APPENDIX 323 



The malacopterygii, or soft-rayed, are separated into the abdomi- 

 nal, which have the ventrals in the centre of the abdomen ; the aui- 

 irachial, which have the ventrals at the shovdder; and the apodal 

 or footless, that is without lower flns. 



Of the abdominal, the first family is that of the siluridm. It is 

 distinguished by a naked, slimy skin, a large head with several fila- 

 ments, usually a second adipose dorsal, and the first ray of the dorsal 

 and pectoral a strong articulated spine. They comprise the cat-fish, 

 bull-pouts, bull-heads and horned-pouts, as you please to call them, 

 the common kinds being classed under the genus pimehdua. 



The second family is the cyprinidm, which have small jaws, a weak 

 mouth, mostly toothless, large scales, one dorsal, and teeth on the 

 pharyngeals. The eyprinus carpio is the common carp, the cyprimu 

 a/wratvs the gold-fish, both of which were imported and are not indi- 

 genous. This famUy also includes the dbramis or bream, sometimes 

 called dace; the Idbeo, chub or chub-sucker; the eatastonma or 

 common sucker, of which genus the species are known by varied 

 popular appellatives, such as mnUet, barbel, dace, horned-dace, golden 

 mullet, red-horse and shoemaker ; the genus leueiacus or dace proper, 

 also the red-fin, roach and shiners ; the fundulus or killiflsh, other- 

 wise minnow or mummychog ; and the hydragira or fresh-water 

 minnow. 



The next family, the esocidw, has one dorsal opposite the anal, an 

 elongated body, and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. It in- 

 cludes the esox or pickerel and masoallonge; the helone or sea-pike, 

 sometimes miscalled gar-fish and sea-snipe ; the seomtereaox or bUl- 

 fish ; and the exocetus or flying-flsh proper. 



The family of the Jiatulari& includes the pipe-fish ; and the next 

 family of importance is that of the salmonidiB, comprising the salmo 

 salar or salmon, the salmo fonUnalis or American brook trout, the 

 salmo conflnis or lake trout, and the salmo amethystiis or Mackinaw 

 salmon, the osmerus or smelt, and the eoregonus or white-fish and 

 Otsego bass. 



The family of the chipidm has a single dorsal and compressed 

 scaly body. It includes the clupea or herring, the aloaa or shad, ale- 

 wife and mossbunker; and the family of the scmrida has only one 

 common representative, called the buffalo-fish. 



Of the sub-brachial we have the family gadidx, which have the 

 jaws and point of the vomer armed with rasp-like teeth, and two or 

 three dorsals. Morrhtia, cod, tom-cod or frost-fish, haddock and the 

 melueius, or hake, form the most considerable genera; the lota or 

 burbot of the lakes, and the merlangus or pollack, are also taken in 



large numbers. „ , ■, ^, a .j 



The next family, the planidce, has a flat body, the under side 

 white and the upper dark, both eyes on one side of the head, and a 

 dorsal extending the entire length of the back. It includes the Up- 



