118 GEOGKAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION OF THE OUANANICHE 



derived, warrants the statement that they definitely 

 settle, once for all, the broad outlines of the geograph- 

 ical distribution of the ouauaniche, and designate the 

 entire Labrador peninsula, with the single exception 

 of its western watershed, as its Canadian environment. 

 In external appearance, the ouananiche of the in- 

 terior of Labrador do not differ from those found in 

 Lake St. John and the brackish waters of the Sague- 

 nay nearly as much as do different specimens of brook- 

 trout taken from the same stream. As I write I have 

 before me the well-preserved skin of a small ouana- 

 niche, sixteen inches in length, which was caught on 

 July Y, 1894, in the Ashuanipi branch of the Hamil- 

 ton River, and for which I am indebted to Mr. Low. 

 It is one of very few specimens from the interior — one 

 of the only lot brought out to civilization. The silvery 

 sides and belly of the fish, and its various markings, 

 including the five large circular black spots on the gill- 

 covers, and the XX marks upon the upper part of the 

 sides, are almost identical with those of the fish found 

 in the Grande Decharge. In the brightness of its livery 

 this specimen offers nearly as much -contrast as do the 

 Lake St. John fish with the large, dark ouananiche 

 of Lao k Jim, Lao Tschotagama, and Lac aux Eats, 

 known to the Indians as ouchachoumao (pronounced 

 ou-shar-shu-mack), or salmon. The dentition is alike 

 in all these fish. I have found it impossible to obtain 

 one of the Labrador fish for dissection, but in external 

 appearance it conforms exactly, as already stated, to 

 that of the Lake St. John ouananiche. An examina- 

 tion of the skin before me shows : Branchiostegals, 10; 

 dorsal, 13; pectoral, 14; ventral, 9; anal, 10. 



