326 GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. 



are set at liberty. If others are conversant with the above facts I 

 shall be very glad, if not shall feel chagrined for not making them 

 known long ago." 



Mooneye ; skip jack (Lake Pepin) ; shiner ; herring ; river herring ; toothed 

 herring. — Hyodon tergisus. Le Sueur. 



This species of the herring family is rather indifferent food. It 

 is found in parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and other 

 Middle Western States. The color of its back is bluish ; sides sil- 

 very ; fins tinged with yellow ; scales large ; head small ; eyes very 

 large, and nearly filling the whole space between the angle of the 

 jaws and the upper part of the head ; conic teeth in a single row 

 above ; in several rows on the lower jaw ; tongue with several se- 

 ries of teeth, of which the outer on each side are the largest ; teeth 

 also on the vomer, and very minute ones on the palatines. Length 

 nine to twelve inches: Fin rays. D. 15; P. 15 ; V. 7 ; A. 29 ; 

 C. 19. 



The Lake Mooneye {Hyodon clodalis,) is not so large a fish, 

 seldom reaching more than eight inches in length. Its mouth is 

 larger and its eye not quite so prominent. The under jaw shuts 

 within the upper. Teeth in a single series on the upper jaw ; in 

 several below. The sides and tips of the tongue are armed with 

 long acute recurved teeth. Color uniform metallic silvery ; bluish 

 above ; fins light colored. This species is common in Lake Erie, 

 where it is called " shiner." and lake herring. Fin rays. D. 15; 

 P. 14 ; V. 7 ; A. 30 ; C. 19. 



It is quite possible that there is still another variety in Lake 

 Pepin, where it is known as " skip jack," and is thus described 

 by Dr. D. C. Estes : " Its usual length is twelve inches and width 

 three inches ; caudal, crescent-shaped ; dorsal, situate far back 

 two and one-half inches from tail, and has twelve rays ; ventrals, 

 about mid-way, seven rays ; anal, extending from ventral to cau- 

 dal (two and one-half inches,) and has twenty-eight rays. The 

 eye, situated very far forward, is enormously large, hence his com- 

 mon name " Mooneye." Well defined teeth on maxillaries, vo- 

 mer, palatines and tongue. Color, pearly white to middle, thence 

 darker to back. The nose projects over the lower jaw, and the 

 mouth is small — not as large as the herring's {Clufna harengus). 



