APPENDIX. 323 
The malacopterygii^ or soft-rayed, are separated into the abdomi- 
nal^ which have the ventrals in the centre of the abdomen ; the siib- 
iracMal^ which have the ventrals at the shoulder ;• and the apodal^ 
or footless, that is without lower fins. 
Of the abdominal, the first family is that of the siluridcB. It is 
distinguished by a naked, slimy skin, a large head with several fila- 
ments, usually a second adipose dorsal, and the first ray of the dorsal 
and pectoral a strong articulated spine. They comprise the cat-fish, 
bull-pouts, bull-heads and horned-pouts, as you please to call them, 
the common kinds being classed under the genus pimelodus. 
The second family is the cyprinidce^ which have small jaws, a weak 
mouth, mostly toothless, large scales, one dorsal, and teeth on the 
pharyngeals. The cyprinus carpio is the common carp, the cyprinus 
auratus the gold-fish, both of which were imported and are not indi- 
genous. This family also includes the ahramis or bream, sometimes 
called dace; the ladeo^ chub or chub-sucker; the catastomus or 
common sucker, of which genus the species are known by varied 
popular appellatives, such as mullet, barbel, dace, horned-dace, golden 
mullet, red-horse and shoemaker ; the genus leuciscus or dace proper, 
also the red-fin, roach and shiners ; the fundulus or killifish, other- 
wise minnow or mummychog ; and the Jiydragira or fresh-water 
minnow. 
The next family, the esoeidce^ has one dorsal opposite the anal, an 
elongated body, and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. It in- 
cludes the esox or pickerel and mascallonge ; the belone or sea-pike, 
sometimes miscalled gar-fish and sea-snipe ; the scomheresox or bill- 
fish ; and the exocetus or flying-fish proper. 
The family of the Jlstularidm includes the pipe-fish; and the next 
family of importance is that of the salmonidm^ comprising the salmo 
salar or salmon, the salmo fontinalis or American brook trout, the 
salmo confinis or lake trout, and the sahno amethystus or Mackinaw 
salmon, the osmerus or smelt, and the coregonus or white-fish and 
Otsego bass. 
The family of the clupidm has a single dorsal and compressed 
scaly body. It includes the clupea or herring, the alosa or shad, ale- 
wife and mossbunker; and the family of the saurid(B has only one 
common representative, called the buffalo-fish. 
Of the sub-brachial we have the family gadidm^ which have the 
jaws and point of the vomer armed with rasp-like teeth, and two or 
three dorsals. Morrhua^ cod, tom-cod or frost-fish, haddock and the 
melueius, or hake, form the most considerable genera ; the lota or 
burbot of the lakes, and the merlangus or pollack, are also taken in 
large numbers. 
The next family, the planidce, has a flat body, the under side 
white and the upper dark, both eyes on one side of the head, and a 
dorsal extending the entire length of the back. It includes the hip- 
