252 ON THREE NEW SPECIES 



Those of the Ohio are brought to the table, and are 

 much fatter, living in the muddy water of that river, 

 which seems to be more favourable, by affording a 

 greater proportion of nourishment, than the clear, 

 limpid water of Lake Erie. 



These fish seem to attain a much larger size than 

 that of (he specimens we observed, of which the total 

 length was not more than from fourteen to sixteen 

 inches. 



They are taken by the seine, and hook and line, 

 and are salted, when other species are less abun- 

 dant. 



SCLENA. 



1. S. *oscula. Second dorsal long, elevated, 

 equal ; tail short ; neck prominent ; scales soft. 



Body subeliptic, compressed towards the back, 

 broader at the abdomen; back elevated rectilinear ; 

 head much declining ; snout small, rounded, a little 

 prominent, with three small openings at the end ; 

 mouth very small, horizontal, having the superior 

 maxillaries and the inferior jaws concealed under 

 the inferior corners of the nostrils ; teeth very small, 

 conic, the exterior series a little stronger, those of 

 the throat rude, obtuse, placed upon a triangular 

 bone, the strongest being in the middle, and the 

 weakest on the sides, and upon two bones separately 

 placed at the superior part of the throat ; the eye is 

 round, placed near the end of the snout, and very 

 near the summit of the head ; preoperculum larger 



