CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 103 



hatched the fry are washed back into the sea by the waves. The natives assert that these fish 

 deposit their spawn only in the places against which the waves will wash when the fish-fry are 

 ready to be hatched. 



The natives prepare great quantities of these fish by drying them in the air. They are not 

 cleaned ; a blade of strong grass is twisted between the gills and neck, which makes a rope of fish. 

 These ropes will sometimes be many yards in length. 



At Attu these fish are said to be very abundant every third year. This was also stated to be 

 a fact at Atkha. One thing is certain that they were very plentiful at Atkha in 1879, and not in 

 1880 or '81, and that they were not at Attu in 1880, and were reported to have been abundant in 

 1878. 



The Gulls, Terns, Sea-lions, Killer- whales and Hair-seals have a great liking for these little 

 fish. Thousands of Gulls and Terns were hovering over the schools of these fish at Atkha in 1879. 



At Unalashka Island these fish are said to be common at times, but I could get no definite in- 

 formation concerning them. The Russian-speaking people call them U K6' rush Ice." 



I know of no fish which has a sweeter taste than this species. When fried to a rich brown color 

 they are excellent. The head is all that is necessary to be removed, as the entrails contain nothing. 



86. Hypomesus olidus (Pall.) Gill. 

 This little fish abounds at Saint Michael's as soon as the shore ice is lifted sufficiently to allow 

 them to pass under and through the little streams which, the rapidly-melting snow filling up the 

 fresh water ponds and lakes, have made their way through the sands to the sea. These fish ascend 

 to the lakes by these small streams. So many are hurried onward by the necessity of soon casting 

 their spawn in the lakes that they choke up the streams which lead into them. The ponds are fre- 

 qutly very near the sea-level, and only separated from the sea by the barrier of sand thrown up by the 

 surf, and at extreme high tides and waves are brackish. Into these, great quantities of drift wood is 

 thrown. These ponds seem to be preferred by these fishes. Iu one large pond, of nearly half an 

 acre in extent, a few miles from Saint Michael's, these fish were found in incredible numbers. The 

 date was May 20, 1877, by which time they were in such numbers that the natives procured 

 thousands of them by thrusting a stick into the water aud throwing them out with it. A small 

 dip net was also used, which brought out two or three gallons at a time. When fried these fish 

 possess a sweetish taste, and are excellent eating. The natives at Saint Michael's dry these fish 

 on strings of grass. I did not have time to investigate their spawning habits. 



COREGONIDJE. 



75 (of Appendix). Stenoptjs mackenzii Richardson. (See Fig. XII.) 

 This large Whitefish occurs plentifully throughout the Yukon River and tributaries. It attains 

 a great size, weighing sixty pouuds, and reported to be of greater weight, aud is a valuable food 

 fish. Numbers are procured at the Yukon Delta iu the winter by cutting through the ice aud set- 

 ting wicker-traps for them. The natives bring quantities of these fish to Saint Michael's to sell. 

 When roasted the flesh is excellent. The specimens seen by me were of such condition and size 

 that I could not preserve them. 



The Russian name of this species is Nelma. The Eskimo name is Che. This species is distin- 

 guishable by the preseuce of weak teeth, strongly projecting lower jaw, pale plumbeous dorsum and 

 upper sides, becoming silvery white below. 



89. Ooregonus laureti\e Bean. 

 This species is quite small, rarely over fifteen inches in length. The dorsal and abdominal 

 outlines are but little curved; the head is small, lower jaw projecting but slightly. This fish in 

 the Yukon River is poor in quality of flesh and bony, it being there considered the poorest of all 

 the Whitefish. It is most abundant at Nulato, on the Yukon River. Dr. T. H. Bean, of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission, informs me that this species occurs plentifully in the neighborhood of Bering- 

 Strait and that the fish from that locality are excellent eating. It is a well-known fact throughout 



