Jan. 81, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



2 7 



Deer's Vitality.— Chicago, 111.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream.: The article in your issue of Jan. 17 on this topic 

 reminds me that 1 once shot a fawn (about eight months 

 old), cutting its belly open in such a way that its paunch 

 dropped out. It was running when I shot, and going to 

 the place where I last saw it I found blood on the snow 

 and took up the trail, Within a short distance of the 

 first blood stains I saw where something belonging to the 

 deer had been swinging back and forth at intervals, 

 leaving irregular marks on the snow, and, not knowing 

 the nature of the wound, I thought 1 had broken a leg. 

 But on further investigation I found that ail its feet were 

 beiiiK firmly planted in the snow at each jump. I was 

 puzzled until I reached a place where the deer had lain 

 down. Then I saw that a portion of its entrails were 

 hanging, and had left their imprint in its bed. It was in 

 a river bottom, thickly grown with underbrush, and, 

 though from this time on it lay down at the end of every 

 hundred yards or so, it invariably jumped before I could 

 get sight of it. and I followed it for, I think, fully a mile 

 before it gave me a chance for a second shot, and when I 

 killed it I found its paunch hanging out so that it touched 

 the ground every time the deer did. The wound itself 

 had bled but little, yet I was astonished that such an 

 animal could run so far with its hay basket flopping 

 hither and thither. Another mystery is that he did not 

 catch on some of the brush he was constantly dodging 

 through, and pull the whole business out of him.— G. O. 

 Shields. 



Deer Must be Plenty There.— Charleston, S. C, Jan. 

 23. — Editor Forest and Stream: I take the liberty of 

 quoting from a letter received this morning from a friend 

 from Flat Rock, N. C, who was here about ten days in a 

 Christmas and New Year's hunt. It is certainly inter- 

 esting and will give some idea to my northern friends of 

 what sport can be had here. "You will be sorry to have 

 ignored me when I tell you my luck. We him ted eight 

 days, killed fourteen deer, caught four foxes, and killed 

 a lot of ducks, woodcock and partridges. How is that 

 for high? The best of it is, out of the fourteen deer I 

 killed seven myself; stood on an old causeway, and seven 

 deer ran up to within 35yds. and stopped; I tore loose 

 both barrels with my old' No. 10, rammed in two more 

 cartridges and blazed away again, at which time four out 

 of the seven bit the dust then and there. "We jumped 

 twelve in that small drive and killed six, besides three 

 others that I killed a,t different times previous to this. I 

 never expect to have such luck again. Only regret that 

 you were not there to help me do some of the tall old 

 riding that I had to do." The above is the quotation from 

 my friend's letter. The spoi-t he had certainly is good, 

 but, I can assure you, I consider him the, best all-round 

 sportsman I have' ever met, We want some of your pil- 

 grims, who are seeking a genial clime and are lovers of 

 the dog and gun to wend their way to our "City by the 

 Sea," where a warm welcome and a good time awaits 

 them.— Milbank. 



Bullets.— St. Louis, Mo.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In reply to Mr. Theodore Roosevelt's cjueiy 

 in a recent issue of your valuable journal 

 regarding the Keene bullet, I use with great 

 success in my .15-90 "Winchester a bullet simi- 

 lar to that described by your correspondent 

 R. H. W.. in Forest and Stream, Dec. 13, the 

 only difference being that I fill the cross-cut 

 with tallow, which I think increases the ac- 

 curacy of the projectile, but does not interfere 

 in the least with its action. I also make the 

 cut slightly wider at the point than at the 

 base, thereby insuring the splitting of the bul- 

 let. I have brought a grizzly bear to friendly 

 terms with a single bullet of this kind, 

 and a grizzly is never friendly unless he 

 is stone dead. I inclose a rough sketch of 

 the bullet as used by me, which you are 

 at liberty to make use of if suitable. — Ex- 

 Cowboy*. 



Forest and Stream, Bos 3,833, N. Y. city, has descriptive illus- 

 trated circulars of W. B. Leffiuiwell's book, "Wild Fowl shoot- 

 ing," which will be mailed free on request. The pook is pro- 

 nounced by "Nanit," "Gloan," "Dick Swiveller," "Sybillene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise on the subject 

 extant. 



New York, Aug. 9, 1888.— r. S. Cartridge Co., Luwell, Mass.— 

 Gentlemen: Your new primers gave me the best of satisfaction. 

 I have averaged nearly 80 per cent, of kills both on live birds and 

 targets ever since I began lo use them. Yours truly, (Signed) M, 

 M. F. Lindsley, Supt. American Wood Powder Co., West Hobo- 

 ken, N. J— Aojv. 



"That reminds me." 



356. 



