322 LAKE SUPERIOR. 



were formed, the vertical fin extended underneath very far forwards. 

 The abdominal cavity extends also far backwards. In some of the 

 genera, the dorsal, caudal, and anal remain continuous ; in others, 

 they are slightly divided ; in others, they become subdivided into 

 many fins, but in all they extend very far forwards. From their geo- 

 graphical distribution in the colder portions of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, we need not be surprised at finding a good many of these 

 fishes among the freshwaters, as the northern seas contain less salt 

 than the other portions of the ocean. 



The real affinities of the family are still obscure to me. From 

 their peculiar affinities, they stand very much by themselves ; how- 

 ever, the large size of the head, the developments of the dorsals, and 

 even the structure of the skeleton, seem to bring them near the Lo- 

 phioids ; and, on the other hand, I cannot but think the Scomberoids 

 somewhat related to them, especially when comparing the Merluccius 

 with Naucrates, etc. In Lake Superior, one single species of that 

 family occurred. 



The first account we possess of the Gadoids of North Amer- 

 ica dates back to the year 1773. At that epoch, J. Reinhold 

 Forster published descriptions of four species of fishes of Hudson's 

 Bay, in a letter addressed to Pennant,* among which a Lota is 

 mentioned, which he identifies with the European species, so well de- 

 scribed, he says, by Pennantf himself, that he thought it superfluous 

 to add anything. The sole difference that struck him, was a larger 

 size, and six branchiostegal rays instead of seven. Pennant after- 

 wards inscribes it, in his Zoologia Arctica, under the same denomina- 

 tion of G-adus Lota L. 



In 1817 Lesueur published descriptions of two species which he 

 considered as new, under the names of G-adus maculosus and G-adus 

 compressm,\ but he cites neither Forster nor Pennant, thinking, 

 no doubt, that they had seen the European species. The same 

 year Dr. Mitchill, though acquainted with the writings of Lesueur, 

 seems not to have been aware that the latter had just named his 

 species, and proposed to call the first G-adus lacustris.^ Here 



* Philos. Trans., LXIII. 149. f British Zoology. 



J Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc., Philad., J. 83. $ Amer. Month. Mag. II. 244. 



