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  the 
  Eperlan. 
  Fishermen 
  distiaguish 
  the 
  white 
  and 
  the 
  

   green 
  Eperlan. 
  The 
  flesh 
  of 
  the 
  Avhite 
  is 
  poor 
  and 
  of 
  bad 
  

   taste, 
  but 
  the 
  green 
  Eperlan 
  of 
  the 
  Pont-de-l'Arche 
  is 
  of 
  

   excellent 
  quality." 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Yarrel, 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Fishes, 
  London, 
  1859, 
  Volumo 
  

   I, 
  page 
  298, 
  gives 
  the 
  rays 
  as, 
  D. 
  11 
  ; 
  P. 
  11 
  ; 
  V. 
  8 
  ; 
  A. 
  

   15 
  ; 
  C. 
  19. 
  

  

  He 
  gives 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  as, 
  " 
  pale 
  

   ash-green 
  ; 
  all 
  the 
  lower 
  parts, 
  cheeks 
  and 
  gill-covers, 
  bril- 
  

   liant 
  silvery-white." 
  The 
  forms 
  of 
  the 
  European 
  Smelt, 
  

   which 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  were 
  considered 
  to 
  represent 
  separate 
  

   species, 
  have 
  thus 
  been 
  united 
  into 
  a 
  single 
  species, 
  0. 
  eper- 
  

   lanuSy 
  with 
  a 
  range 
  of 
  color, 
  from 
  white 
  or 
  light 
  ash 
  to 
  

   green, 
  upon 
  the 
  back 
  ; 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  brilliantly 
  silvered 
  sides 
  

   and 
  abdomen 
  ; 
  with 
  or 
  without 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  a 
  blue 
  or 
  

   roseate 
  blending 
  at 
  or 
  above 
  the 
  lateral 
  line 
  ; 
  rays, 
  B. 
  7-8 
  ; 
  

   D. 
  11 
  ; 
  P. 
  11 
  ; 
  V. 
  8 
  ; 
  A. 
  15-17 
  ; 
  C. 
  19-25 
  ; 
  length, 
  fry 
  to 
  

   thirteen 
  inches. 
  If 
  we 
  add 
  to 
  the 
  rays 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  des- 
  

   cribed 
  by 
  Richardson, 
  Fauna 
  Boreali 
  Americana, 
  Part 
  III, 
  

   page 
  185, 
  which 
  is 
  as 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  European 
  as 
  an 
  Ameri- 
  

   can 
  form, 
  we 
  will 
  have 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  rays 
  : 
  B. 
  7-8 
  ; 
  D. 
  10- 
  

   11 
  ; 
  P. 
  11-14 
  ; 
  V. 
  8 
  ; 
  A. 
  15-17 
  ; 
  C. 
  19-25. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  European 
  forms, 
  representing 
  such 
  ranges 
  in 
  color, 
  

   rays 
  and 
  size, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  but 
  a 
  single 
  species, 
  it 
  is 
  

   no 
  more 
  than 
  right 
  that 
  the 
  American 
  forms, 
  with 
  almost 
  

   identical 
  ranges 
  of 
  color, 
  rays 
  and 
  size, 
  should 
  also 
  be 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  but 
  a 
  single 
  species, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  differences 
  in 
  the 
  

   head, 
  already 
  noticed, 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  local 
  causes, 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  not 
  

   enough 
  importance 
  to 
  form 
  specific 
  features. 
  

  

  But 
  in 
  contrasting 
  these 
  ranges 
  in 
  the 
  European 
  and 
  

   American 
  forms, 
  we 
  are 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  unless 
  

   there 
  are 
  greater 
  differences 
  than 
  geographical 
  differentia- 
  

   tions, 
  such 
  as 
  have 
  formed 
  the 
  varieties 
  in 
  the 
  European 
  and 
  

   American 
  fishes, 
  they 
  should 
  both 
  be 
  considered 
  but 
  one 
  

   species. 
  A 
  difference 
  in 
  coloration 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  separate 
  

   them, 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  chief 
  difference 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  foreign 
  fish 
  having 
  

  

  