20 AMERICAN FISHES. 



of structure, shape, and color, from the account quoted at page 117, 

 from Dr. DeKay's Fauna of New York — almost widely enough, in my 

 opinion, to justify its erection into a separate species : 



Dental system. — A double row of strong hooked teeth on the lahials 

 and palatines of the upper jaw. The vomer perfectly smooth and 

 toothless. In the lower jaw, a single row of strong hooked teeth on 

 the labials, and a double row of smaller size on the tongue. 



Branchiostegous rays, eleven on the right side, thirteen on the left. 



Pectoral fin-rays sixteen, ventral ten, anal twelve, dorsal thirteen, 

 caudal twenty-seven. 



In all these respects it differs from DeKay's Salmo Confinis. 

 Whole length, nineteen and a half inches. Head, four inches to the 

 lower margin of the interoperculum. Eye, one inch and a half from 

 tip of snout. Origin of the ventral fin, nine inches and a quarter ; of 

 the anal, thirteen ; of first dorsal, eight and a half; of the second dor- 

 sal, fourteen, from the tip of the snout. 



Depth of the fish at the origin of first dorsal, three inches and three- 

 fifths ; breadth of back two inches. 



Curvature of the belly greater than that of the dorsal outline. Color 

 of the head dark bluish black. Irides silvery, gill-covers silvery with 

 nacrous reflections. Back and sides, above the lateral line, beautiful 

 glossy caerulean blue, mottled with bright silvery spots of the size of 

 large duck-shot ; below the lateral hne the silvery spots are larger, and 

 the ground lighter blue ; belly pure silver. 



Pectoral fins pale yellowish green, ventrals and anal greenish, very 

 faintly tinged with red. First dorsal greenish transparent, veined with 

 black ; second dorsal silvery grey, slightly mottled ; caudal greenish 

 grey, mottled with black. 



A very beautifully formed fish, more tapering than the Namaycush 

 or Siskawitz, with the small head, and much both of the form and 

 lustre of the True Sea Salmon. 



Flesh rich orange buflF, very firm, highly flavored and delicate. This 

 fish, and another rather larger, but otherwise exactly agreeing with 

 this, were eaten at my table by a party of six gentlemen, as good 

 judges of good eating as any with whom I am acquainted, and were 

 unanimously pronounced heiter than Brook Trout ! hetter than Trus 

 Salmon ! the best fish in the world ! 



