FISHES, LAHONTAN SYSTEM OF NEVADA AND NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA. 53 



The flesh of this species is highly prized by the Indians. In former times the coming of the 

 " cui-ui " was a great event, not only for the Pyramid Lake tribe but also for other Piutes from far to 

 the south, who sometimes reached the fishing grounds in such a starved condition that many were 

 unable to survive the first feast. At present numerous little camps may be seen along the river dur- 

 ing the spawning period. The fishes are caught in large numbers and tons of them are dried for later 

 use. They are taken most easily when the river is roily, the fishermen hooking them with an impro- 

 vised gaff which is drawn quickly through the muddy water. Knowing the ' 'cui-ui " habit of resting in 

 schools in quiet water, the Indian establishes his camp accordingly, and the willows, wire fence, or 

 hastily constructed rack are soon covered with unsalted drying fish, which attract numbers of flies 

 and send characteristic odors a long distance down the wind. 



When properly cooked, the flesh is sweet and palatable, equal to that of some fishes which 

 bring a fair price in the city markets. The imcleanly methods of preservation employed by the Indians 

 have caused the "cui-ui" to be regarded with prejudice, and white people of the region will not eat them. 



A male specimen measiuing 600 millimeters in length is here described, and measurements of others 

 follow: 



Head, 3.7 in length to base of caudal; depth, 4.3; depth caudal peduncle, 3.5 in head; snout, 2.2; 

 eye, 10.5; width mouth, 3; interorbital space, 2.3; height dorsal, 2.3; anal, 1.4; length pectoral, 1.5; 

 ventral, 2; caudal, 1.4. 





Fig. 2.-^Chasmist€S cujus. ** Cui-ui.'' 



Head and body extremely robust , broad , and round ; top of head broad and slightly convex ; cheeks 

 puffed out; eye small when compared with the great size of head; snout projecting beyond mouth, 

 evenly rounded in life, the premaxillary process presenting no "hump," the latter being characteristic 

 of poorly preserved or dried specimens; lips smooth, the lower broad and pendulous; both lips plainly 

 show traces of papillae, which appear as if once developed but since united and grown over. Posterior 

 margin of opercle broadly and evenly rounded, the free fleshy edge about equal in width to half the 

 diameter of eye. There are 43 gillrakers on the first arch. All have wide, papillose edges, the lower 

 ones being especially broad and brushlike, the upper ones falcate and comparatively narrow. The 

 digestive tract is long and coiled many times. The testes are of huge dimensions and lobular. The air 

 bladder extends to a point above posterior edge of base of ventrals. Peritoneum dusky, almost black. 

 The skin of the head is smooth, the dorsal surface with many minute tubercles. Body completely 

 scaled, the scales large and even, nowhere densely crowded. Each scale, excepting those on the ventral 

 stu^ace and immediately above and behind the pectorals, with a tubercle at its tip. Rays of fins with 

 tubercles; those on pectorals, ventrals, and dorsal small; on anal large and sharply pointed. 



Base of second dorsal ray inserted half way between tip of snout and posterior edge of last caudal 

 vertebra. Ventrals below posterior half of dorsal ; pectorals broadly rounded; anal obtusely pointed ; 

 caudal concave. 



The females are more stocky than the males, and with their huge heads, large rounded bodies, and 

 relatively short fins are very ungainly looking fish. The scales and fins are without tubercles. 



Species related to ChasmisUs cujus are found in the Bonneville and Klamath Lake Basins. 



