S.\I.M(IN11).K, 



87.-) 



Gknis MALLOTUS". 



jVb ra)iini'>^: sinull. fine feetli, iKin/li/ (listiiK/insl/iililf io llic uaked eife, f'cl in- one roir in tin; anterior part of the 

 i(nrt'ij(iii\ iin the inteiind.iilhiries, the ina.iilliirirs, the head of fl/c lonici-, tl/r anterior extremity of the jjalafines^ 

 the inesojiteri/i/i>i(i hones, and the toni/ne. Len(/fh of the ina.iillaries as a rati' ■'>/'' — ti'l %, and that of the lower 

 jaw as a rale 7')' — !)() %, of the lenr/th of the head redaeed. Xandn'r of rai/s in the amd fin 20 — 24, 17'' — 20 

 Iteinii liraneheil: anil the Itase of the anal fii longer than that of the dorsal. Creeal direrlicula at the pijlorns 

 short and feir [ahoat 4 — tl). Scales small, al/oat 200 in a nnr (doni/ the sides of the liodij, and the lateral line 

 complete, at least to the perpendi( alar from the end of the an<d fn. 



Between Mallot as ami Osincras stMiuls tlio Arctic 

 AraericMii Ealachon ( Thaleichthys pacificus), witli scales 

 unly slighth' smaller than those of the Smelt and den- 

 tition feeble as in the ("apelin". Tims we cannot ex- 

 |)ect tl) ti'ace the descent of the ("apelin immediately 

 from the Smelt t)r the reverse. In several resjiects, it 

 is true, we tind that the Smelts represent an earlier 

 stage of development, more nearh" approximated to the 

 presumable original form. (_)ne of the most prominent 

 differences between the two genera lies, for example, 

 in the shape of the anal tin, the height of which is 

 al\va\'s more in the Smelts, less in the Capeliiis, than 

 half its base. Xcjw in the former' we find in the aver- 

 ages a difference both of age — the voung have a rela- 

 tivelv higher anal tin than the old — and of sex — the 

 females have a relativelv higher anal tin than the 

 males — both of which relations point to the transition 

 from Osnieras to Mallotus. In most other respects, 

 however, Mallotiis comes nearer to the original form, 

 such as we may assiune this form to have been, jud- 

 ging by the manner in which the characters aiipeai'. 

 Thus, for example, Mallotns has a narrower snout than 



Osmeras, ihe lircsidtli (if the snout across the articular 

 knobs of the maxillaries bcsing less in ^[allotus, more 

 in Osmeras, than ' ^ of the length of the head or ' ,, 

 of the length of the iiead reduced. In Mallotas as in 

 Osm. eperlanus the percentages for these relations also 

 rise with increasing age. The sexual distinction is. 

 however, different here: in the ("apelins (as in Osni. 

 dente.r and ()s)n. siiirinehas) the snout is as a rule 

 narrowest in the females, in Osm. eperlanus in the 

 males. Another character wherein Mallotns also repre- 

 sents a lower grade of development, may be found in 

 its adipose tin, Avliich is of uniform height, long and 

 lo\v, and which, like the embryonic tins that we ha\e 

 remarked in several preceding genera, is furnished 

 with a countless number of tine supporting fibrils. 

 The feeble dentition approximates Mallotns more close- 

 1\- to the following subdivision of the Salmonoid 

 famih', althougli the immediate transition from Osme- 

 ras to the said subdivision passes through other 

 genera, as for instance Xelma (Stenodas) and ili/p"- 

 mesns. 



< )nly one species of the genus is known''. 



" Greek fiai.Xcordg = Lat. villosiis, hairy. 

 '' In exceptional cases on. 



' Eiiliichoii is besides reinarliable for its fatness. In a ilried form it is a food of good tlavoiir and, when lit. burns like a lamp. 

 ■' Most distinctly, judging by the Royal Museum succiniens, in Osmen:s ilentex and Osm. i>pir>nchus. 



■■' The difference given in Riksmuseets Salmonider between the Capolins of the Old and New Worlds has proved, on examination of 

 a greater number of specimens from Greenland, fo be untenable. 



