Evening star., 1901-10-02
THE COOK INLET REGION.
It's Natural History Treated in a Re
cent Bulletin.

It's Natural History Treated in a Re-
cent Bulletin.
The Natural History Of the Cook Inlet
Region" Alaska, forms the subject of one
of the most recent bulletins of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Among other things 1t is stated that the
region about Cook Inlet was at the begin
ming Of the field season of 1900 the only
general district of consequence on the Pa
cific coast of Alaska that had not been re-
Gently visited by naturahsts.
Cook Inlet, 1t is stated, is the first impor-
tant indentation of the Alaskan coast east
of the Alaskan peninsula. 1t is long mar
row inlet bifurcated at its upper end into
two large arms-Knik arm and Turnagain
arm. The first of these, Knik arm, is
about fifteen miles long and at its upper
end receives the waters of a large stream,
the Matanuska The other, Turnagain arm
is thirty miles or more in length. and ex-
tends inland until within about five miles
of the waters of Prince William Sound.
West of Knik arm is the delta of the Su-
shitna river, the largest stream emptying
into the inlet. South of Turnagain arm
and connected with the mainland only by
the five miles Of glacier beween the head
of the arm and Prince William sound. is
the Kenai peninsula. Numerous relative
ly small streams enter both sides of Tur-
nagain arm and both sides of the main in
let as WELL so that in addition to the great
volume received from the Sushftna there
is large secondary supply of fresh water.
Except in Turnagain arm, the country
bordering Cook Inlet is low and compare
lively level, though high mountains from
ten to sixty miles inland can be seen on
all sides. The small trading station and
native village Of Tyonek is situated ON a
low sandpit on plain about twenty miles
west Of the mouth Of the Sushitna Hope
City is situated at the mouth of Resur-
rection creek, on each side of which rug
ged mountains rise to altitude of 5000
feet or more.
Moose, bear and mountain sheep are the
principal big game, and although they have
already been hunted to a considerable ex-
tent, 1t is probable that they are more
abundant than in any equally accessible
place in North America. Fur-bearing ami
mails are well represented, but as else-
where in the north, have been much re-
duced in numbers. The smaller. less con-
spicuous mammals are such as are general
ly found throughout northern Alaska
Birds not found in great numbers
Land birds, with the exception of grouse.
which are fairly common, are not numerous
in species or individuals Water birds mar
ticularly littoral or semi-pelagic forms, are
noticeably uncommon, probably on account
of the brackish water of the inlet and the
comparative absence Of marine fnverte-
brates. Ducks and geese, however and
birds which feed In fresh water are local.
ly quite abundant.
tween 1900 and 5000 feet elevation. and
the higher slopes are clothed only with
matted masses of low shrubs or wide ex-
panses Of tall grass. In the gulches thick
cts of alders hold control and a few stunt
ed individuals often straggle well up to-
ward the snow line. The characteristic
mammals on the mountains are the Dali
mountain sheep (Ovis dallD, the hoary mar
mot (Arctomys caligatus). and the Alaska
mountain vole (Microtus miurus).