THERE were out hunting rabbits a few days ago, Jim 

 Shipman and George. They came to a pile of brush 

 and Geo. ascended the brush heap while Mr. Shipman 

 stood guard with his six-shot Winchester in hand; and 

 soon the rabbits commenced coming out about as fast as 

 Shipman could work the pump-gun ; and when the smoke 

 cleared away there lay on the ground five rabbits out of 

 six shots. The hunters passed on down the road and 

 soon saw a rabbit sitting in the hedge; and Shipman 

 says, "Here, George, take the gun and see if you can kill 

 it." "But,'' exclaims George, "what will I do after I hit it 

 with the first load? I do not wan' to tear it all to pieces, 

 and the gun will keep right on shooting." "Well," says 

 Shipman, "Just hold her up in the air and let her go." 

 "No," says he, "Take it; I won't shoot it, or I will throw 

 the gun down," and so he did and walked off. W. N. J. 

 Anchor, 111. ___„ 



257. 



Hurrah ! shrieked the cyclone, as it raged .through the 

 Dakota town and killed ' or destroyed everybody and 

 everything—all but one man who escaped in time by get- 

 ting down a well. But the cyclone whirled off to one 

 side and back again with the church steeple which it 

 most effectually rammed down after him, Moral : Where 

 there's a will there's a, way, E. E. T, 



FISH AND FISHING IN ALASKA.— I. 



THE writer has been occupied for several years in the 

 preparation of a report upon the fishes and fishing 

 grounds of Alaska, as a continuation and conclusion of 

 various preliminary papers published in the Proceedings 

 IT. S. National Museum, Volume IV.; Bulletin 27, Na- 

 tional Museum, and The Fishery Industries of the U. S., 

 Sections III. and V, 



The illustrations of all the species known in the Terri- 

 tory have cost a large outlay of time and money, but this 

 work of the U. S. Fish Commission is now almost com- 

 pleted. 



One cause of delay has been the entire lack, until last 

 summer, of deep-water exploration in Alaska. So far as 

 we are informed, the beam trawl was never used in those 

 waters until the Albatross begun her investigation of the 

 fishing grounds, and the only deep-sea species recorded 

 in the Alaskan catalogues are the two lancet-mouths, or 

 wolf fish, Alepidosaurus cescidapivs and borealis. It lias 

 been admitted that a report based upon the shore fishes, 

 which are the only ones we know at present, would need 

 extensive revision as soon as proper apparatus should be 

 employed in the search for new forms of deep-sea ani- 

 mals. Now that the Gulf of Alaska has been explored to 

 some extent and the collections will soon be available for 

 study, we will be able to add materially to our list of 

 fishes, and determine the elements of a, fauna hitherto 

 inaccessible to the student. 



At the present time we are acquainted with 135 species 

 of Alaskan fishes, 108 of which live in the sea and 27 

 permanently or temporarily in the fresh waters. Al- 

 though this may seem a small number wh9n we consider 

 that a greater list of species can be obtained at various 

 points on our east coast during the period of migration in 

 a single year, it should be noted that the proportion of 

 large and valuable food species is very great, and the 

 individuals of a species in most cases are excessively 

 numerous. The number of kinds of food and bait fishes, 

 omitting several that form an important part of the native 

 supply but are not usually classed with the edible fishes, 

 is 62. ' Of these 15 are permanent residents of the fresh 

 waters, 8 ascend from the sea to their spawning grounds 

 in streams and lakes, and the rest are marine. 



Among the fresh-water fishes Alaska has, in common 

 with the temperate regions of the United States, the bur- 

 bot, the pike, the lake trout and the long-nosed sucker. 

 These are all abundant and grow to a luxuriant size. 

 The burbot is said by reliable observers to reach a length 

 of 5ft, and a weight of 601bs. The pike develops great 

 size and fine colors, and has a wide range. Dr. Dawson 

 had one measuring 39in. The lake trout is darker and 

 more shapely than the same species from the Great Lakes, 

 its coloration not being exactly matched in the eastern 

 region. The long-nosed sucker is larger in Alaska than 

 in the United States, and is a well marked race distin- 

 guished by the length of its snout and some other char- 

 acters. 



In the sea we recognize old acquaintances in the hali- 

 but, the cod and polar cod, the capelin, the spined dog- 

 fish and the sleeper shark. Unlike the fishing grounds 

 of the Atlantic, which have receded further and further 

 away from the shore and into depths at which the fish- 

 ery has become extremely laborious and hazardous, the 

 haunts of the cod and halibut are close to the land in 

 moderate depths, and their young swarm about the 

 shores. Eleven additional sea fishes are common to 

 Alaska and the Atlantic coast. 



