FOREST AND STREAM 



67 



Htoauill an i.e., sny once iu hvn weeks, nil work is SUB 

 pemb-d for the lima being, With the arrival of the Indiana 

 .'nini ihi-.ir summer hiinfthcre will be mare activity and 

 'I 'inii- will pasa more pleasantly;' however, we do 

 nrtl complain, but enjoy otij'eolvcs to the best of our ahiiity. 



A I! K.' 



>■'>■' iHk.mp, M. T., JkfgWtW, 18"74. 

 ■»•*. 



THE ICTHYC FAUNA OF THE NORTH- 

 WEST COAST. 



Till' I KeslT WATER SE&CTJ3S. (>*' .u.vsl.l. 



IX previou.- communications I referred to the principal 

 .- 1 u-i-ii-r-. i/t fl»li frequenting the waters of Oregon, Wash- 

 ington Territory and Northern California; so this one i.s to 

 prQsenl a list ol those inliabilinrgthe waters of British GoJ- 

 utubia and Alaska; yet it mu-i be understood that several 

 ol them In-lone- also to the more .southern clime, espeeially 

 the -almon, cod, halilmi, while-lisli, eulaehou and others. 

 As dull lhal are useless to man are interesting only to scien- 

 tist;?, 1 shall eireimiserihe I his article to those possessing 



economic -.mil eomiiierc.ial value. Al Iho head stands the 

 salmon, and that, like its southern congerers, is found from 

 Bullring Straits to the most southerly point of Vancouver's 

 Island! In the spawning season the straits,. bays, sounds 

 and inlets of xhe coast are thronged with it. It's presence 

 can he readily detected by the commotion in the water, the 

 number o'.' seals encountered in all out-of-the-way spots, 

 and in many instances by the thousands of salmon' leaping 

 out ftf tljfeir element, in ecstatic joy as it were. After 

 reaching the spawning grounds myriads die from exhaus- 

 tion, for in several cases they Iravel over one thousand 

 miles from the sea to accomplish their blind instinct, From 

 the first of .lime to the middle of August the Stikinc and 

 Yukon Rivers are fairly alive with the countless numbers 

 hastening to the headwaters, among the mountain gorges. 

 If not too far from the sea they make excellent material for 



shipping abroad,; but the business is almost entirely in ihe 

 hands of the Indians, and as they have but 11 1 1 It- knowledge 

 "t commerce, the natural result is, that an industry which 

 should employ thousands of men and be worth millions of 

 dollars, remains undeveloped. The Alouis, and other 

 littoral tribes live almost entirely on this fish, and they 

 must consume at least from five to teu millions per annum". 

 Excluding the large quantify which they destroy, or allow 

 to go to waste, and the preceding figure! alone-will give a 

 general idea of the abundance of ihe salmon. The Rus- 

 sians catch a few thousand barrels, which they ship to 

 China and the Sandwich Islands, lealizing [rant ten to flf- 

 lecn dollars per barrel for them. As the cost of transpor- 

 tation, barrels and catching does not exceed, al the Utmost, 

 over five or six dollars per' barrel, il is evident that the in- 

 dustry can be made a financial success if prosecuted with 

 vigor and discrimination. The first salmon to visit Alaska 

 is the chief or king salmon, the onctorhyiwhttii net, „,',/•'/,- of 

 Pallas, which occupies the same position north that the 

 WW quiivridl does iu Oregan; in fact I presume that with 

 the exception of size and a few minor differences, both 

 belong to the same species. The former is said to often 

 reach a weight of Oil*, hundred pounds, its average being 

 from twenty to sixty pounds. The Tiuueh tribes o| the 

 Yukon River, to whom it is known as K—buek, say thai it 

 commences running about the first of June and continues 

 for six weeks, its average daily journey amidst the strong 

 current being about thirty miles per diem, though it is 

 often less. The more northern the grounds of this species, 

 the better its flavor, and the dearer its market price; in' 

 fact you must ask for the licit Yufailee if you desire to test 

 the delicacy of the Alaskan's favorite fish. 



