THE GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. 23 



of their constitutions 5 and, it is probable, to the excellence of their 

 flesh, and the courage and boldness of their tempers. 



To this class belong several of the finest and most important of all 

 our fish, both as regards the table, and the sport; for to this are 

 directly referable the Salmon, that king of the piscine world, the Sea 

 Trout, the Striped Bass, the Shad, and the Smelt ; both of which, for 

 reasons which I shall give, when I am to treat of them, under their 

 own proper heads, I admit as Game Fishes. 



Our fresh-water fishes, then, all belonging to the two classes above 

 named, Malacopterygii^ soft-finned, and Acanthoptery gii, or spiny- 

 finned, are divided into the following families: 



Of the first, ABDOMINAL MALACOPTERYGII, we have 

 The family of SALMONID^E, of which the true sea Salmon is the 

 type, and of which there are many varieties and sub-genera, both 

 migratory and non-migratory ; the principal are 

 GENUS SALMO : 



THE TRUE SALMON, Salmo Salar. 



THE GREATEST LAKE TROUT Mackinaw Salmon Salmo 



Amethystus. 



THE NORTHERN LAKE TROUT Siskawitz Salmo Siskavntz. 

 THE LAKE TROUT Salmon Trout Salmo Confinis. 

 THE SEBAGO TROUT, Salmo Sebago. 

 THE ARCTIC CHAR, Salmo Hoodii. 

 THE SEA TROUT, White Trout, or Silver Trout Salmo Trutta 



Marina. 



THE BROOK TROUT, Salmo Fontinalis. 

 GENUS OSMERUS : 



THE SMELT, Osmerus Viridescens. 

 GENUS THYMALLUS : 



THE ARCTIC GRAYLING, Thymattus Signifer. 

 GENUS COREGONUS : 



THE WHITE FISH, Coregonus Albus. 



THE OTSEGO BASS* misnomer Coregonus Otsego. 



* This very beautiful fish so closely resembles the White-fish, Coregonus Albus, 

 as to be conceived by many persons to be merely a casual variety. This, however, 

 does not appear to be in truth the case. It is greatly to be regretted that true and 

 distinctive names should not be attached to fishes which, having been absurdly mis- 



