THE WHITEFISHES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



315 



finely punctulated, central part unmarked, producing light longitudinal 

 stripes extending whole length of body; fins flesh color or pinkish in 

 life, the dorsal and caudal usually showing dusky edges; postorbital 

 area with a bright golden reflection. Iris golden, pupil black. 



The extreme variations in some of the characters of this species are 

 remarkable, their nature and importance being apparent only upon 

 examination of a large series of specimens. We have counted the 

 scales and gillrakers and made comparative measurements of a great 

 many examples, and present in the appended table the figures obtained 

 from such a study of nearly one hundred specimens. Figures obtained 

 from specimens examined in the field and not preserved are not included 

 in this table. A study of the table will show that the relative length 

 of head and depth of body are fairly constant; the same is true of the 

 eye and snout, and the number of fin rays; the maxillary and mandible 

 are a little more variable, while the variations in the scales and the 

 gillrakers are unexpectedly great. Using the averages obtained from 

 the table and putting in parentheses the extremes of variation, this 

 species would be described as follows : 



Head, 4£ (3£ to 4f); depth, 4^ (3£ to 5j); eye, 4 ; V (3£ to 6); snout, 4£ 

 (3i to 5); maxillary, 3 (2f to 3&); mandible, 2 (If to 2£); dorsal, 10 

 (9 to 12); anal, 11 (10 to 15); scales, 8 (7 to 9)-75 (05 to 86)-7 (0 to 9); 

 gillrakers, If (10 to 17) + 25 (21 to 32). 



Table of comparative measurements of specimens of longjaw whitefish ( Argyrosomus prog- 



nathus). 



No. 



Lake -where 

 taken. 



Sex .•mil 

 condi- 

 tion. 



1 Ontario 



2 do. 



3 

 4 

 5 

 6 



7 



8 



9 

 in 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 11 

 15 

 16 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 22 

 23 

 24 

 25 

 20 

 27 

 28 

 'J', i 

 30 



....do 



....do 



....do 



...do 



....<lo 



...do 



....do 



....do 



Huron 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



....do 



do 



do 



do 



....do 



....do 



do 



do 



do 



31 do 



32 I Michigan . . 



<!ill mutilated: number uncertain. 



9-S3-9 

 9-71-8 

 9-79-8 

 9-75-8 

 9-74-8 

 8-74-8 

 8-66-7 

 8-65-8 

 9-70-7 

 9-75-7 

 9-74-7 

 8-79-7 

 8-75-8 

 8-66 8 

 8-70-7 

 9-70-7 

 9-75-7 

 8-75-7 

 8-77-8 

 8-73-8 

 7-73-8 

 9 78 8 

 8-79-7 

 9-73-8 

 8-73-8 

 7-70-6 

 8-71-7 

 8-70-7 

 8 7ii 7 

 7-78 s 

 7-74-7 

 7-70-7 



Gillrakers. 



In 



eve. 



M4+28j 



II 24; 



'12 I 31 ; 



HIM 30; 



II 24 ; 



v 12 + 2<i; 



13 r^-. 



14 I 26; 

 "15 + 26; 

 '14+29: 

 MO i 18; 

 '14+23: 

 1 10+17; 



11 26; 

 15 27; 

 14 + 27; 



I 4 1 23 ; 

 "12+23; 

 "13+23; 



12 23; 



I I 27 ; 

 1 2 22 ; 

 11 + 21; 



11 i 22; 



12 1 22: 



13 I 26; 

 14+26; 

 13 + 25; 

 13 + 27; 

 13 + 24; 

 *9 I 30 ; 

 12+22; 



15 + 29 

 15 29 



15 31 



10+:; 1 

 14 'jr. 



12 27 

 10+21* 

 14 27 

 16+30 

 17 + 30 

 12+22 



13 + 26 

 10+17" 



14 + 27 



14] 27 

 13 + 2:t 

 13+21 



13 2:; 



14 + 27 

 12 I 23 



11 + 21 

 11+22 



12 + 21 



13 -i 19' 



15 26 



12 i 27 

 14+27 



13 I 24 

 6 + 33' 



13+23 



13 

 1? 

 1-' 

 If 



11 



14 

 2 



14 

 14 



n 

 u 

 14 

 14 

 n 

 2— 



