The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-02-05
THE COOK INLET REGION.
Ktu NatnraI History interestingly
Treated In q Recent Govern
meat Bulletin.

The Natural History Of the Cook
Inlet Region" Alaska, forms the SUD
iect OF one Of the most recent bull
Ietins OF the department OF agricui7
ture, says the Washington Star.
Among other things It is stated
that the region about Cook inlet was
at the beginning Of the field season
Of 1900 the only general district OF.
consequence OH the Pacific coast OF
Alaska that had not been recently
visited by hatuf4hsts. I
+ Cook inlet, it is stated, IS Inc irst
important indentation Of the Alaskan
coast east of the Alaskan peninsula
II is long narrow inlet, bifurcated
nt its upper end into two large arms
-KnilS arm and Turnagain arm. The
first of these, Knik arm, is about IS
miles lopg and at its upper end re-
ceives the waters Of a large streams
the Matanuska. The other, Turn
again arm, is 30 miles or more in
length, and extends inland until
within about five miles of the waters
of Prince William sound West OF
/ Knil1 arm is the delta of the Sushitna
river, the largest stream emptying
into the inlet. South of Turnagain
arm, and connected with the main
land only by the five miles Of glacier
between the head of the arm and
I Prince William sound, is the Kenai
/ peninsula. Numerous relatively small
streams enter both sides Of Turna-
gain arm and both sides Of the main
inlet as well, so that in addition to
the great volume received from the
/ Sushitna there is a large secondary
supply of fresh water Except in
Turnagain arm, the country border
/ ing Cook inlet is low and compare
lively level though high mountains
from ten to sixty miles inland can be
I seen on all sides. The small trading
station and native village Of Tyonek
is situated on a low sandpit on q
plain about 20 miles west of the
mouth Of the Sushitna. Hope City is
situated at the mouth of Resurrec-
tion creek, on each side of which rug
ged mountains rise to an altitude Of
5000 feet or more.
Moose, bear and mountain sheep
are the principal big game, although
they have already been hunted to a
considerable extent, it is probable
that they are more abundant than in
any equally accessible place in North
America. Fur-bearing animals are
well represented, but, as elsewhere in
the north, have been much reduced in
numbers The smaller, less conspic-
uous mammals are such as are gem
orally found throughout northern,
Alaska.
Birds are not found in great num-
bers. Land birds, with the exception
Of grouse, which are fairly common,
are not numerous in species or in
dividuals. Water birds, particularly
httoral or semi-pelagic forms. are no.
ticeably uncommon. probably on ac-
count OF the brackish water Of the
snlet and the comparative absence
Of marine invertebrates. Ducks and
geese, however, and birds which feed
IN fresh water are locally quite abun-
oant.
Spruce and hemloel timber ceases
between 1850 and 5000 feet eleva-
ton, and the higher slopes are clothed
only with matted masses of low
shrubs or wide expanses Of tan grass.
In the gulches thieists Of alders hold
control and few stunted individuals
often straggle wen up toward the
snow line The characteristics mann
mails on the mountains are the Dali
mountain sheep (0ris dallD, the
hoary marmot tAratomvs caligatus),
and the Alaska mountain vole (lIicro.
tus miurus).