NOTES RELATIVE TO THE WHITE-FISH 



determine with certainty the genus ; " and, after stating that " my first 

 impression was to make it a Coregonus, since I have placed the design by 

 the side of the other species of the same genus," ends this most uncertain 

 and undecided effort to determine its relationship with the question? 

 ^' Could one name it Coregonus angiisticeps f " 



It may be that the specimen at hand is a fish of the species indicated 

 in the above name, the ascribed locality heightening this possibility > 

 but there can be no consideration of the matter that will decide it, and 

 the name is consequently passed over. The character given of 55 scales 

 in the lateral line is very far from agreeing with Dr. Coues's specimeni 

 and, in fact, with any description of a Coregonus we have seen, and may 

 indicate that the author was right in his hesitancy to decide upon the 

 genus. 



The most marked feature is the extensive i)rolongation of the snout, 

 which protrudes far beyond the opening of the mouth. The head nar. 

 rows regularly toward the anterior of the frontals, where two strong 

 angles are found narrowing the head abruptly at the point where the 

 short supraorbitals join, and the frontals and nasals continue forward 

 in a narrow, blade-like extension. The supraorbitals form a bold prom- 

 inence at the anterior of the orbit. The maxillary is short, dilated at 

 its posterior portion, and has a narrow supplementary bone. The pre 

 maxillaries are somewhat retroverted, and have very little width, making 

 the muzzle thin and narrow, as it is in G. quadrilateralis and G. Wil- 

 liamso7ii. The adipose fin is large, attached to the body almost to the 

 posterior extremity, and is ensheathed in scales for a considerable dis- 

 tance from the dorsal line. 



The greatest height of body is equal to the length of the head. The 

 least height of tail is equal to the length of the snout. The lengths of 

 the caudal peduncle, of the snout, and of the mandible are equal to each 

 other. The width of the iuterorbital area is equal to the length of the 

 maxillary. 



The height is .22 J of the length without the caudal ; the least height 

 of tail is .07^ ; the length of the caudal peduncle is .12i ; the distance 

 from the snout to the dorsal fin is .44| ; the length of the base of the 

 dorsal fin is .12^, its greatest height .14, and the length of the last ray 

 .06|j the distance from the snout to the anal is .73^; the length of its 

 base, .09, and its greatest height .13^; the length of the middle caudal 

 rays is .08, and of the external rays .15^ ; the distance from the snout 

 to the pectoral fin is .21^, and its length is .17^ ; the distance from the 

 snout to the ventrals is .51^, and its length is .15. 



Br., 9; D., 3-12; A., 4-10; C, G-18-6; P., 17; Y., 2-11; the number 

 of scales in the lateral line is 88 ; the number of scales above the lateral 

 line is 8; below the lateral line, 8-5. Length, 13.6 inches. 



National Museum, No. 14146. Locality, Chief Mountain Lake. Col- 

 lector, Elliott Coues, U. S. A., surgeon and naturalist of the northern 

 boundary commission. 



