CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. US 



these Sharks with harpoons. After being struck ami tired out the fish is dispatched with a lauce, 

 driven through the heart. The livers are taken out and the oil allowed to drain from them and used 

 as food, and is considered quite a prize by those people. The season for the arrival of that Shark at 

 Karluk is from the 18th of July to the 25th. and it remains only a few days. I saw the bodies of over 

 a dozen individuals from which the livers had been taken. The liver is very large and will yield a 

 considerable quantity of oil. 



At Atkha Island I saw a large Shark swimming, with its black fin out of water, in Kazan Bay, 

 in the latter part of June, 1879. I fired several shots into it, but failed to get it. This species was 

 doubtless different from the one seen at Karluk, and totally distinct from the one at the head of 

 this article. Unfortunately I had not the meansof preserving largefish, so had, in several instances, 

 to let desirable fishes be passed by. 



Octopus ptjnctatus Gabb. 



This creature is distributed in great abundance throughout the southern and eastern part of the 

 coast line. It is not plentiful north of the Aleutian Islands, but among them is extremely plenti- 

 ful. The natives assert that it was common in Unalashka previous to 1867, but an earthquake 

 caused them to leave the neighborhood of Iliuliuk village. Of late years they are beginning to 

 reappear. At this place they do not attain a very great size, seldom over three to five feet in expanse 

 of arms. At the islands west of the islands of the Four Craters this species is found in great num- 

 bers, and in some localities attains a great size, some individuals being over 10 feet in expanse 

 of outstretched arms. At Kiska Island the largest individuals occur, though but little larger than 

 those of Attu. 



They frequent the shallower parts of the flat-topped reefs of rocks and rocky shoals at the 

 entrances to harbors and between islets. 



They are generally drawn up in a crevice of the rock, awaiting an unlucky fish to pass within 

 reach, when the arms are thrown out with lightning-like rapidity, and seizing the victim it is 

 slowly drawn toward the body and devoured. The animal then remains very sluggish for some 

 time. The natives also find them where the receding tide has left them in a crevice of the rocks. 

 The animal is said at this time to be easily frightened and will run over the beach to the water 

 with astonishing rapidity. The natives catch them with a hooked gaff, which is carefully placed 

 under the animal when it is discovered in the shallow water. By a quick jerk the animal is with- 

 drawn before the disks have an opportunity to grasp the surfaca of the rocks. The flesh is used 

 as food, either in a raw condition or boiled. It is considered very fine eating. When going out on 

 a fishing party the people are generally successful if a "Rak" (Russian name) is secured for bait. 

 Fish of all kinds, which will bite at the hook, eagerly seize this food. Again, the fisherman often pulls 

 up a fish and to it is attached an Octopus which has seized it as it was dragged near its retreat. 

 It oftentimes seizes the bait of the fisherman and is brought to the surface. It is very difficult to 

 manage a large individual, as the arms are pulling and thrashing in every direction. The native en- 

 deavors to seize the animal just behind the head, where a slight squeeze will instantly kill it. The 

 women are very expert in this, and will frequently kill those of such size that the men will hesi- 

 tate to struggle with. 



The gall of this animal is dried and used as an article of paint for canoe-paddles, and orna- 

 mental stripes on their garments. The gall is of an india-ink color; has a lustrous fracture, and 

 is prepared as a pigment by pounding, or grinding, it on a flat stone with a little water. It is applied 

 with the hand and well rubbed in. After an hour or so the painted surface is carefully oiled with 

 seal or other animal oil, and held over a fire to allow it to be absorbed. It then turns a dark slaty 

 black, and is extremely durable. 



This animal is so abundant that it could be made available as a supply of bait to be used in 

 catching cod and other fish. 

 S. Mis. 155 15 



