348 LAKE SUPERIOR. 



we have signalized above. The lateral line is straight and nearer to 

 the back than to the belly. But as soon as the individuals attain a 

 length of ten inches, the head becomes declivous, the nape of the 

 neck swells, the back rises, the belly becomes more prominent ; but 

 the general form is still slender, the head is in harmonious propor- 

 tion with the trunk, of which it forms already one-fifth of the length, 

 including half of the caudal. The rostrum becomes somewhat more 

 prominent and more abrupt. The height of the body exceeds how- 

 ever already the length of the head. 



When individuals attain fourteen inches the back and the nape of 

 the neck are very convex, and the head very declivous, the belly 

 prominent, and from this moment the head appears disproportioned to 

 the trunk, and is found to form exactly one-fifth of the whole length, 

 the caudal excluded, as we have seen in the adult. The height of 

 the body is contained four times in its length. The scales are 

 still thin and fall off easily, but they already begin to be more adhe- 

 rent than during the preceding stages. The middle surface of the 

 tongue is armed with small asperities as in the adult ; and the intermax- 

 illaries have also that row of fine teeth which we have indicated 

 above. 



This species is the common white-fish of Lake Superior, of which 

 so large numbers are caught and salted every year. It is one of the 

 most palatable fishes of the freshwaters of the American continent. 

 It is found in large shoals all over the lake. 



COREGONTJS LATIOR, AgaSS. 



Hitherto confounded with the preceding, with which it has a great 

 affinity, this species differs, however, sufficiently to justify its separa- 

 tion, as I hope to show. Possessing young and adult individuals, I 

 shall follow in relation to them the method which I have already 

 adopted, pointing out first the difference existing between adult speci- 

 mens, and finally adding the peculiar traits of the young. I will 

 here mention that the adults differ in appearance less than the young, 

 among which, the difference at first sight is most striking. 



The adult individual which I have before me measures nineteen 

 inches. The general form reminds us of that of C. sapidissimus. As 



