108 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 



The tlesli of this species is not good. It is coarse and without a decided flavor. The color of 

 the fresh flesh is light-reddish orange, the mature ova being still lighter. The exterior color of 

 this fish is considerably lighter than 0. choui'cha, but of the sauie pattern. 



The Russian name of this species is Hoiko. The Eskimo name at Saint Michael's is Nuk kuk. 



101. Onohorhtnohus nerka (Walb.) Gill and Jordan. 



This species arrives at Saint Michael's about the last days of July and remains until the first 

 week in September. These fish prefer the smaller streams of the mainland and islands. They are 

 caught in great numbers by means of seines. These seines are usually set across the stream, and 

 when a sufficient number is caught below, the seine is drawn on shore and the fish thrown out of 

 the seine as fast as the number of the fish will permit it. Hundreds at a time are caught by this 

 means. The Eskimo also use a small dip-net and secure many of these fish by inserting it under 

 the shelving banks, or between the rocky places, where they inay have stopped to rest. Among the 

 Aleutian Islands the small mountain streams, which form the outlet of a lake situated at the head 

 of large ravines, are favorite places for these fish to ascend for spawning. The spawn is said to be 

 placed among the fine gravel at the bottom of the deepest portions of the lakes. The fish ascend 

 these streams at the high tides which occur toward the early morning, usually from 1 to 5 a. m. 

 They play around the mouths of the streams for many days before entering. They enter slowly at 

 first. In the course of a few days a sufficient number have arrived at the spawning places. They 

 swim round and round the lake, seeking the best locality, and on the arrival of the greater part of 

 the fish that will enter that place the fish begin to clear the mud, slime, and mossy accumulations 

 off the pebbles which are at the place selected by them. The fish work industriously, turning over 

 the gravel with their snouts, until a clean surface is presented on which to place their spawn. I had 

 an opportunity to verify this at Attu Island in the latter part of August, 1880. The fish were ob- 

 served shooting through the water of a lake near the village; and, on inquiry, I was informed that 

 they were clearing their spawning-grounds. While clearing the area they root around among the 

 gravel and mud, and when a sufficient space is upturned they swim rapidly over it, the motion of 

 their body creating a current, which removes the loosely adherent particles of slime and mud which 

 have settled on them, the result of the accumulations which have been washed down during the 

 winter and spring months. The spawn is then deposited on the clean surface. The young fry 

 do not leave the lakes until the following spring, or just before the adults arrive the following year. 



About the 1st of May the Aleuts of Attu Island prepare the weir (zapor of the Russians) 

 which obstructs the passage of the fish to the lake. A level place in the bed of the creek is selected 

 where the banks are so high that in times of very high water it will flow over the top of the weir 

 before it will undermine the place where the upper log of the weir is secured in the bank. Each 

 head of a family and the young men contribute so much material in the shape of stakes of the 

 requisite length, generally about 9 feet long and 3 inches in width by 2 inches in thickness. 

 A long log is laid across the stream at a convenient height (about 5 feet above the bed of the 

 stream). The stakes are then set slanting, with the lower end further up-stream. Large rocks are 

 used to hold the stakes in position and to allow the water from above to pass through. After this 

 is done the bed of the creek below the weir is cleared of all loose stones, so as to allow the net or 

 hand-seine to be used in catching the fish, which collect below and cannot pass beyond. 



Early in the morning the people visit the locality ; and, if sufficient fish have collected during 

 the night, all the people at the place assemble, and those most expert in using the seine staud 

 some distance below the weir. The young boys and girls have gone into the water some distance 

 below, and with shouts and beating the water the fish seek the shelter near the weir. Those hold- 

 ing the seine then enter and soon have all the fish secured. They are thrown on the bank and 

 cleaned. The fish are owned in common; any one who desires to work can do so, those not so de- 

 siring will of course be remembered, in the winter, when the fish are to be distributed. After the 

 fish are dried they are carried on the backs of the women and children to the principal village and 

 stored, in October, in sea-lion stomachs for winter's food. The stomachs of these animals are very 

 large, and when fresh are inflated with air and stretched as much as possible, sometimes having a 

 capacity of over 35 gallons, or a little more than a barrel. These skins make a convenient recep- 

 tacle for storing these fish, as they absorb just sufficient moisture to keep the contents in good con? 



