64 VIVIPAROUS FISHES. 



the water in the Atlantic, upon the East side of the Isth- 

 mus, should be the highest, but the opposite is the fact, 

 the Pacific being about twenty- seven feet above the for- 

 mer, but varying with the conditions of the wind and tide. 

 Mr. Brainerd took the positions that the difference was due 

 in part to the obstruction the islands in the Caribbean 

 Sea offer to the flow of the water westward, and partly to 

 the meeting of the North and South currents of the Pacific 

 in the Bay of Panama, and the obstruction to their flow 

 westward by the Gallipagos Islands. 



ON THE VIVIPAROUS OR OVOVIVIPAROUS CHAR- 

 ACTER OF A SPECIES OF THE SALMONID^. 



BY THEODATUS GARLICK, M. D. 



Read before the Cleveland Academy of Natural Science, January 17, 1854. 



The recent discovery of viviparous fishes, as reported by 

 Prof. Agassiz, has created such a lively interest in the 

 minds of naturalists, that we may look for further discov- 

 eries of the same character at no distant period. 



Very little is yet known of the process of reproduction 

 in fishes, owing, perhaps, in a great measure, to the difficul- 

 ties to be encountered in making observations, as the 

 process is always accomplished under water, and by many 

 species in deep water. 



Before I read Prof. Agassiz's article, I had received 

 information of so reliable a character as hardly to leave 

 room for doubt on my mind, that we have viviparous fishes 

 in Lake Superior. 



I have made use of the term viviparous, but I would 

 here remark that I am inclined to the opinion that they 

 are ovoviviparous, and shall not be surprised to learn that 

 the fishes described by Prof. Agassiz are of the same char- 

 acter. 



