REPORT ON ICHTHYOLOGY. 395 



Avoukl not militate agaiust the idea of its identity Avitli lioccus rJirijsops, althonjj-h 

 usually large, but an examination of the descri])tion of Smith and Kichardsdu vovcals 

 no mention whatever of the size of the species. 



In the number of Guerin's ''Revue et Magazin do Zoologie" for April, 1853 

 (vol. V, p. 164), Professor Filippi, of Turin, has described a Rocctis, to which hr. has 

 given the name oC Lnhnir Osculdti'i ; a traveler in America, ]\I. Osculati, having obtaim-d 

 it from Lake Ontario. Filippi has distinguished this species from Lahrax Unadus very 

 well, alluding to the two longitudinal lines of basal teeth in that species, and attributing 

 to his own a single oval patch. Ilis other characters are the greater height of the 

 body in L. Oscidatii, which equals a third of the length, while in L. lhicatns it is a 

 quarter, and the number of scales, whicli arc fornudated as ^(ii'i for L. OsciiUtt'ii and 

 (i4,''i for L. luicafns. The true teeth are also said to be more numerous. Tiicf dis- 

 tinctive characters of tlie species are very well stated by Filippi, but his expression of 

 surprise that a fish so conniioii in the United States sjiould not have been noticed by 

 any American naturalist, not even by Dr. De Kay, is uncalled for. llidiappily, the 

 species had been too often noticed, and in De Kay's Ichthyology of New York it 

 appears under no less than three ditferent names. Filippi has mentioned its habitat as 

 the sea, and rivers of the Fnited States (marc ct Jhtviis Coi/fcdemfioiiis AiiicricioKc). 

 I know not on wliat authority it is said to inhaliit tlie sea. it is i)robably assumed to 

 be found there bi'cause the Roccits liiicafiis is. So far as we know, it is confined to tlie 

 great fresh-water lakes and the western rivers. 



As Fili])pi has already led one naturalist into error regarding the ])roportions of 

 the species, it seems ut'cessary to state that he must have reckoned the length only 

 from the snout to the l)ase of the camlal tin, and not to its margin. When so meas- 

 ured, the height is a third of the length, but its lieight in proportion to the total length 

 is only as three to ten. 



Sjiecimens of the IIocchs chr/fsojis are in the nniseuni of the Smitlisonian Institu- 

 tion, from Southern Illinois, obtained by Mr. Kobert Kennicott, and fniia th(> Root 

 River, at Racine, Wis., Toronto, &.Q., obtained by Professor I'aird. It appears to be 

 generally distributed in the rivers of the West. 



The specimens from the hydrographical basins of tlie ( )hio b'iver and of the Great 

 Lakes cannot be .specifically distinguished from each other; nor can I perceive the 

 difference signalized by l>r. Kirtland in the caudal tins of Ohio and Lake Pjrie 

 spechnens. 



In extreme youtli, this sjiecies ajipears to be crossed b}' obscure vi-rtical bands. 

 At a later epoch, these bands are lost, and afterward the longitudinal lines are 

 assumed. 



The best descriptions of this species have been published by Professor Filippi 

 under the name L. Osculati i, and by the late Dr. De Kay under that of L. albidus. 

 The best figure is that given by Dr. Kirtland in the Journal of the lioston Society of 

 Natural History; but the dorsals are erroneously represented as being connected by a 

 low membrane. In the text, they are correctly described as being "distinct". 



It is with nnu-h hesitation that I have adopted the specific name of Rafinesque. 

 It would have been better for the progress of the science if all the works of that 

 unfortunate naturalist had been ignored. 