The fishery resources of Alaska are undeveloped and 

 under-estimated. The salmon canneries, driven to seek 

 new supplies by the depletion of the great rivers of Cali- 

 fornia and Washington Territory, have pushed their way 

 around the Gulf of Alaska, into Cook's Inlet and north- 

 ward, until they will soon occupy the outposts of salmon 

 migration; but the treasures of the sea are as little ap- 

 preciated as were the resources of George's Bank a half 

 century ago. The writer has frequently attempted by 

 personal interviews and printed statements to convey a 

 truthful idea of the liberality of nature in providing for 

 the fisherman in Alaska, affording him a superabundance 

 of fish, conveniently located with reference to good 

 harbors, where ample supplies of fuel, water and game 

 maybe obtained; spreading out for his occupation tens 

 of thousands of square miles of soundings, inhabited by 

 valuable fish and the food that attracts them. Only re- 

 cently, when the continued scarcity of halibut and 

 mackerel threatened to ruin the fortunes and starve the 

 families of many of our New England fishermen, did it 

 become possible to draw attention to the fish wealth of 

 Alaska and precipitate a movement of vessels, whose re- 

 luctant lead will soon be followed by fleet upon fleet until 

 the Shunaagins and Marmot Island, Seminovsky and Un- 

 alashka will be as familiar names as LeHave, George's and 

 Grand Banks. Then we will begin to realize the value of 

 our outlying province and the possibilities of its future. 



For the sake of students who may wish to know the 

 present constituents of the Alaskan fish fauna, it will 

 perhaps be sufficient to state that the Preliminary Cata- 

 logue, published in Proceedings National Museum, 1881, 

 page 239, is to be amended by removing numbers 7, 24, 

 29, 110 and 114, and adding the species discovered since 

 the date of the catalogue, which are as follows: 

 PsettichtJiys melOMostict/us. Cottus quadrifilis. 

 Parophrys iachyrus. Cottus quadrieomis. 



Hippoglossoides extli*. Potamocottns gulosus. 



Delolepis vlrgatus. Sebastichthys nigrocinctus. 



Lwmpenus fabrieii. Sebastichthys neb nlo&us, 



Muramotdes ruberrimus. Micrnmetrus aggregatus. 

 Xiph'lster mueosus. Coregonus nelsoni. 



Chlrolophus polyaelocephalus Stenodus maekenzil. 

 Aspidophoroides olriki. Salvelinus numaycush. 



Brachyopsis dodecaMrus. Raia stellulaia. 

 Cottus decastrensis. Somnioms mierocephalus. 



Cottus axillaris. Galeorhinus zyupturus. 



The red rockbass, No. 67, is to be replaced by Sebast- 

 ichthys brevispinis. The sticklebacks are represented 

 by three species, and, notwithstanding their pigmy size 

 and Btout spines, form a considerable addition to the food 

 supply of the natives and their dogs. All parts of the 

 coast are inhabited by one or more species, and the ten- 

 spined form occurs in streams and fresh-water lakes. 



The flounder family is distributed around the entire 

 coast and includes eleven species, or about as many as 

 occur in corresponding latitudes on the Atlantic shores. 

 All of the flounders and flat fishes of Alaska are suitable 



for food, most of them being really excellent, and some 

 reaching a great size. There is one, the starry or stellate 

 flounder, which deserves special mention, because it 

 ranges from the southern portion of California to Mac- 

 kenzie River, and is, consequently, in latitude at lea<-t, 

 the most widely distributed member of the family, The 

 species diminish in size and number north of Unalashka, 

 but the proportion of individuals is rather increased. In 

 the high north the stellate flounder and the little polar 

 flat fish are the prevailing species, and they add materi- 

 ally to the resources of the larder. The latter is uni- 

 versally found in the skin boats of traveling parties on 

 the sea coast, and makes up in abundance what it lacks 

 in size. The halibut is one of the commonest fishes of 

 the Gulf of Alaska and Behring Sea; it is not different 

 from ours specifically, but is a plumper fish, and dwells 

 in shallow water about the wharves as well as in moder- 

 ate depths. The species reaches a weight of SOOlbs., and 

 is abundant "in spots," according to recent testimony of 

 Gloucester fishermen who have transferred their industry 

 to the Pacific coast. Our own investigations convinced 

 us that the fish is common except in localities in which 

 the fur seal and other destructive enemies destroy the 

 young and drive the adults from the spawning grounds. 

 One very singular deep-water flounder, occurring in the 

 Gulf of Alaska and southward to San Francisco Bay, has 

 been called the arrow-tooched flounder, on account of the 

 barbed teeth in its jaws. 



