2. ONCOEHTNCHirS. 161 



first ray composed of four, which are closely attached. Caudal bluish, 

 crescent-shaped, stout, mth the lobes pointed. Dorsal fin, adipose, 

 and upper lobe of the caudal variegated with dots. 



I offer this fish, of which I have obtained an imperfect specimen, 

 on the authority and from the description of Steller ; and, according 

 to him, it is the species of Salmon which latest ascends the rivers 

 of Kamtschatka gregariously ; it rarely arrives before the middle of 

 August. On quitting the sea it is entirely white, and shines like 

 the most polished silver. Then also the snout is as yet straight, not 

 produced, becoming towards October elongated and turned upwards. 

 It prefers especially the rivers which issue from lakes ; hence they 

 just enter the river Bolschaya, but immediately turn into the river 

 Oschernaya, or steer quickly towards the lake whence the river 

 Bolschaya issues ; so that in the river itself they are hardly seen 

 longer than a week, whereas in the lakes they are found up to 

 January, only being then in a very lean condition. The sides, which 

 are blood-red in October, are then of a brick-red tint, the back 

 grej-ish brown, the beUy white. 



8. Oncorhynclius lagocephalus. 



Salmo lagocephalus, Pall. Zoot/r. Hoss.-As. iii. p. 372. 



B. 13-15. D. 14. A. 18. P. 14. V. 10. C«c. pyl. 180. 



Pallas gives the folloAviug description : — 



Size generally 2 feet and some inches. Head thick, convex above, 

 with the snout shorter and more obtuse than in any other salmon, 

 gibbous towards the front. Jaws somewhat more pointed in the 

 males, with stout, unequal, curved teeth ; the lower a little the longer, 

 with the apex pointed and a little recurved, the teeth being inclined 

 inwards. In fish which have wandered for a longer time in the 

 rivers, the upper and lower jaws are curved inwards, so that they 

 are unable to close the mouth ; lower jaw with ten points on each 

 side, as though punctured with a needle. Eyes rather large. Body 

 oblong, plump, slightly compressed, covered with scales of moderate 

 size ; lateral line broad. Appendages of the ventral fins awl-shaped, 

 equal to half the fin. Caudal forked, robust. Length from tip of 

 mandible to end of caudal fin 2 feet 3 inches 2 lines, length of head 

 5 inches 4 lines, length to the dorsal fin 1 inch 9 lines, breadth of 

 the latter 2 inches 3 lines, thence to the adipose 5 inches 8 lines, 

 from this to the caudal 2 inches 8 lines ; distance to ventral fin ] foot 

 3 lines, thence to the anal 4 inches 9 lines, breadth of the latter 

 2 inches 3 lines, thence to the caudal 2 inches 6 hues, length of 

 caudal 4 inches 2 lines, greatest height of body 4 inches 9 hues, 

 thickness 2 inches 8 hues. According to the observations of Steller, 

 there are as many as 180 appendages in this species, not only round 

 the pylorus but as far as the curvature of the stomach. 



Both fi'om the Northern Pacific and the Bay of Okhotsk this species 

 does not generally ascend the rivers before the middle of July or the 

 month of August, with the single exception of the river Itscha, -tthere 

 both sexes make their appearance as early as May, being only of 



VOL. VI. M 



