lOOS.] 



FISHES. 



513 



I am not aware that the grayling has been recorded from any 

 stream tributary to Hudson Bay. except in one instance. Doctor 

 Bell mentions that it was taken in tributaries of the lower Churchill, 

 and that a specimen was identified by Professor Gill as Thymalliis 

 tiignifer.^ A possible explanation of the occurrence of this fish in 

 the Churchill is suggested by the fact that there is direct water con- 

 nection between Churchill River and Athabaska Lake. The gray- 

 ling occurs in Black or Stone River, which flows from WoUaston 

 Lake into Athabaska Lake.^ The waters of another outlet of Wol- 

 laston Lake. Cochrane River, flow by way of Reindeer Lake into the 

 Churchill, thus affording to a torrent-loving species like the Arctic 

 grayling a ready means of communication. 



Osmerus dent ex Steindachner. Smelt. 



A specimen of this fish presented to me by Pere Giroux, of Arctic 

 Red River, on July 16, 1904, has been recorded by Evermann and 

 Goldsborough. and apparently furnishes the first record for Canada.'" 

 Pere Giroux informed me that the species is common at Arctic Red 

 RiA*er all the summer and autumn. It is a common species on the 

 Ahiskan coast, and is an important food fish in some sections. 



Esox lucius Linnaeus. Pike ; Jackfish. 



This species, the only pike of the ^lackenzie Yalley, is extremely 

 abundant in practically all the waters of the region, and has given its 

 name to scores of lakes and streams. In the larger lakes it attains 

 a Aveight of 35 poimds or more. In this region of excellent food 

 fishes it is not highW esteemed, but being easily captured it is often 

 a means of preventing much suffering from famine. As far as I 

 can ascertain it is not found in the Ark-i-linik, Great Fish, or Copper- 

 mine rivers, but it is an inhabitant of the Anderson. It is much less 

 common in the muddy rivers than in the clear lakes. The pools at 

 the foot of falls or rapids are favorite haunts, and in these situations 

 it is especially easy to secure. 



Pygosteus pungitius (Linnaeus). Xine-spinecl Stickleback. 



I took two adult specimens of this fish, less than two inches in length, 

 in a small muskeg pond a short distance from MacTavish Bay, Great 

 Bear Lake. Evermann and Goldsborough have recently recorded 

 these specimens, and refer Gosterosteus concinrLUS^ described by Rich- 

 ardson from Great Bear Lake (Fauna Boreali- Americana, III, p. 

 57, 1830), to the same form.'^ It is probable that the sticklebacks 



« Kept. Pro.iT. r4eo]. Snrv. Canada, 1878-79, p. 7C, 1880. 

 ^Tyrrel], Ann. Rei)t. (ieol. Siiry. Canada, VIII, p. 14D, 1896. 

 «Proc. Biol. Sof. Washington, XX, p. 105, 1907. 

 ^^Ibid., p. 10(j. ]007. 



44131— No. 27—08 



i -33 



