﻿18 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  1 
  

  

  Without 
  stating 
  any 
  additional 
  characters, 
  Gill, 
  in 
  1884, 
  established 
  

   the 
  family 
  Argeniinidae}^ 
  By 
  inference 
  the 
  family 
  distinction 
  is 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  caecal 
  stomach. 
  

  

  Smitt^"^ 
  retains 
  Argentina, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  Osmerids, 
  etc., 
  in 
  Sal- 
  

   monidae. 
  In 
  his 
  diagnosis 
  of 
  the 
  genus, 
  no 
  character 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  

   generic 
  value 
  is 
  mentioned. 
  In 
  expressing 
  the 
  relationship 
  of 
  Ar- 
  

   gentina 
  to 
  other 
  forms, 
  however, 
  he 
  says 
  that 
  the 
  odor 
  and 
  few 
  pyloric 
  

   appendages 
  point 
  to 
  the 
  Smelt 
  and 
  the 
  stiff 
  but 
  fragile 
  fin 
  rays 
  and 
  

   the 
  singular 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  scales 
  are 
  reminders 
  of 
  the 
  Scopelids. 
  Also 
  

   that 
  the 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  the 
  scales 
  suggests 
  the 
  extinct 
  genus 
  Osmer 
  aides, 
  

   which, 
  however, 
  in 
  its 
  numerous 
  branchiostegals 
  and 
  dentition 
  was 
  

   more 
  like 
  the 
  salmon. 
  Jordan 
  and 
  Evermann 
  accept 
  Argentinidae, 
  of 
  

   Gill, 
  comprising 
  the 
  Osmerids, 
  etc., 
  as 
  well. 
  Their 
  characterization 
  

   is 
  largely 
  composed 
  of 
  the 
  generic 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  Osmerids. 
  They 
  

   state 
  that 
  the 
  stomach 
  is 
  a 
  blind 
  sac, 
  and 
  the 
  pyloric 
  caeca 
  few 
  or 
  

   none. 
  Following 
  the 
  family 
  diagnosis, 
  the 
  statement 
  is 
  made 
  that 
  

   there 
  are 
  about 
  ten 
  genera 
  and 
  perhaps 
  a 
  dozen 
  species 
  which 
  are 
  

   reduced 
  Salmonidae 
  smaller 
  and 
  in 
  every 
  way 
  feebler 
  than 
  the 
  trout, 
  

   but 
  similar 
  to 
  them 
  in 
  all 
  respects 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  stomach. 
  

  

  More 
  recently 
  Regan 
  separated 
  the 
  Osmerids 
  from 
  the 
  Argen- 
  

   tinidae 
  making 
  for 
  them 
  the 
  family 
  Osmeridae, 
  the 
  latter 
  differing 
  

   from 
  the 
  Argentinidae 
  in 
  having 
  toothed 
  mesoptery 
  golds. 
  Both 
  

   the 
  Argentinidae 
  and 
  Osmeridae 
  he 
  supposed 
  to 
  differ 
  from 
  the 
  Sal- 
  

   monidae 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  opisthotics 
  and 
  upturned 
  vertebrae 
  at 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  vertebral 
  column. 
  

  

  Unless 
  the 
  ensemble 
  of 
  previously 
  designated 
  generic 
  characters 
  

   of 
  Argentina 
  is 
  considered 
  of 
  family 
  rank, 
  no 
  one 
  prior 
  to 
  Regan 
  

   has 
  enunciated 
  a 
  valid 
  family 
  character, 
  and 
  even 
  he 
  was 
  mistaken 
  

   concerning 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  opisthotic 
  in 
  Argentina. 
  However, 
  

   its 
  presence 
  in 
  Argentina 
  and 
  absence 
  from 
  the 
  Osmerids 
  strengthen 
  

   the 
  family 
  rank 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  The 
  fact 
  that 
  Argentina 
  possesses 
  

   opisthotics 
  and 
  vestigial 
  or 
  rudimentary 
  upturned 
  vertebrae, 
  as 
  

   previously 
  indicated, 
  might 
  be 
  construed 
  by 
  some 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  

   genus 
  represents 
  an 
  intermediate 
  between 
  the 
  Osmerids 
  and 
  Coregonids, 
  

   and 
  even 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  stomach 
  as 
  represented 
  by 
  our 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  Argentina 
  silus 
  would 
  support 
  this 
  view. 
  However, 
  there 
  are 
  

  

  ^^ 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  Board 
  of 
  Regents 
  of 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  

   188-4 
  (1885), 
  p. 
  619. 
  

   ^^ 
  Scandinavian 
  Fishes, 
  2:912. 
  1895. 
  

  

  