832 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



coasts of northern regions. The relationships of this family, as stated 

 above, are still obscure. It has been usually placed near the Ophidiidce, 

 but the osteology, so far as examined by us, approaches more nearly to 

 the Atherinidce, and there is no obvious affinity between Ammodytes and 

 Ophidion or Lycodes. (Ophidiidce, group Ammodytina, Giinther, Cat., iv, 

 384-388, 1862.) 



a. Body with many transverse, oblique folds; a longitudinal fold of skin along sides of belly; 

 vomer unarmed. AMMODYTES, 372. 



372. AMMODYTES (Artedi) Linnaeus. 

 (SAND LAUNCES.) 



Ammodytes, (ARTEDI) LINNJEUS, Syst. Nat.", Ed. x, 1758, 247, (tobianus). 

 Argyrot&nia,* GILL, Cat. Fish. N. Am., 40, 1861, (viUatus). 



Body elongate, lanceolate, the skin with many transverse folds run- 

 ning obliquely downward and backward, the small cycloid scales mostly 

 placed in cross series between them. Lateral line concurrent with the 

 back. A fold of the skin along each side of the belly. Vomer not armed 

 with a bicuspid tooth. Color silvery. Vertebrae 62 or 63. One pyloric 

 ccecum. Carnivorous fishes inhabiting sandy shores in cold regions, living 

 in large schools, burying themselves in the sand near the tide mark. 

 Valued as bait and useful as food for salmon and other larger fishes. 

 The species enumerated below are very closely related and may all prove 

 to be varieties of the European Ammodytes toUanus. (t^uof , sand j tivu, 

 to dive.) 



a. Dorsal fin with 62 to 67 rays; anal rays 30 or more. 



6. Dorsal rays 64 to 67; anal 33 to 36; lateral folds 150; head 6%. DUBIUS, 1211. 



bb. Dorsal rays 62; anal 31; lateral folds 160 to 182; head 4% to 4%; depth 10 to 12. 



ALASCANUS, 1212. 



aa. Dorsal fin with 54 to 60 rays; anal rays fewer than 30. 



c. Dorsal rays 60; anal 28; lateral folds 125 to 130; head 4%; depth 10. 



AMER1CANUS, 1213. 



cc. Dorsal rays 54; anal 24; lateral folds 130 to 150; head 4%; depth 9. 



PERSONATUS, 1214. 



1211. AMMODYTES DUBIUS, Beinhardt. 



Head 6| ; depth equaling length of mandible, 2 in length of head. 

 D. 64 to 67 ; A. 33 to 36. Skin with about 150 very distinct folds. Dorsal 

 fin inserted over posterior third of pectoral. Greenland ; occasionally 

 southward to Cape Cod. (Giinther) ; not seen by us. (duUus, doubtful.) 

 Ammodytes dubius, REINHARDT, Dansk. Vidensk. Selsk. Afhandl., 132, 1838, Greenland; GUN- 

 THEE, Cat., iv, 387, 1862; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 415, 1883. 



1212. AMMODYTES ALASCANUS, Cope. 



Head 4 to 4f- ; depth 10 to 12 ; eye H in snout, 5i in head ; lateral folds 

 160 to 182. D. 62 ; A. 31. Dorsal inserted above middle of pectoral. Max- 

 illary reaching front of orbit ; mandible less than depth of body. Length 



* This generic name Argyrotsenia rests upon what seems to have been a specimen of Ammodytes 

 americanus with a mutilated dorsal fin, the first seven rays appearing as small free spines, 



