The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-03-08
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NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
=OF THE
CHICKASH
MILLING
COMP ANY.
THE COOK INLET REGION.
Etn Natural History InferemfingIy
Treated in . Recent Govern-
meat Bulletin.

The Natural History OF the Cool
inlet Region" Alaska, forms the sub
iect IF one Of ths most recent bul
letins Of the department of agricul
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 on the Pacific coast OF
Alaska that had not been recently
visited by naturalsts.
Cook inlet, it is stated, is the first
important indentation of the Alaskan
coast east of the Alaskan peninsula.
Il is a long narrow inlet, bifurcated
at its upper end into two large arms
-Knik arm and Turnagain arm. The
first Of these, Knik arm, is about Is
miles long and at its upper end re-
ceiyes the waters of a large stream,
the Matanuska. The other, Turn
again arm, is so miles or more in
length, and extends inland until
with5 4bout fYe miles of the waters
of Prince William sound. West Of
hnik arm is the delta of the Sushitna
into the inlet. South of TRrnagain
arm, and connected with the main
land Only by i..e five miles of glacier
between the head Of the arm and
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
seen on all sides. The small trading
station and native village OF Tyonek
IS situated on low sandpit on
plain about 20 miles west of the
mouth Of the Sushitna Hope Cfv is
situated at the mouth of Resurrec-
ton 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
considerable extent. 10 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 s-,alser, less conspic-
uous mammals are such as are gen
orally found throughout northern I
Alaska.
Birds are not found in great num- /
bers. Land birds, with the exception /
OF grouse. which are fairly common. I
are not numerous in species or in
aiFidua4s. Water birds. particularly
littoral or semi-pelagic forms, are no
llea ably uncommon, probably on ac-
count Of the brackish water of the
inlet and the comparative absence
Of marine invertebrates. Ducks and
geese, however. and birds which feed
n fresh water are locally quite abun-
lant
Spruce and hemlock timber ceases
between 1000 and 5000 feet eleva-
.lo7. and the higher slopes are clothed
'hiF w matted masses cf low
pr lns or vide ezpanses OF tan grass.
p the gaiches thickets Of alders hold
'entfoi and a few stunted individuals
'tten struggle weil up toward the
no" Ane The characteristic nam
mas o1 the mountains are the Dali
AeaAiain sheep fOTis dauD. the
ioaly marmot (Arctomys calgatus).
A4 lne AiasAa mountain vole l1Iicro-
rs miurus).
tHe c-e f7r I-ias.
H "a ssrn ~ ,-e l.ih Of the
nom aH- j h-Peslea y been Friday,
co.