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  side 
  such 
  specimens 
  as 
  were 
  acknowledged 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  

   to 
  be 
  types 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  kinds, 
  no 
  differences 
  could 
  be 
  detected 
  

   by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  themselves, 
  eren 
  in 
  the 
  brilliancy 
  of 
  the 
  

   silver 
  markings 
  ; 
  and 
  when 
  convinced 
  of 
  this, 
  they 
  said, 
  

   " 
  well^ 
  these 
  never 
  grow 
  any 
  larger," 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  

   silversidcs. 
  If 
  size^ 
  and 
  perhaps 
  a 
  slight 
  variation 
  in 
  color- 
  

   ation, 
  can 
  determine 
  species, 
  then 
  we 
  have 
  at 
  least 
  Ihrce 
  

   species 
  of 
  Smelt 
  in 
  this 
  country. 
  

  

  Up 
  to 
  1817, 
  the 
  American 
  Smelt 
  was 
  considered 
  to 
  

   be 
  identical 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  Europe, 
  In 
  December, 
  1814, 
  

   Mr. 
  Sam'l 
  L. 
  Mitchell 
  read 
  before 
  the 
  Literary 
  and 
  

   Philosophical 
  Society 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  a 
  paper 
  upon 
  the 
  

   fishes 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  In 
  1815 
  

   this 
  paper 
  was 
  published 
  in 
  Vol. 
  I. 
  of 
  the 
  Transactions 
  of 
  

   the 
  Society. 
  In 
  this 
  paper 
  he 
  sa\s 
  of 
  the 
  Smelt, 
  page 
  435 
  : 
  

   *' 
  Smelt, 
  (Salmo 
  eperlanus.) 
  bluish 
  silvery 
  salmon, 
  with 
  

   transparent 
  head 
  and 
  17 
  rays 
  in 
  the 
  anal 
  fin. 
  This 
  fish 
  is 
  

   occasionally 
  brough 
  to 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  market, 
  but 
  he 
  is 
  not 
  

   a 
  steady 
  visitor. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  eaten 
  him 
  iu 
  fine 
  style 
  at 
  Newark, 
  whither 
  he 
  was 
  

   brought 
  from 
  the 
  Passaic 
  river." 
  

  

  In 
  1817, 
  M. 
  LesLieur 
  in 
  Vol. 
  I., 
  Journal 
  of 
  the 
  Academy 
  

   of 
  Natural 
  Science, 
  Philadelphia, 
  page 
  230, 
  describes 
  the 
  

   American 
  Smelt 
  as 
  a 
  new 
  species, 
  Osmerus 
  viridesceus. 
  His 
  

   description 
  is 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  " 
  Max'dlaries 
  denticulated 
  in 
  their 
  

   whole 
  length 
  ; 
  mandibles 
  very 
  wide 
  and 
  doubly 
  carinated 
  

   lengthwise 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  ; 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  higher 
  than 
  wide, 
  its 
  

   origin 
  corresponding 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  ventrals 
  ; 
  head 
  and 
  

   hack 
  of 
  a 
  fine 
  golden 
  green, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  lateral 
  line 
  ; 
  pec- 
  

   torals, 
  ahdominals 
  and 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  silver-white 
  ; 
  

   air 
  bladder, 
  fusiform, 
  swoln 
  at 
  the 
  middle 
  ; 
  hody, 
  long, 
  

   sub-compressed 
  and 
  sub-transparent 
  ; 
  hack, 
  straight, 
  a 
  little 
  

   elevated 
  ; 
  lateral 
  line, 
  faint, 
  blending 
  the 
  green 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  

   back 
  with 
  the 
  white 
  of 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  abdomen 
  ; 
  loicer 
  jcnc, 
  

   somewhat 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  upper, 
  recurved, 
  opening 
  pro- 
  

   longed 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  eyes; 
  teeth, 
  strong, 
  cylindrical, 
  long 
  

   and 
  crooked, 
  three 
  at 
  the 
  tongue 
  very 
  strong, 
  one 
  of 
  which 
  

  

  