XO. 1800 IDENTITY OF A SUPPOSED WHITEFISII — KEXDALE 



97 



series, could not be a whitefish, much less any other salmonoid. 

 This character suggests a cyprinid or a Catostomid, but the character 

 of the mouth precludes the latter. According to Valenciennes, the 

 drawing upon which the description w-as based was made from a 

 specimen from the Saskatchewan River furnished by Richardson. 



The only cyprinid recorded from the Saskatchewan by Richard- 

 son^ is his "Cyprinus (Leucisciis) gracilis/' of which he gives a full 

 description and an excellent plate figure. In the following com- 

 parison of the essential features given in V'alenciennes's account with 

 the corresponding characters shown in Richardson's description and 

 fig-ure. it will be see that thev almost exactly agree : 



Val. — Remarkably small head. 

 Head 1/6 total length. 



" Depth of body something over 

 5 in total length. 



" depth of head, measured from 

 nape, 1/2 its length. 



Length of mouth r/3 head. 



Pectoral long and pointed, al- 

 most reaching ventral. 



Anal almost as high as dorsal. 



Scales moderate, 55 in length. 

 Fifteen scales in cross-series. 



Scales grooved with 8 or 10 

 radiating striae. 



D. 10: A. id; C. 19; P. 16; V. 8. 

 Length of specimen i ft. 

 Native name. Nat-Chee-Goes. 



Rich. — Small head. 



" Head 5 in length to tip middle 

 rays of caudal. 



" Depth of body 5 in length to 

 tip middle rays of caudal 

 [from figure]. 



" Depth of head a little more 

 than 1/2 its length [from 

 figure]. 



" Length of mouth slightly less 

 than 1/3 head [from figure]. 



" Pectoral long and pointed, ex- 

 tending a little over 2/3 the 

 distance from its origin to 

 base of ventral [from 

 figure]. 

 Longest dorsal ray i inch and 

 10 lines ; longest anal ray i 

 inch and 7 lines. 



" Scales large, 55 in length. 



" Seventeen scales in cross- 

 series [only 15 shown in 

 figure]. 



'■ Scales with 10 or 12 fine 

 streaks radiating from the 

 center. 

 D. 9: A. 10; C. 19; P. 16; V.8. 

 Length 12 inches and 2 lines. 



". Cree Indian name, No- 

 nathchee-gaes. 



The evidence presented by this strikingly close agreement in de- 

 tails justifies the belief that Valenciennes had before him a drawing 

 of the above-mentioned cyprinid of Richardson. Further evidence is 



' Funa Boreali-Americana, iii, 1836, 120, pi. 78. 



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