When under Russian rule the Governor had several hun- 

 dred barrels caught specially for the table of the Czar and 

 forwarded to him as an annual present. Two other species 

 are also found in these waters, the 0. lugoeepluibis and 0, 

 proteus, of Pallas, and the noot-ghig-lioo and noog-log-vh, re- 

 spectively, of the Yukons or Tinnehs. These are allied to 

 Hie salmh protei/.t and ,S. paticirkns, or cvnjluentim of the 

 more southern region. Like them they are deemed inferior 

 to the preceding both iu flesh and size, as their average 

 weight ranges only between ten and forty pounds. Large 

 numbers arc caught by the Indians in weirs and seines 

 made of vegetable fibre, and are dried Tor winter use. The 

 salmou or mountain trout, {mlmo alpimm — Linn,) i.s very 

 abundant in the northern portion of Alaska, and is appar- 

 ently a constant resident, as it is found in the streams at 

 all seasons. It has a beautiful silvery lustre, mingled with 

 purple, olive and scarlet; its flesh is 'very delicate, mid its 

 weight ranges from seven to fifteen pounds. This is the 

 mhiw spertnlrili* of Oregon and Washington Territory, ami 

 like thai h furnishes excellent fly-fishing. The 0. Mngtiin- 

 mntUii, or red lish, the 0. h/amhu, or dog salmon, and the 

 xnlmo purpumtUQ or black salmon, of Pallas, arrive iu the 

 rivers between August and October, and run for a month 

 or more. They are not caught so extensively as their con- 

 geners, their flesh not being deemed very palatable. Their 

 English names they derive from looks and the color of their 



llesli; so the reader cs 



n find among the soutl 



ern varieties, 



previously mentioned 

 A sucker found her 



the prototypes of thest 

 e, which is'ealled cr.tdv 



species. 



1 by the Rus- 



sians, (catOdtcimu) (ere* 

 em habitat, quite la 

 pounds. A species 

 Tinnehs, frequents lb 

 caught in large numb 



ree, averaging from I 

 n the cottida : , called 

 e shallow streams and 

 jrs by the aborigines wl 



for its norlh- 

 our to seven 

 miduk bv the 

 ponds, a ,:1 is 

 o scoop them 



out with their hands, paddles and grass baskets. The flesh 

 is insipid bul sweet, and for this flavor a feu tribes like it. 

 If one were to give it an English cognomen he would be 

 a fit to cail it a blank bullhead or sculpin. A small dace, 

 also found with this, biles readily at a bailed hook. The 

 pike, (e*M' e*tni\) is very abundant in the ponds and lakes 

 of the almost arctic regions of Alaska. Il resembles its 

 eastern congent-r, is of little use as an article of food or 

 spoct; and ii is, therefore, lots 

 comparatively limited numbers 

 purpose of feeding the sledge dog 

 or lush, (iolii iiui'-it'liitii.) swarms in 

 being quite edible, and weighi 

 pounds, it forms quite an exic 



when broiled, it is quite delicate, the flesh being hard and 

 compact. The liver is considered the best portion, as il is 

 permeated by a sweet, rich oil, which is often extracted 

 for the purposes of the mitine. The skin, which is trans- 

 lucent when prepared, is used quite frequently for window 

 glass. The male, which is smaller than the female, often 

 carries two gall bladders, while the female has but one. 

 The latter wilt compare with any of her order in fecundity, 



relv alone 



except the 



ght in se 



ties for the 



The burin 



a, eel pout, 



- lakes ant 



rivers, and 



from thi 



•ty to fifty 



'e article i 



t food, for 



for she is full of roe iu the spawning season, from Uelobci 

 to January This she bears in two sacs near the vent, which 

 are connected by an opening with the cloaca, Though 

 slow in movement and ppp&rently dull, this species destroys 

 huge numbers ,,f white-fish, and others of less importance. 



