sterile malma was found above the rapids in a little 

 stream tributary to Karluk River. At the head of Karluk Lake, August 19, was 

 discovered a very much emaciated trout of this species, which was struggling in the 

 water and nearly dead. The inside of its mouth was full of large lernaean para- 

 sites. 



The Dolly Varden spends the entire summer in salt water near the mouths of the 

 rivers after it has reached a certain age ; younger individuals remain in the rivers and 

 lakes. Many thousands of this trout are caught in the seines hauled for salmon, and 



