54 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
17, PUGET SOUND AND THE STRAITS OF FUCA. 
DREDGING AND FISHING TRIALS. 
No soundings or dredgings were attempted by tbe steamer Albatross either in 
Puget Sound or directly in the Straits of Fuca, but two trials for fish were made in the 
latter region and two dredgings (stations No. 2864 and 2865) in the southern part of 
Washington Sound, as previously described. Important information respecting the 
fisheries and fishery industries of the region were, however, obtained. 
Off Race Island. — October 19, after coaling at Departure Bay, a cod trawl was set 
in a depth of 101 fathoms, off Eace Island, at the southeastern end of Vancouver 
Island, for the purpose of discovering the presence of beshowe or black cod, which 
were supposed to occur there. It was allowed to remain down only half an hour, at 
the end of which time it had secured forty dogfish, all the bait having been taken 
from the remaining hooks. 
Neeah Bay.— On the evening of September 24 the halibut trawl was baited and 
set off Kaihsla Point, the inner buoy being in 20 fathoms, the outer in 25 fathoms. It 
was allowed to remain down until the following morning, but on hauling it only twenty- 
four dogfish and two skates were found. Halibut and beshowe are sometimes taken 
in close proximity to Neeah Bay earlier in the season. The last-named species is never 
abundant here, however; but some years it is sufficiently common in the spring to fur- 
nish the Indians of the vicinity with a considerable supply of food. 
SEATTLE. 
Fresh-fish markets and fresh trade. — Since the arrival of the schooners Adams, 
Edward Webster, and Oscar and Hattie, bringing with them New England fishermen, 
a conspicuous change is said to have taken place in the manner of presenting 
fresh fish for sale in the citj^ markets. Previously the fish brought in for this trade, 
and which were chiefly caught by the Italian and Greek fishermen, were left in the 
bottom of their boats or thrown upon some convenient wharf exposed to dirt and flies 
until sold. Now there are six or seven well-kept markets in the city, where the fish 
have an inviting appearance. One of these is owned by a Mr. Butler, formerly of 
Gloucester, Mass., who is doing fairly well at retailing and shipping small quantities 
of fresh salmon to St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn. Mr. Butler states that the 
demand for salmon by the eastern markets far exceeds the supply on account of the 
small catch at the present time. No other person in the city has attempted to ship 
fresh salmon to the inland cities. Strange to say, the fresh salmon consumed in Port. 
Townsend are shipped there from Seattle. 
During the two stops made at Seattle, from September 6 to 17, and from October 
1 to 4, the fish markets were visited every morning, with the result of finding the 
following species exposed for sale: Columbia salmon {Oncorhynchus chouicha), silver 
salmon (0. Msutch), white perch {Damalichthys argyrosomus), perch {Micrometrus ag- 
gregatus), brown rockfish [Sebastichthys maliger), surf smelt {Hypomestis pretiosus), 
starry flounder {Pleuronectes stellatus), deep-water flounder {Olyptocephalns zachirus), 
flounders {Psettichthys melanosticus, Parophrys vetuhis, and Pleuronectes isolepis), tom 
cod {Microgadus proximus), and a number of smaller and less valuable species. Salmon 