rheg ■ Ing, (thymulm,) is very abundant so offers excel- 

 lent advantages to sportsmen who care moti fi rtbl pi - I n 

 of catching it than the pleasures of the palate, for, in my 

 estimation, its gastronotnit qualities are rather limited, it 



comes in very well when better fish cflnnOt be procured, 

 but for itself It is a sort of cross between an tflbmnxtii Ihe 

 tinpoi id Puget Sound. It is a beauty, however, iu looks, 

 and will compare with any in the western wafers, except 

 the sapphire perch, and' it excels this iu gorgOOusneas of 

 fins. It has a broad tail with a darkish ground streaked 

 with a purplish crimson; Hie abdominal region has a dull 

 yellowish, rather bright coppery lustre; "sides a dark 

 pinkish yellow. The dorsal liu is its most, conspicu- 

 ous ornament, being very long and of a grayish color, spot- 

 ted with bright crimson." The abdominal tins are streaked 

 with four lateral lines of light pink, which add much 

 delicacy to the colors above. Of the white-fish, there arc 

 several' varieties or species, khe larger portion being allied 

 to ihe southern prototype-., the greater difference being in 

 their numbers. I Know of only two Species in Oregon, the 

 Gonsgonm Williamwm of the Des Chutes andother 'streams, 



and the homolrrpi'iiiiix TivwhrirfgO of the Columbia River. In 

 Alaska we have the nulatO— JkUlOtoiM of the Russians— a 

 small, bony and Comparatively useless fish; the mtffikoi, of 

 white-fish of the Russians.ht highly edible variety, which 

 weighs between two and lour pounds,, and has firm, suc- 

 culent flesh. It is readily recognized by its small head and 

 fins. Tho hump-backed species, the eortlbtUi of the Rua- 

 sians aud Ko-luk-oh of the Yukous, is quite abundant but 

 bony and insipid, the corcgonux numia, or round fish— the 

 Russian I'rug, and Yukon by titer) — with its long, subfusi- 

 fortn body aud lean muzzle, is a denizen of several stream,, 

 and is often caught for food; the c«regoHitsm.ul.-*>r,i, or broad 

 while-fish, the li.-l-ili-ynh of the Yukons, with its largo 

 scales, broad body, short head and weighi of thirty pounds, 

 is readily distinguished from the others, aud as it is excel- 

 lent for 'the table, large numbers ate caught at all seasons 

 by Ihe Indians. The largest of this genus is the great 

 white-fish, [IwininttUt Icm-ict/iys,) which excels its congeners 

 not only in BlZB but flavor. It is very abundant in the 

 Stikinc'and Yukon Rivers— and is found in all the streams 

 throughout the year. It measures between two and four 

 feet in length, and its weight ranges from twenty to forty 

 or fifty pounds. It is full of eggs from October to the first 



Of January, so is in the best condition from May to August. 

 It has a line outline, being slender and long; and its color 

 is bright . silvery above, somewhat darker beneath. Des- 

 pite the abundance of I his lish and its excellent edible 

 qualities, it is .not used as an article of commerce. It cer- 

 tainly seems plausible to suppose that its size and numerical 

 strength would render its capture and exportation a suc- 

 cessful enterprise if the limited fishing grounds of l,ako 

 Superior can be worked with profit. 



The profusion of salmon and white lish iu Alaska should 

 make that region the supply depot of (he world, for they 

 are certainly abundant enough to feed the peoples who use 

 fish as a portion of their diet. All required to prosecute 

 the business is a comparatively small capital, and whoever 

 is first in the field has the best chance, for ere long this 

 great wealth will be utilized by those whose means will be 

 ample enough to enable them to monopolize the largest 

 share. 



The species enumerated, and the brook trout, (&, fUIlafm), 

 are the only fishes frequenting the fresh waters of Alaska 

 that have much interest for mankind in general. In my 

 next, letter I shall glance at the marine species, their com- 

 mercial value and geographical distribution. 



Mortimer Kerry. 



* 



For Forest and Stream. 

 HAND TO HAND WITH A PANTHER. 



IN the extreme northern end of Albany township, Berks 

 county, on the Blue Mountains, a struggle between a 

 man and "a. panther took place on Wednesday evening, 

 which was indeed a desperate battle. I herewith present 

 an account which I have secured, and believe to be. true iu 

 all respects. People travelling over the mountains iu tho 

 night have reported that a sir 

 and occasionally deep growls 

 little credence was placed ii 

 sheep, aud litters of pigs my 

 some of the farmers in the vk 

 what caused their disappeara 

 vealed. Reports of this anin 

 tains came to the ears of Mr. 



trapper, who, it is said, had passed forty years of his lift 

 on the mountains, lie made several attempts to hunt tin 

 animal, which proved to be unsuccessful. A small huut 

 ing party was thought to be a. necessity to procure the ani- 

 mal, and was instantly organized. The party consisted ol 

 two Englishmen, also old mountaineers, and .Air. Pfiegor. 

