Jordan and Evermann. — Fis/ics of North ylinertca. 525 



795. HYPOMESUS PRETIOSl'S (Giranl). 



(SuitF Smei.t.) 



Head 4^ ; depth 4f ; eye as long as snout, 4i in head. D. 10 ; A. 15 ; P. 

 14 ; V. 8 ; scales 70. Fins low, the longest dorsal ray 8 in length 

 without c-aiulal ; pectorals scarcely reaching halfway to veutrals, 7 in 

 length of body ; ventrals not reaching vent, their length 8i in body. 

 Light olivaceous ; a silvery band along the lateral line. Length 12 

 inches. Coast of California and Oregon, from Monterey northward ; 

 abundant, spawning in the surf. A firm-fleshed and fat little fish of deli- 

 cate flavor, scarcely inferior to the eulachon. {pretiosus, precious.) 



Argentina preliosa, Gibabd, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, 155, San Francisco. 

 Osmenis elotigatits, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Soi., 1854, 17, San Francisco. 

 Osmerus preUosus, GiRARD, Pac. K. R. Surv., x, 324, 1858. 

 Hi/pomcsvs pretiusus, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 294, ISS:!. 



79«. HYPOMESUS OLIDUS (Pallas). 

 (Pond Smelt.) 



Scales 56 to 60. Fins nigher than in HypomesHs preUosus, the longest 

 dorsal ray 6 in length of body ; pectorals reaching j the distance to root 

 of ventrals, their length 5 in body ; ventrals 6 in length of body. Color- 

 ation dusky, little translucent. Alaska and Kamchatka, spawning in 

 fresh-water ponds, excessively abundant about St. Michaels. A sweet 

 little fish, excellent as food. {oUdiis, oily.) 



SaJmo (Osmerus) olidus, Pallas, Zoogr. Koss.-Asiat., iii, 391, 1811, lakes and rivers of Kam- 

 chatka. 

 3Iesopii3 olidns, GuNTHEK, Cat., vi, IRQ, 1866; in part. 



Hi/pomesus oliihts, Jordan ct Gilbert, Sjnopsis, 295, 1883; Turner, Contr. Nat. Hist. Alaska, 

 103, 1886. 



243, ARGENTINA (Artedi) Linmeus. 

 (Argentines.) 



Arijentina (Abtedi) LiNNiEUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 315, {sphynoKi). 

 Silus* llEiNiiARDT, Beniivrkiuger Skandinavisk Ictlithyol., 11, 1833, {sih(s). 

 Acanlhdlepii.'^, Kroyer, Danmarks Fiske, lii, 98, 1846-'49, {silus). 



Body oblong, covered with rather large cycloid scales, which are more 

 or less rough with spinous j^oints. Mouth small, the niaxillaries very 

 short, not reaching to the eye; eye very large. Jaws toothless; an 

 arched series of minute teeth on the head of the vomer and on the fore 

 part of the jjalatine ; tongue with a series of small curved teeth on each 

 side. Dorsal fin short, in advance of the ventrals ; caudal fin deeply 

 forked. Eggs small. Pyloric cccca present. Branchiostegals 6. Air 

 bladder, accordingt to Cuvier, without duct. Fishes of deep or cold 

 waters, never entering fresh streams. (Latin argentum, nilyeT.) 



a. Scales spinigerous; body deep, the depth 5 to 53^ in length; eye longer than »DOut; scales 

 small, 60 to 66. siLus, 797. 



*The genus Sihis (Norwegian Sil or Sild, herring) is founded on a species with spinescont 

 scales. I3ut it is not certain that any species has really smooth scales, and in Anientiua sphijrivna, 

 the type of the genus, according to l>ay, the scales are provided with stellate spinules. 



t This alleged character needs verification. 



