6 
BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
(0. nerka) is called ‘‘silver salmon,” and the coho (0. kisiitch) is called “tyee.” In 
Prince William Sound the small redflsh are called “bluebacks” and the large ones 
“ redflsh.” At Klawak and Sukkwan the coho is called “ tyee,” and at Killisnoo the 
same salmon is called “ kluck.” 
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE SALMONS. 
The salmon pack of Alaska, considered in the order of the market values per case 
of the canned flsh, is made up of king, redflsh, cohoes, and humpbacks; and, in the 
order of abundance for commercial use, redflsh, humpbacks, cohoes, and king. It is 
said that there are more humpbacks in the streams of Alaska than redflsh; and this 
is undoubtedly true in certain sections, such as southeast Alaska. In the opinions 
of the canners, with which I am in hearty accord, the coho should rank next after the 
king salmon in food value. Its meat is more delicately flavored and contains more 
oil than that of the redflsh, bxrt it lacks the full, deep, red color of the latter, which 
is popularly supposed to indicate the best quality of salmon. In reality, the redflsh 
is coarse and dry compared to the coho. 
The dog salmon are packed very sparingly; in fact, in only one cannery was 
this species utilized as such in 1897, and then only about 1,000 cases were packed. 
In another locality, in one cannery, a few humpbacks and dog salmon are iiacked 
together under humpback labels, and at nearly all canneries, where different species 
are packed, a straggling dog salmon, if in good condition, may be included; but as a 
rule dog salmon are not used, and may be considered a waste species. 
The run of none of the minor species of salmon in 1897 outside of Bering Sea 
was very large, except that of humpbacks iu southeast Alaska; the humpback, king, 
coho, and dog salmon flgure only incidentally in the packs. A reference to the detailed 
output by canneries will make this clear. None of the canneries were able to handle 
the supply of humj)backs in 1897, and they were obliged to limit the catches. Of 
the total number of this species packed, 110,506 cases, or nearly 90 per cent, were 
credited to southeast Alaska. The waste was very large; not only were the canneries 
obliged to reject many flsh, but at the flsheries double the number that could be 
sold were frequently hauled. At Fish Creek one seine haul contained 22,000 hump- 
backs. While there was au over abundance of humpbacks, the redflsh were very 
scarce, and the pack of this species is small comi)ared to 1896, which was a good red- 
flsh year. 
In 1897 the different species were represented in the pack as follows: 
Species. 
Cases (each 
consisting 
of 48 one- 
pound cans). 
Percentage. 
Eedfisli 
688, 581 
75. 74 
Humpback 
157, 711 
17. 35 
Cobo 
43, 557 
4. 79 
Kiug 
18, 133 
2.00 
Dog 
1,096 
0. 12 
Total 
909, 078 
100. 00 
