120 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



bad become soiuewluit altered in appearance by long residence in salt 

 water. But upon the examination of Mr. Drexler's specimens from Hud- 

 son's Bay, it became apparent that a distinct, but nearly allied species 

 exists thus far northward, replacing the above, and of which the speci- 

 mens obtained by the first- mentioned gentlemen were the young. 

 While in the salt water they bite freely at any common bait. 



21. SALMO EOSSII, Eichardsou. 



ROSS' ARCTIC SAlLMON. 



Syn, — Salmo rossii, Rich. Nat. Hist., App. Ross's Voy., p. Ivi ; — Ibid. F. B. A., vol. 

 3, p. 163 ; PI. 80, PI. 85, f. 2 ;— DeKay, Zool. N. Y. Fishes, p. 242. 

 Salmo 2Knt:hin<iiiiis, GiLi-, Cat. Fishes E. Coast N. A., p. 52. 



Sp. Oh. [Condensed from Sir John Eichardson's description.] Form 

 more slender, dorsal outline less arched than in aS". salar. Head also 

 rather larger, being one-fifth of the length to end of scales on the caudal. 

 Snout very obtuse; under jaw remarkably long, its tip having a small, 

 incurved knob. [?Xo notch between the intermaxillaries for the recep- 

 tion of this knob.J Conspicuous pores on the sides of the face bones 

 posteriorly. Eye equidistant between snout and nape. Intermaxillaries 

 toothed along their whole margins. About thirty teeth on the tongue. 



Bai/ formula.— Br. 12-13; D. 13-0; P. 14; V. 10: A. 11. 



Scales very small — particularly on the back ; nowhere tiled, each scale 

 being surrounded by a distinct space of smooth skin. 



Colors. — Back, top of head, dorsal and caudal fins have a huje inter- 

 mediate between oil-green and hair-browu. Sides, pearl-gray, with a 

 blush of lilac and silvery luster. Near the lateral line scattered dots or 

 spots of carmine. Belly varying from faded-orange to tile-red, and 

 arterial-red. 



Hab. — Arctic Ocean, near the mouths of the rivers of Boothia Felix. 



There does not seem to be sutticient reason for doing away with the 

 name first applied to this species by Sir Jno. Eichardsou. Besides, the 

 comparison of one or two dried skins, of nearly similar species ought to 

 be insufficient to condemn a name once established. 



This salmon presents peculiarities of great importance, which no red- 

 spotted trout which we have seen — or in fact, any other, in a collection 

 of 30 species of American SaJmonicke. Prominent among. these may 

 be mentioned the great number of teeth upon the tongue. The dmgnosis 

 between this species and others consists in the red-spots, obtuse snout, 

 -long under jaw, conspicuous i)ores on the face bones, the great number 

 of teeth on the tongue, and the distinct space of smooth skin around each 

 scale. All i)rominent and unmistakable char5,cters. 



