166 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxvi. 



Body very deej), its width contained If times in head ; dorsal out- 

 line curved abruptly ujDward behind occiput ; dorsal contour of head 

 straight; snout pointed, though rather blunt at tip; jaws about equal, 

 the lower closing just beneath the upper at tip; maxillary extending 

 to a point beneath anterior edge of pupil, the supplemental part 

 about 3 times as long as wide. Gillrakers on first arch 16-1-29, very 

 slender, the longest equal in length to diameter of orbit. Scales 

 firmly attached. 



Dorsal inserted about midway between tip of snout and base of 

 caudal, the highest (first) ray contained 1^- times in length of head; 

 height of adipose dorsal equal to 1^ times the length of its base; 

 height of anal contained 2 times in length of head; outline of both 

 dorsal and anal slightly concave; origin of ventral below anterior 

 part of dorsal, length of fin contained 1^ in head ; pectoral 1 f in 

 head. 



Color in spirits silvery, dusky on upper parts, but without blue 

 shades in life ; distal portion of dorsal, outer part of caudal, and edge 

 and tip of pectoral dusky ; other fins white. 



Tyjje.— Cat. No. 62515, U.S.N.M., is from Lake Erie at Port Stan- 

 ley, Ontario, measuring 16^ inches in length, and was collected by 

 the writers. This represents the maximum of the size of the species 

 as seen by us. Its weight when fresh was 2f pounds. A cotype, 14J 

 inches long. No. 13083, Stanford University collection, obtained at the 

 same time, is a little smaller and slightly darker in color, the anal 

 having a terminal dusky cloud. It has 11 dorsal and 11 anal rays. 



This species is very abundant along the northern shore of Lake 

 Erie about the first of August. It is also occasionally taken in the 

 southern part of Lake Huron, but it seems to be unknown in Lake 

 Superior, and we did not hear of it in Lake Ontario, On the date of 

 our visit to Port Stanley, July 29, 1908, about 1,500 f)Ounds were 

 taken in the gill-nets. The largest of these weighed 2| pounds, and 

 were about 18 inches in length. The bulk of the catch was, however, 

 about 14 inches in length. It is said of this species that there is a 

 " great spurt " or large run in the spring and a short one in the 

 autumn, l)eforc the spawning time in November. 



The species was also seen at Port Burwell, where large numbers 

 of them are smoked, having an excellent flavor as thus prepared. 

 Many others from Point Rondeau, Ontario, were seen in the Detroit 

 market. 



The species may be called the " Erie Cisco," as it is characteristic 

 of that lake, although other species, .Irgi/r^osomi/s arfedl, the com- 

 mon Lake Herring, and Ai^gyrosomns hurotiius, are found in the 

 same lake. Fishermen claim that it is found in middle water, not 

 at the surface nor at the bottom. As a food fish it is far superior 

 to any other lake herring, being as delicate and rich in flavor as 



