SALMON FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 
29 
the breeding season, by its greatly distorted jaws and enormous hump. It is found 
in all parts of the Territory. Its range is known to extend several hundred miles to 
the eastward of Point Barrow, and probably includes the Mackenzie. Speaking of 
its extraordinary abundance, Mr. Turner has aptly remarked that “ they appear at 
the surface of the water like the pin-drops of an April shower.” 
Mr. Charles Hirsch has informed me that from about the 6th of July, 1880, there 
was in the Karluk River, continuing for five weeks, a glut of humpback salmon 
which kept all other salmon out of the river. It was impossible to pull a boat across 
the stream, owing to the great quantities of salmon. A haul was made with a 15-fathom 
seine at 6 a. m., and the men were dressing fish from that haul until 6 p. m. About 
140 barrels were dressed. These were loaded in bulk into a small schooner, and then 
the men were occupied three hours in clearing the seine, in which the remaining salmon 
were about 4 feet deep. In the season of 1891 not more than 100 of these salmon were 
caught at Karluk up to the close of the fishing, October 5. 
The humpback arrives at St. Paul, Kadiak, about the 10th of July, and there is 
only one run a year. From the statement of Mr. Hirsch, above referred to, it will be 
seen that it makes its appearance on the western side of the island at about the same 
time. Mr. Turner records the date of arrival at St. Michael as about the 25th of 
July and the period of running about five weeks. Mr. Kelson’s earliest specimens 
were taken at St. Michael July 24. He says they are rather numerous until the 
end of July, with more or less common stragglers until late in the fall. The writer 
found humpbacks in good condition in Plover Bay, Siberia, about the middle of 
August. 
The species continues to enter the rivers usually for a period of about five weeks, 
but is not regular in its appearance. The enormous run in the Karluk, mentioned 
above, was exceptional, for the fish seldom enters that river. In the Yukon, during 
some years, according to Mr. Kelson, only a few are taken, and at other times they are 
presept in such excessive numbers in the lower part of the river that the fish-traps 
must be emptied several times a day. 
This salmon is much addicted to jumping out of the water. In the vicinity of St. 
Paul, Kadiak, one of the commonest sights was this breaching of the humpback sal- 
mon. Fishermen at this village say that the sea-run humpback often contains a small 
fish, which, from their description, must be the capelin. 
In the Karluk River, as already mentioned, the species continued to enter for five 
weeks, and then dead fish began to float down the stream, and this continued about a 
mouth. It does not go far from salt water and frequently enters streams which are 
too shallow to cover its fins. Its business in the fresh waters is simply to deposit its 
eggs, after which, apparently, it dies on the spawning-grounds or is carried to sea in 
a dying condition. Spawning takes place within a few rods of the sea. It is a com- 
mon thing to see large areas of the bottom entirely covered with the eggs, either lying 
unprotected on the gravelly bottom or partly concealed in crevices between moderately 
large stones. In Afognak River the eggs were cast among stones about half as large 
as a man’s fist. 
There are no signs of diminution of the supply of this fish. A small number are 
salted annually, and the natives dry large quantities for winter use. 
In the fresh-run condition this is one of the most palatable salmon in Alaska, and 
the time is not far distant when it will be a very important species for canning. The 
