1. SALMO. 115 



XII. Trout from rivers of the Hindoo Koosh. 



Finally, Griffith (Calcutt. Joum. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 585, and iii. 

 p. 283) mentions a trout found on the northern declivities of the 

 Hindoo Koosh, and in the Bamean River, one of the tributaries of 

 the Oxus, 11,000 feet above the level of the sea. This species ap- 

 pears to be the southernmost in Central Asia, and the nearest to 

 the Indian region. There are no Salmonoids in Afghanistan or any 

 of the countries to the south of the Hindoo Koosh. M'Glelland 

 named this fish Salmo orientalis, which name cannot be retaijied, if 

 the fish should prove to be a distinct species, as it was given to 

 another fish by Pallas. 



The notes added by M'CleUand allude to characters of the genus 

 only ; and the figure (pi. 1) is too rude to assist in the determination 

 of the species. 



XIII. Northern Asia and North-western America. 



According to our present knowledge, we are obliged to unite the 

 Salmonoids of Northern Asia and North-western America under one 

 heading: although the greater number of species inhabiting western 

 and central Siberia, or ascending Siberian rivers from the Arctic 

 Ocean, will be found to f>e distinct from those of the Pacific or of the 

 American fresh waters, yet there are several which evidently inhabit 

 America as well as Asia ; and others, described by Pallas and Ame- 

 rican writers under different names, may eventually prove to be 

 identical. 



Our knowledge of the Siberian fishes rests entirely on PaUas's 

 researches ; but we cannot expect that his descriptions, drawn up 

 fifty years ago, should satisfy our requirements for distinguishing 

 and recognizing the species of this most difficult family. What is 

 more to be regretted is, that in his notes on the habits and geogra- 

 phical distribution of the species he did not confine himself to obser- 

 vations relating to the typical specimen of his description, but fre- 

 quently mixes them with notes derived from other travellers and 

 evidently taken from different species. Fortunately some of the 

 typical specimens passed through Rudolphi into the Berlin Mu- 

 seum, where they are still preserved ; and we are much indebted to 

 Professor Peters, who allowed us to examine and to compare them 

 with the American species in the British Museum and the Haslar 

 Collection. 



The Salmonoids of the Pacific coasts of North America have been 

 worked out chiefly by Girard and Suckley ; and the detennination of 

 the species described by the former is essentially facilitated by a 

 series of illustrations. But the notes on the species named by the 

 latter gentlemen are so incomplete, owing to the imperfect condition 

 of the materials worked upon, as well as to the slight experience of 

 the author in pointing out really specific characters, that all these 

 specimens (many of which appear to be quite unfit for scientific ex- 

 amination) require a critical examination before the species founded 



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