Cisco. 149 



CHAPTER IX, 



CISCO. 



1 KECOED a description of this fish for the purpose of 

 calling to it the attention of those who have the requisite 

 knowledge to determine what it is, and beg naturalists, 

 if it is still undescribed, to leave it its own pretty, ori- 

 ginal name. It inhabits Lake Ontario, near its outlet 

 into the St. Lawrence, and is taken in the neighborhood 

 of Cape Yincent. It is one of the Ooregonus group, but 

 neither the "White-fish, Attihawmeg, Ooregonus albus, nor 

 the Otsego Bass, Ooregonus Otsego. It may be related 

 to the Coregonus clupeiformis, although differing much 

 from the meagre description of the latter in the accounts 

 copied one from another, of Dr. Mitchill, Lesneur, and 

 Dr. De Kay. 



The Cisco is not so compressed nor deep as the white- 

 fish ; the teeth are more delicate and velvety, and in the 

 gill arches are a few long, distinct, slim teeth or bristles. 

 The mouth is smaller than that of the white-fish, and 

 when open, perfectly square. The scales are similar to 

 those on the latter, but the tail is so delicate as to make 

 counting the rays mere guesswork ; the point of the 

 tongue is hard, the back colored green, the sides silver 

 white, while the first ray of the pectoral, ventral and 

 anal fins is darkish. The first dorsal has ten soft rays , 



