INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The fishes of western North America are as yet too little known, and the amount of new- 

 materials for further investigations too great, also, to warrant anything like an attempt on the 

 present occasion to establish a natural series. After treating of the various groups in a series 

 of monographs, as already begun by us,* we shall be better prepared to do justice to that part 

 of our subject. 



We have spoken at some length upon two groups — the Cataphracti, or mailed cheeks, and the 

 Embiotocoids, or viviparous family, both of them having numerous representatives along the 

 Pacific coast. They constitute the most predominant feature of the ichthyic fauna of that region 

 of the North American continent, together with the Trachinids and the Heterolepids, which 

 seem to bring into closer relationships the Percoids and the Cottoids, properly so called. The 

 true Percoids, themselves, appear isolated west of the Rocky Mountain range. 



The Sphyiaenid family is represented by one species of the genus Sphyraena. 



The Sciaenoids, so far as observed, are few in numbers, and remind us of the Atlantic types. 



Not a single species of Sparoid has as yet come to our knowledge from the coast of Oiegon 

 and California. 



As to the Atherinoid family, we find in California a rather large species designated by the 

 settlers under the name of "smelt," probably on account of its delicacy, and which is, truly 

 speaking, an ally of the "silver-side" or "silver-fish" of our Atlantic coast, and " pesce del 

 Rey" and " pescadilla del Rey" of Central and South America. The "silver-fish" being of a 

 diminutive size, even when fully grown, its esculent qualities have remained unnoticed by either 

 fishermen or gastronomers. The "pesce del Rey" tells its own story. 



The scarcity of Scomheroids is a curous feature in the fauna of our western coast: a Mackerel, 

 (Scomber), a Bonito (Pelamys), and two Caranx, constitute so far the entire known list. But 

 we venture to say that further researches will bring to light many more of them. 



The only species of Chetodonts we are acquainted with from the western coast was obtained 

 in the southern part of the State of California. 



The Blennioids appear to be more numerous than the preceding ones, new generic types 

 having been found (NeocUnus, Xqihidion, Apodichthys, Cebidichthys, and Anarrichthys) along 

 with species of known genera (Blennius, Gunnellus, Lumpenus). 



The Gobioids, properly so called, are comparatively scarce, two species of the genus Gohius 

 constituting the entire known list. 



The Cyclopterids, or Discoboli, are represented by two species also, one of which is a 

 Lepadog aster , the other a Cyclogaster. 



The Batrachoid or toad-fish family has given one species to the fauna^ and which we have 

 erected into a new genus. 



The Labroids, properly so called, are anything but numerous, if the Embiotocoids are 

 considered as a separate family. We think^ however, that many more will be found hereafter, 

 especially along the southern coast of California. 



"See "Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge," vol. Ill, 1852. 



