22 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
probably extends at least as far south as the Bristol Bay region. The great size and 
fine quality of its flesh make it one of the most important food -fishes of. the Territory. 
The round whitefish, shad- waiter, or chivey of New England ( Coregonus quadri- 
lateralis, PI. Yin, Fig. 2), extends through the upper Great Lakes region, the North- 
west Territory, and other parts of British Columbia, into Alaska.' Specimens have 
been obtained as far north as the Kuwuk or Putiiam River, a tributary of Hotham 
Inlet. This fish does not reach a large size, seldom exceeding 2 pounds in weight, but 
it is very abundant and palatable, and consequently is an important food resource. 
A third species, called Coregonus laurettce (PI. vii, Fig. 2), abounds from the Bristol 
Bay region to Point Barrow. It is a little larger than the round whitefish, but seldom 
exceeds 3 pounds in weight. It resembles the so-called lake herring (C. artedi ) of 
the Great Lakes, and is an excellent food species. 
The fourth species is known as the humpback whitefish, and was named in honor 
of Mr. E. W. Nelson ( Coregonus nelsoni , PI. ym, Fig. 1). It bears considerable re- 
semblance to one of the Siberian species, from which, however, it can be readily dis- 
tinguished. As food for man it has little value, but enormous quantities are consumed 
by the dogs. This species is found in all parts of the Territory from the peninsula of 
Alaska northward. Breeding males have a very large hump developed on the nape, 
which is compressed to a thin edge. 
The fifth species of whitefish (Coregonus pusillus,F\. vii, Fig. 3) is the smallest of 
all, and has the reputation of being more bony than any of the others. It is used chiefly 
by native traveling parties and as food for dogs. This fish seldom exceeds a foot in 
length and its average weight is less than 1 pound, but it extends over a large part of 
Alaska, and is represented by a vast number of individuals. As far as our information 
goes, it is found in all parts of the Territory except the southeastern portion. 
The largest and handsomest fish of this category is the so-called Mackenzie River 
salmon or ineonnu (PL viii, Fig. 3), which is known to the Russian-speaking people 
as the nelma. This species is intermediate between the whitefish and the salmon. 
It has a strongly projecting lower jaw, on account of which the additional name of 
shovel-jawed whitefish has been applied to it. This beautiful species attains to a 
length of 5 feet, and individuals weighing 50 pounds are recorded. It occurs in the 
rivers during the greater part of the year, is in the finest condition in the early sum- 
mer, and is “full of spawn from September to January, when it disappears.” The 
species is known to occur from the Kuskoquim to the Kuwuk. The largest individ- 
uals are recorded from the Yukon. It is found also in the Mackenzie. A closely 
related species is found in the Volga and other rivers of Russia, and is attributed also 
to the Obi, Lena, and Oolima, which flow into the Arctic Ocean. 
The grayling ( Thymallus signifer, PI. vi, Fig. 3) is a very common fish in Alaska, 
especially in the northern portion of the Territory, and it is one of the most attractive 
of all the Alaskan fishes. At one time the grayling had the reputation of being the 
only fish in the fresh waters of Alaska that could be caught with hook and line. It is 
known also as the “blanket fish,” and occurs southward at least to the Nushagak 
region, where McKay found it “very abundant in small rivers and lakes.” He speaks 
of it as “a good food-fish, much sought after by the natives in the fall, along with the 
whitefish and the great smelt.” The high and beautifully colored dorsal fin of this 
species, the rich purple luster of the sides, and the jet black spots not far behind the 
head, make it one of the most conspicuous and beautiful species of the fresh waters. 
