104 KEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH 'AND FISHERIES. 

 7. SALMO SALAE, LiimiBus. 



COMMON SALMON OF EUROPE. 



We are bj' no means satisfied that this European species exists on the 

 American coast, although Dr. Storer, De Kay and others have so writ- 

 ten. Herbert, quoting Mr. Perley, says that the Salmo trutta, Flem,, of 

 Europe, is also found, and it has been stated that the 8. hamatus, Cuv., 

 occurs. Most x)robably these species are, if ever found, oidj' met with 

 as accidental individuals ; and those fish taken after cursory examina- 

 tion" to be identical with the European are really of distinct species, 

 analogous to or the counterparts of tlieir relatives' on the other side. 



The description of Salmo salar, contained in Storer's synopsis, is so 

 meager tliat it is useless for purposes of identification. Those of other 

 authors are exceedingly contradictory. Jenyns, in his "Manual of British 

 Vertebrate Animals," gives the following character as pertaining to the 

 species : "Form, oval ; moderately elongated, with the head and back 

 in nearly the same line ; the greatest depth a little before the dorsal ; 

 contained about five times and a half in the entire length, increasing, 

 however, with age ; thickness, half the depth, head small, about one- 

 sixth of the entire length ; snout rather sharp ; jaws in young fish 

 nearly equal, but in old males the lower one longest and curving up- 

 ward in a hook. A row of sharp teeth along both sides of each jaw as 

 well as on the palatines ; but those on the vomer confined to its anterior 

 estreiuity, and in some specimens rather obsolete. 



" The only specimen m the Smithsonian collection, obtained from the 

 American coast, which closely approaches the S. salar of Europe, is 

 the head of a salmon supposed to have been brought from Maine, hav- 

 ing been purchased in the Washington market. In certain respects the 

 fish undoubtedly approaciies the European species, if we may be allowed 

 to judge by the head alone. Compared to the specimen sent from the 

 Swedish Academy, and labelled S. salar^ (of the correctness of which 

 name we have, however, strong doubts,) we find the head comparatively 

 much wider between the eyes, and posteriorly, in the Maine specimen. 

 The taper of the snout and lower jaw is more rapid; their extremities 

 sharper; teeth more irregular in size, and the angle of the mouth but 

 little behind a line drawn vertically from midway between the eye and 

 nostril ; whereas in the European specimen the angle, when the jaw is 

 moderately drawn down, is found just beneath the pupd. The shape 

 of the pre-opercula also differ ; that of the Maine fish having its poste- 

 rior border nearly vertical, and not, as in the European specimen, arch- 

 ing almost parallel with the semicircular curve of the operculum. 



" In addition, the vomer of the American fish has no teeth upon its 

 shaft, and but two on its anterior extremity, in this respect agreeing 

 with Jenyn's description of »V. sniar, but ditfering from the Swedish 

 specimens, which have two rows of teeth upon the shaft of that bone.'' 



