247 



2. American char, or Salmo fontinalis, Plate IX, fig. 1 (Male). 



Salmo fontinalis,* Mitcliell, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. New York, 1814, i, 

 p. 435; Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. iii, p. 176, pi. Ixsxiii, f. 1 and pi. Ixsxvii, f. 2 

 (head) ; iStorer, Report Fish. Mass. p. 100 ; Kirtl. Report, Zool. Ohio, p. 109, and 

 Boston Joum. Nat. Hist. 1843, pt. iv, p. 305, pi. xiv, f. 2 ; DeKay, Fauna New 

 York. Fish. p. 235, pi. xxxviii, f. 120 ; Ayres, Boston Journ. Nat. Hist, iv, 1843, 

 p. 273; Cuv. and Val. xxi, p. 260; Bingelow, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist, vi, 1850, 

 p. 49 ; Giinthcr, Catal. vi, p. 152 ; Day, Brit, and Irish Fish, ii, p. 119, pi. cxx, f. 1, 2. 



Salmo hoodii, Richards. 1. c. iii, p. 173, desc. part. (spec, from River Mingan). 



Sahno nigresce^is, Rafin. Ichth. Ohiens. p. 45. 



Baione fo7itinaUs and erythrogaster, DeKay, Faun. New York. Fish. pp. 236, 

 244, pi. XX, f. 58 and pi. xxx'ix, f. 126. 



American char, American trout, Fontinalis, and in American works as red- 

 spotted trout, spcclded trout, spotted troutlet, hroolc trout, common hrooh trout. 



B. x-xi, D. 12-13 (J-T%) I 0, P. 12-13, V. 8-9, A. 10-11 (f.f), C. 19, L. 1. 122- 

 140, L. tr. 36-50/51-63, Ca;c. pyl. 25-40, Vert. 67-62. 



Length of head 4| to 5| (4| in a male), of caudal fin 6f , height of body 4| to 5 

 in the total length. Eyes — in anterior half of head in adults — diameter of each 

 from 4^ to 5 or 51 in the length of the head, 1 to 11 diameters from the end of the 

 snout, and from 1 to If apart. Hind edge of preopercle regularly curved and with 

 a very short but distinct lower limb. Height of opercle equals twice its greatest 

 width ; height of subopercle equals half the length of its lower edge which, with 

 its hind margin, forms a regular ciu-ve. The form of the various opercular pieces 

 in these fishes is liable to great variation, frequently due to an apparent arrest of 

 development ; this is also seen at Howietoun among examples which have had 

 gill-fever in their infancy, and is considered to be one of its results. In one 

 example the .subopercle diflfers on the two sides of the same fish. The maxilla 

 reaches to beneath the hind edge of the eye, or even a little beyond. Teeth — aboiit 

 six in a triangular band on the hind edge of the head of the vomer, but none along 

 its body. Those in the jaws rather stronger than seen in brook trout of similar size. 

 The head of the vomer extends more than half-way along the body of that bone, 

 and posteriorly becomes somewhat blunted with age (see fig. 51). Fins — the rayed 

 doi'sal commences slightly nearer to the end of the snout than to the base of the 

 caudal fin, its third or fourth ray is the longest and somewhat exceeds the length 

 of the base of the fin: ten branched rays, the last being divided to its base, are not 

 rare. Pectoral extends about half-way (in some examples more, in others less) to 

 the base of the ventral, which latter is inserted below the centre of the rayed 

 dorsal fin, laid flat it does not quite reach the vent in young fish, nor nearly so in 

 adults. Caudal forked in the young, but becoming square with age, similar to 

 what takes place in the trout. Scales — 40 to 49 rows from the lateral-line to the 

 base of the ventral fin : 21 to 26 rows from the hind edge of the base of the 

 adipose dorsal fin downwards and forwards to the lateral-line ; fi-om 185 to 235 



* In the following pages I omit the consideration of several forms which have received names in 

 the United States, as being scarcely subjects of sufficient interest in a pojralar work in this country; 

 also, as to whether the American great lake trout, Salmo ticiviaycusli, and its several varieties, is 

 or is not identical with, or very closely allied to, the S. fontinalis, as such mil have to be proved 

 or disproved by the fish-culturists who are able to obtain these eggs from the former fish residing 

 in its native home. Dr. Giinther divided ,S. naniaycush, "Catal. Fish. Brit. Mus." vi, 1860, jjp. 

 X and 123, as a true trout with teeth along the body of the vomer, from S. fontinalis, 1. c. pp. x 

 and 152, as a char, with teeth on the head of the vomer only. Again, in his "Introduction to the 

 study of Fishes," 1880, pp. C45, 646, he reiterates this, although in the intermediate period the 

 error had been clearly exposed. Among various other erroneous statements, this mistake of 

 Dr. Giinther's has been reproduced by the compiler of the remarkable article SabnonidiC, in the 

 present edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. 



