190 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The grayling, or blanket fish, is very abundant in the Territory, especially north- 
ward. Its range southward is not clearly known, but in the northern part of British 
America and from the Yukon north to the Kuwuk it is very abundant. 
The smelt of Alaska are large and very plentiful. They resemble our eastern smelt 
ill appearance. The range of the species is from the Bristol Bay region to Point Bar- 
row, and they are most abundant from the early part of September until November. 
They abound in sheltered bays and tide creeks. 
Still another smelt occurs around the shores of the Gulf of Alaska, which is iden- 
tical with one of the California species, and a very excellent food-fish. 
The capelin is found along all parts of the coast and is one of the most important 
food species of the cod and salmon. 
Eulachon are very common in the Gulf of Alaska, particularly at Katmai on the 
peninsula of Alaska, where they have been salted and meet with ready sale. 
The foregoing representatives of the sabuon family have been reviewed simply to 
call attention to the wealth of the Territory in snperior food-fishes. Their commercial 
importance up to the present time is small, but they will figure eventually and very 
prominently among the resources of Alaska. There is no doubt that many of the 
small marine species play a very important part in attracting the larger commercial 
species of the salmon family to certain localities. 
Before proceeding to an account of the salmon and trout it may be well to state 
that the herring of Alaska is one of the finest species of its genus {Clupea), and is 
universally known as one of the fishes upon which the salmon subsist. The herring 
visits all parts of the coast of Alaska, running up into the bays in schools, sometimes 
covering an area of many square miles. It comes into the shallow waters of the bays 
to deposit its eggs, reaching Cook’s Inlet for this purpose early in July, so that its 
appearance in force coincides with the height of the salmon runs. The capelin is also 
found early in the summer, and wo know that salmon are very eager in their pursuit 
of this fish. The little sand launce, or lant, is also present' in the bays in wriggling 
masses at the period when salmon abound. 
The King Salmon {Oncorliynclms cJiouiclia). 
(Plate XLVi, fig. 1.) 
The largest and finest of the Alaskan salmon is the King, or Ohowichee, known 
also as the Takou, Columbia Eiver, Chinook, and Quinnat. This valuable fish occurs 
in the large rivers as a rule, but we know that it runs into some of the small streams 
also, notably the Karluk, and some of the rivers emptying into the eastern part of 
Cook’s Inlet. The Yukon and the Nushagak are the greatest King Salmon rivers. 
The species is found less abundantly. in the Ugashik, Kuskoquim, and Kvichuk. 
The King Salmon is the most favorably known of all the species; its average 
weight is above 20 pounds, and individuals of 100 pounds or more are recorded. At 
St. Paul, Kadiak, in 1880, Mr. B. G. McIntyre told me he had weighed one which 
registered 87J pounds without its viscera; he believed the entire fish would have 
weighed 100 pounds. 
The flesh of the King Salmon is paler in color than that of the Bed Salmon, but 
superior to all others in flavor. The salted bellies are considered a great delicacy. 
The principal uses of this fish are as fresh fish and for canning purposes. In Alaska 
