384 PHILOSOPHY OF ZOOLOGY. 



A. Malacoptbrygious fishes. 



The fins are supported by cartilaginous articulated rays. 

 M. CuviER distributes the genera of this division into ab- 

 dominal, thoracic {Subrachiens)^ and apodal ; the two first 

 possessing ventral fins, which are wanting in the last. 



(1). Ventral Jins abdominal 



a. Upper jaw formed by the intermaxillary and maxillary 

 bones. The intermaxillary bones are sessile. The maxil- 

 lary form a considerable portion of the sides of the mouth, 

 and support teeth when these are present. 



(aa). Two dorsal fins, the posterior one fleshy or des- 

 titute of rays. 



35. Salmo. This genus contains many species, which, 

 by various naturalists, have been distributed into different 

 genera, from the number of the rays of the gill flap, the 

 condition of the teeth, and the size of the mouth. More 

 recently, M. Cuvier has taken into consideration the con- 

 ditions of the bones of the face. These, however, furnish 

 characters which are destitute of precision. The following 

 subgenera are enumerated by Cuvier. 1. Salmo {S. so- 

 lar). 2. Osmerus (S. epei'lanus). S Coregonus {S. thy- 

 mallus). 4. Argentina {A. sphyrana^ Lin.). 5. Characi- 

 nus {S. argentinus, Gm.) 6. Curimates {^S. edentulus, 

 Block). 7. Anostomus (S. anosiomus). 8. Serrosalmus 

 {S. rhombeiis). 9. Tetragonopterus (T. argenteus, Ar- 

 TEDi). 10. Myletes {Cyprinus dentex of Lin.). 11. Hy- 

 drocynus (S.Jcilculiis, Bl.). 12. Citharinus (^S. niloticus). 

 13. Scopelus (S. crocodilus, Risso). 14. Aulopus (S. ji- 

 lamentosus). 15. Gasteropelicus (G. sternicola, Hatchet- 

 belly, Block. Tab. 97.). 16. Sternoptrix (S. draphana). 



(bb). One dorsal fin. In this group, M. Cuvier enu- 

 merates the eight following principal genera. 



36. Clupea. Herring. Gill-flap with about eight 

 rays. Intermaxillaries narrow and short. Maxillaries tri- 



