﻿82 
  

  

  often 
  divided 
  to 
  the 
  base, 
  aud 
  hence, 
  to 
  a 
  cursory 
  glance, 
  

   woukl 
  indicate 
  seventeen 
  anal 
  rays. 
  Mr. 
  J). 
  H. 
  Storer, 
  in 
  his 
  

   Report 
  upon 
  the 
  Fishes 
  of 
  Massachusetts, 
  Boston, 
  1839, 
  p. 
  10P» 
  

   after 
  describing 
  the 
  Smelt, 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  In 
  the 
  1st 
  Volume 
  of 
  the 
  

   Journal 
  of 
  the 
  Academy 
  of 
  Natural 
  Science, 
  of 
  Philadelphia, 
  

   Le 
  Sueur 
  describes 
  this 
  as 
  a 
  new 
  species, 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  

   " 
  viridesccns 
  " 
  

  

  Cuvicr 
  does 
  not 
  acknowledge 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  distinct 
  from 
  the 
  

   European 
  species, 
  and 
  therefore 
  Artedi's 
  name 
  has 
  the 
  pri- 
  

   ority." 
  In 
  1842, 
  Mr. 
  James 
  De 
  Kay, 
  in 
  Natural 
  History 
  of 
  

   New 
  York, 
  Zoology, 
  Part 
  I, 
  page 
  243, 
  admits 
  Lesueur's 
  

   new 
  species, 
  as 
  0. 
  vii'idcscens. 
  He 
  gives 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  

   American 
  Smelt 
  at 
  six 
  to 
  twelve 
  inches 
  ; 
  and 
  makes 
  Cuvier 
  

   the 
  author 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Osmerus, 
  instead 
  of 
  Artedi,to 
  whom 
  

   belongs 
  whatever 
  of 
  credit 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  in 
  the 
  origination 
  

   of 
  this 
  generic 
  name. 
  His 
  description 
  otherwise 
  coincides 
  

   with 
  that 
  of 
  Storer. 
  In 
  1845, 
  Storer 
  reconsidered 
  his 
  ac 
  

   count 
  of 
  the 
  Smelt, 
  and 
  in 
  Memoirs 
  American 
  Academy 
  of 
  

   Arts 
  and 
  Sciences, 
  New 
  Series, 
  Volume 
  II, 
  CarTibridge, 
  

   1846, 
  page 
  450, 
  says 
  : 
  "I 
  wrote 
  Mr. 
  Yarrel 
  upon 
  the 
  sub- 
  

   ject, 
  who 
  kindly 
  sent 
  me 
  several 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  0. 
  eper- 
  

   lanus 
  Upon 
  examination, 
  tliey 
  differ 
  from 
  our 
  species^ 
  and 
  

   with 
  specimens 
  of 
  our 
  own 
  and 
  foreign 
  fish 
  before 
  me, 
  the 
  

   diifereuca 
  was 
  quite 
  perceptible. 
  Our 
  fish 
  Avill, 
  then^ 
  of 
  

   course, 
  bear 
  Lesueur's 
  name 
  of 
  0. 
  viridescens. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Yarrel 
  writes 
  me, 
  respecting 
  the 
  two 
  species, 
  ' 
  our 
  

   fish 
  is 
  considerably 
  ligliter 
  in 
  color, 
  particularly 
  upon 
  tho 
  

   back_, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  dorsal 
  and 
  caudal 
  fins. 
  The 
  double 
  series 
  

   of 
  transverse 
  lines 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  in 
  our 
  fish 
  are 
  wider 
  apart, 
  

   and 
  the 
  lozange-shaped 
  spaces 
  are 
  in 
  every 
  sense 
  larger. 
  

   Our 
  fish 
  is 
  deeper 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  length 
  than 
  yours 
  ; 
  the 
  body 
  

   is 
  thicker, 
  but 
  the 
  head, 
  particularly 
  the 
  parts 
  about 
  the 
  

   jaws, 
  is 
  narrower. 
  

  

  Our 
  fish 
  has 
  the 
  gape 
  opening 
  more 
  fully 
  vertically. 
  

   The 
  eye 
  in 
  our 
  fish 
  is 
  smaller 
  ; 
  the 
  preopercle 
  deeper 
  ; 
  and 
  

   its 
  posterior 
  edge 
  more 
  truly 
  forming 
  a 
  vertical 
  line.' 
  " 
  

  

  