Ill -ON THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF SALMON AND 



TROUT. 



By George Suckley, Surgeox, United States Army. 

 ( Written in 1861.) 



Note. — The late Dr. Suckley made a special study for some years of 

 the North American Salmonidfe, his attention having been specially 

 called to them by the number of species met with in his journeys across 

 thje northern part of the United States to the Pacific coast while serving 

 as naturalist to the Pacific Railroad Survey, under Governor Stevens, 

 and while stationed as surgeon at Western military posts. 



A report was prepared by him on this subject iu 1859, forming part of 

 the twelfth volume of the series of Pacific Raik-oad Reports, and was 

 reproduced in a separate volume entitled " The Natural History of Wash- 

 ington Territory," by Dr. J. G. Cooper and himself. 



After the return of the Northwestern Boundary Survey, in 1861, he 

 was intrusted by the Commissioner, Mr. Archibald Campbell, with the 

 preparation of a report on the Salmonidce of Washington Territory, 

 which he completed, although it was never published, and which Mr. 

 Campbell, by permission of the State Department, kindly turned over 

 to the Smithsonian Institution to dispose of as it might think proper. 



At the request of the Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Suckley then en- 

 larged this report by the addition of other species of North American 

 Salmonidce, thus making a second and much improved edition of his 

 first memoir, embracing, as it did, the large amount of material belong- 

 ing to the Institution, among the most important of which was that col- 

 lected in the Hudson Bay territory by Mr. Kennicott and other corre- 

 spondents. 



This memoir was delivered to the Institution in July, 1861 ; and, 

 although in the thirteen years which have elapsed, much change has 

 taken place, in our knowledge of the subject, still, on account of the 

 completeness of the paper, and the absence of anything more full on 

 the subject, I here introduce it, by permission of the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, in its original form. 



Whatever be its defects or redundancies, it will serve as an excellent 

 basis for further investigation ; and although it is probable that the 

 actual number of species is less than that given by Dr. Suckley, who 

 doubtless considered certain variations of age, sex, and season as spe- 

 cies, it will be easier to reduce them to the proper number after the 

 publication of this report. 



S. F. BAIRD. 