 who left for the mountains at two o'clock, each one goinc 

 in a different direction, and having agreed to meet at tin 

 "big tree"— a memorable tree on this mountain — about fiv 

 miles from their starting t>lac 

 at the tree within half 



luo-e 



animal 



had bi 



ei 



se 



m, 



and 



groans 



heard, 



bt 



t V( 



'■y 



the? 



e state 



menls. 



t 



alv 



--s, 



torio 



isly di 



sappear 



■d 



fr 



1D1 



inity, 



and m 



ue Ihe 



e 



kn 





ice; but this 



fact is 



n 



)W 



re- 



al be 



me sei 



n on tl 





no 



in- 



Pttep 



er, an 



old bin 



tr 





ml 



Two 



oth e 



;f ths party arrived 

 h other, but not so 

 ii, one of the Englishmen, 

 f An sou, and the sun bad 

 1 the forest and woods were 

 rn of dusk. 



ent of Anson that he was 



uliouslv through a deep and 



[g from 



ither 



up 



Mr. Tl 



as seen or heard 

 gone down behind the hills, 

 becoming gloomy with the n 

 It appears from the Stat 

 wending his way slowly and 

 tangled ravine, and when about one bund 

 Ihe point of meeting he concluded to pa 

 raviue, which was overhung with a dense growth of shrubs 

 and undergrowth. When directly under a small crag, ami 

 walking along with his head bent towards the ground, 

 peeping amongst other crags under a low vine, with his 

 body doubled,. he suddenly beard a crash overhead, and 

 the next second he felt the ohvWS of the animal sink iuio 

 his neck. This was accompanied with tierce growls, an. I 

 quick work was before him; but in another moment all 

 was action, aud by a dexterous movement Anson swung 

 around his hands and seized the. animal in his vise-like grip 

 by the neck, and staggered had-, towards the clearing, when 

 the creature shook oil the hunter's grasp and made an at- 

 tempt to bite him again in the neck. The poor man Anson 

 thought of his knife in his belt aud grasped it, and with a 

 terrible velocity swung it around aud buried it deep into 

 the side of the animal. The btuto gavo a long low howl 



ii-om the effects of the pain, and amidst the excitement 

 man and beast rolled oyer together on the ground, and m 

 doing this Anson received three biles on the shoulders. 

 Mow were moments of terrible suspense. The growls ol 

 the animal attracted the attention of the remaining two of 

 the parly, who came running towards the spot at a terri- 

 ble speed through the brushes aud undergrowth, where 

 man aud beast were still fcussrihg on the ground for dear 

 life. Anson once more plunged ids knife into the animal's 

 body, and in a few miuutcs more it rolled over jfl its own 

 '"I I and died. 



The bun I crs examined the monster, and think it to 

 be a panther, or catamount, ol the mammoth speeies 

 Thoweigllt was 14ft pounds, length I fret ,u inches, not 

 counting the length of the tail,' which was over two 

 feet, Ihe height ■> feet S inches, and the animal powerfully 

 built and knit. The color was a deep brownish black oil 

 the back, and a shade lighter on Ihe belly and portions of 

 its legs, fts led Ii were long and sharp, aud the age of the 

 brute was thought to be about seven or eight years. Tie- 

 fail at the end' was very bushy. In triumph was the 

 prize which had caused so niueii labot and pain carried 

 home by the party, skinned, and the hide will now he 

 tanned. Mr. Anson, whose injuries are very painful, took 

 it home with him, and will preserve it, as he well can, as a 

 relic, of his battle with an uuknown animal on the Blue 

 Mountains. The report of this capture and tight created 

 great excitement and rejoicing in i In - county, and all con- 

 gratulated the. bold hunter and trapper with his miraculous 

 escape from death, ii is still unknown where the animal 

 came from. Catamounts of the smaller species abound on 

 these uiouutaius, but this is om- of the largest animals 

 killed on then,. O. f). 8. 



l/n:.i',i'rg, Lkda Miuitg, Pcii/i., Auffust tOtft, 187-1. 



FORT COLLINS AND COLORADO. 



Our valuer! correspodenl, YViu. O. Collins contributes 

 the following to the Highland (Cftl.) JNhtoQ, in reference i,, 

 a region full of allractions to our sportsmen; — 



"In your paper of July23d, iu a notice of Fort Collins, 

 Colorado Territory, you say, "we believe Port Collins was 

 named in memory of l.t. Caspar Collins, the lamented 

 son of our townsman, Col, Win, O. Collius," d;c. 



