53 



parasitic Lernean is sometimes attached to the ventrals. The skate 

 is abundant in the bay, and is also taken at various points along the 

 coast. 



CLASS MARSIPOBRANCHII. 



Under this name are included tlie lampreys or lamprey eels, and the myxines or hags, two 

 tribes which differ from other fishes so widely that naturalists consider them a separate class. 

 The body is long and worm-like, without a trace of the paired tins, pectorals and ventrals, 

 which are the homolon;ues, be it remembered, of our own limbs; but with the vertical fins, 

 dorsal, anal, and caudal, more or less developed. But the greatest structural differences lie 

 deeper. The whole class has an incompletely developed skull, without a trace of a lower jaw ; 

 the mouth is a round opening formed for suction, and the gills are purse-shaped, usually seven 

 on each side. There is only a single nasal opening, whicli is central. In the Pclroinyzontidu: 

 or lampreys the branchial sacs and openings are seven on each side, the intestine has a spiral 

 valve, and the nasal duct is a blind sac, not penetrating the palate; the mouth is armed 

 ■with horny teeth, which rest on papillae. The young of these fishes differ cons'iderably from 

 the adults, and were formerly described as distinct genera. In the myxines the mouth is sur- 

 rounded by barbels, the intestine is without a spiral valve, and the nasal duct penetrates the 

 palate. 



None of this group are usually brought to the markets of this city, 

 but as the rivers of California contain several species which are 

 known as " eels," and largely eaten in some localities, they need 

 mention among our food fishes. Eel River, in Humboldt County, is 

 named from the abundance of these lampreys, which are highly 

 esteemed. The species known are Lampetra plwnbea, Gill =Petromy- 

 zon plumbeus, Ayres; and Entosphenus tridentatus, epihexodon, and 

 astori. A Myxinoid, Bdellostoma stoutii, Lockington, with ten teeth 

 in the first, and nine in the second row, occurs also in Eel River, 

 and a small example, presumably of the same species, was caught 

 in the Bay of San Francisco. 



LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL FISHES POUND IN THE MARKETS OF SAN 

 FRANCISCO BETWEEN OCTOBER FIRST, EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND 

 SEVENTY-EIGHT, AND SEPTEMBER THIRTIETH, EIGHTEEN HUNDRED 

 AND SEVENTY-NINE. 



The succeeding list is necessarily very incomplete, and is offered 

 with apologies, as a commencement only, and a prelude to a more 

 thorough catalogue. The reasons for its incompleteness are: 



First— The fact that the writer had not, wdien the list was com- 

 menced, identified some of the known species, or detected the pres- 

 ence of species he has since described. 



Second— The inability of the writer to be in the markets every 

 morning early. The fish from Tomales, and places near the bay, 

 arrive about 12:30 p. m., those from Monterey and more distant parts, 

 about 4:30 p. m. The writer has visited the markets twice or thrice a 

 week on the average, usually about 12:30 p. m. At that hour the 

 mackerels and other fish from the south are usually all sold off, and 

 it is probable that several of the rarer fishes occurred more fre- 

 quently than he is aware of. 



It must be remembered that the list refers only to the comparative 

 abundance or scarcity of the various species in the markets, and, 

 therefore, at least in the case of such fishes as the Blennioids, Cottoids, 

 etc., not in great repute as food fishes, furnishes no index for their 

 abundance in the waters. Several kinds which occurred on one or 

 two occasions only, and were then only present by accident among 

 other fishes, are omitted from the list. 