The cod family has five species in the sea and one in 

 fresh waters. The Gulf of Alaska and Behring Sea have 

 the largest species and the most important commercially, 

 but the Arctic forms are quite as valuable where they 

 occur as any other kinds of fish food. Besidea the true 

 cod. which is just like ours, there are pollock, polar cod, 

 tomcod, wachna and burbot. The con grows as large as 

 in the Atlantic and extends all around the territory 

 almost to the northern extremity of Behring Sea; it is 

 destined to become the object of a very important indus- 

 try at no distant day. The pollock is a very different fi-h 

 from ours, smaller ia size, slenderer in shape, and with 

 streaks or bands on the sides; it is one of the best baits 

 for cod, and occurs in large numbers on the fishing; banks. 

 The polar cod is said to be a delicious fish, and, although 

 of small size, it is taken in excessive numbers and with 

 the greatest ease; this is a species of the far north and a 

 prime favorite for winter fishing. The wachna is scarcely 

 less important to the natives than the polar cod, and it is 

 taken in large quantities. In Cook's Inlet we obtained 

 our largest specimens, about twelve inches long. The 

 burbot is the species sometimes styled eel pout in Eastern 

 waters; in Alaska it luxuriates and grows to the enormous 

 length of five feet, and is said to weigh as much as sixty 

 pounds. 



The marine eelpouts (Gymnelis and Lycodes) include 

 three species which have no economic value; one of them 

 occurs rarely at the Shumagin Islands. 



The blenny-like fishes are somewhat numerous, com- 

 prising a wry mouth, which is banded and has scales, a 

 crested blenny, a tufted blenny, three kinds of rock eels, 

 three sword-bearers, two eel-blennies, and a spotted 

 blenny, which is an inhabitant also of Greenland seas 

 and the north Atlantic coast. None of these have any 

 present value as food or bait, but they are eaten by larger 

 and more important fishes. 



There is one wolf fish, or sea catfish, in Alaska, limited 

 apparently to Norton Sound, and not abundant. 



The so-called cusk of Alaskan waters is not at all like 

 the New England cusk, and it is not eaten except by 

 fishes, notably by the cod, for which it is one of the most 

 attractive baits. The species is Bathy 'master signatus, 

 and occurs abundantly where the cod is found. 



The hair tooth is a singular little species which buries 

 itself in the sand near the edge of the tide, leaving only 

 its mouth free, ready for business, and its eyes on the 

 alert for unsuspecting sand fleas, which seek friendly 

 shelter within the fringes surrounding the lips of the con- 

 cealed angler, whose food comes to him with no further 

 exertion than that of closing his mouth when it becomes 

 agreeably full. 



The little spiny lumpfish is common in Behring Sea and 

 northward; it forms a favorite food of the lancet mouth. 

 At Unalashka we secured about twenty lumpfish from 

 one stomach of this formidable species. The spiny lump- 

 fish occurs on our own northern coast, coming south to 

 the deep portions of Massachusetts Bay. 



The sea snails or sucking fishes include four species, 

 none of them very large, and all of them unimportant 

 commercially. 



The alligator fishes are represented by five species, one 

 of which is known also from Atlantic waters. Thespeoies 

 are all marine. One of them is considered a great curi- 

 osity because of its resemblance to a little sturgeon. 



The sculpins constitute nearly one-fifth of the entire 

 known fish fauna of the Territory, and Alaska probably 

 deserves the palm for sculpins of enormous size. I have 

 seen specimens over 2ft. long — it would not be safe to 

 say how (much over — but they were a revelation to me. 

 Two of the species inhabit fresh waters; the rest are 

 marine, but the four-homed sculpin sometimes ascends 

 streams. Some of the species wear bony coats of mail 

 and two have well developed scales and are savory food 

 fishes. One of the forms is so aberrant that a new family 

 is suggested for it, and still another rivals the sea raven 

 for grotesqueness of shape. Some of the species in the 

 breeding season have the belly fins greatly elongated and 

 the rays armed with stiff, spiny bristles. 



Tarleton H. Beak, 

 [to be continued.] 



English and Welsh Fishery Statistics.— R. Giffen, 

 of the Commercial Department, Board of Trade, reports 

 the quantity and value of the fish returned as landed on 

 the English and Welsh coasts during the month of 

 December, 1888, compared with the corresponding month 

 of 1887 as follows: All fish except shell fish, 1888, 

 48,275,0001bs., valued at £287,146; 1887, 54,566,8001bs., 

 valued at £323,718. Shell fish, 1888, £19,404; 1887, 

 £30,475. Total value of fish December, 1888, £306,550; 

 1887, £354,193. 



Sea Fishing in England.— H, S. Harlancl communi- 

 cates to Land and Water information about cod fishing 

 in the vicinity of Scarborough. Good fishing has recently 

 been enjoyed off the Promenade Pier, on the north shore, 

 and very good sport with cod off the "White Nab" rocks, 

 about two miles south of Scarborough, The fish ran up 

 to more than 201bs. and were in exceptionally fine con- 

 dition. 