Permit mo to say, that "Fort Caspar" is ihe post named 

 after my son. It i's situated on the Korth Platte River, in 

 Wyoming territory, about 140 miles west of Fort Laramie. 

 It had been previously known as Platte Bridge, but in 

 1S65, after the death of Lt. Collins, who was killed in the 

 vicinity while leading a, desperate Charge against a large 

 body rif Indians, the name was changed to Fort Caspar, 

 which it still bears. 



Fort -CollinS- iS situated in Colorado territory, on Cache 

 le Poudre River, a tributary of the South Platte, more than 

 300 miles from Port Caspar, aud my name, was given to it 

 by the Commanding General, when first laid out in 1802. 



The location proving unsuitable, 1 was ordered in 1864 

 to select another site, and did so, some four or five miles 

 distant, laying out a four-company post, wtih a reserva- 

 tion four miles -ipiare, which was approved by the War 

 Department Lilt) previous name being retained. 



Knowing its location and surrounding, 1 am not surprised 

 that, when no longer needed as a military post, and ihe 

 country around il was surveyed and brought i .to market, 

 it SUOUld be selected as a fit place for a future city, auu 

 make the rapid progress it seems to have done. The resei - 

 vafioit aud its vicinity possess singular advantages for a 

 permanent town and community. The foot i.s on a beauti- 

 ful promontory, projecting towards and overlooking the 

 broad and fertile valley of the river, along which the reser- 

 vation fronts foi four miles. 



^ It is at the tool of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, near 

 the same mineral region geologically as that which lies 

 directly west of the plains at Denver, and extends into 

 New Mexico. This mountain country, occupying the 

 west half of Oolorada, and drained by the tributaries of 

 the South Platte and Arkansas r'uers on the east, and those 

 Of the Colorado and Urceu rivers on the west, in its extent 

 and sreat and regular elevations, may bo claimed to be the 

 centre of the Rocky Mountains, lis mineral wealth is 

 boundless, aud will not be fully explored or possessed for 

 centuries. 



Cache ie Poudre River is a clear, swut, never-falling 

 stream, abounding in trout and other fish; the soil in its 

 valley and the adjacent plains is good and easily irriga- 

 ted: 'indeed there is probably no body of land in Eastern 

 Colorado equal to it in these respects. Coal and timber 

 are near aud abundant, and taking all things into consider- 

 ation, I do not know any place in Colorado more inviting 

 for a permanent home. 



Fort Collins has been selected as the site for the State 

 Agricultural College, and the country about it is rapidly 

 settling. As a business centre, Denver is and will continue 

 Pi Ije the metropolis of Colorado. Its early settlement, 

 central location and the enterprise of its citizens, have se 



cured a general control of the commercial and mi 



terc-sts of the territory, but 1 see no reason why Fort Col 

 litis should not stand in the next rank of towns now spring 

 inn- up here. Many of my former comrades and acquaint-. 

 aiiees have located* there, and from a personal knowledge 

 of a vast extent of the central Rocky .Mountain country, 

 I think they have chosen wisely, aud I can honestly advise 

 any of mv frinds who intend to visit the New West to take 

 il look al "the Cache le Poudre valley. 



\\m. 0. Coi.T.rxs. 



mUxboro. July 88, 1874 



—Quite an interesting pamphlet, written by Mr. Frcdel, 

 has been read before the French Actdemie de Medicine, iu i e 

 rr;ud to the bile.-, of the viper. One fact mentioned is the 

 method used bv the Hindoos, which method of treatment 

 has come somewhat into vogue to prevent hydrophobia in 

 India When a native is bitten by a snake, his companions 

 lake .-licks and drive the sufferer about for hours, making 

 him move along briskly by means ol blows. Mr. Labou- 

 lente. who presented I lie work to the. notice of the academy, 

 slated lliat at the dunlin des Fiunte*, when the attaches we've 

 bitten by snakes, lliey were dosed with brandy and forced 

 io lake the most violent exercise, and with "good results. 

 This treatment has a good deal of sound reason about it. 



+++■ 



-.leremiah Comfort is the successful propagator of mini 

 berless line bruok trout, at Honey Valley, Montgomery 

 county, Pennsylvania. Comfort always attend,- ill 



