THE SALMON FAMILY. £63 



THE SMELT. 

 Osmerus viridescens : De Kat. 



This is the beautiful, symmetrically formed, bright little fish 

 brought from the north, and found in our fish-markets from 

 December till March. 



Ichthyologists say there is only one species of Osmerus 

 found in the United States ; notwithstanding the small Smelt 

 taken in the Passaic, the Earitan, and of late years, in the 

 Delaware, are claimed by anglers and epicures to be different 

 from those brought from Boston. 



On discovering the smaller variety in the Schuylkill, where 

 it had not before been found by ichthyologists, I thought it 

 a matter of sufficient interest to present specimens with some 

 written observations* to the Academy of Natural Sciences. 



* At a meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia, 

 held March 26th, 1861, on report of the respective committees, the follow- 

 ing paper was ordered to be published in the proceedings : — 



" Remarks on a species of Osmerus taken in the Schuylkill, below Fair- 

 mount Dam, by Thad. Norris : — Form. Elliptical, elongated ; section 

 oval ; breadth compared with its length (exclusive of caudal) as 2 to 11, 

 and head from tip of lower jaw to posterior angle of opercle as 5 to 22. 



"Lower jaw projecting, with an upward curve; scales on all the gill 

 covers, largest on preopercle ; five large recurved teeth on the tongue, the 

 largest on the extreme point ; two of the same kind on the front of the 

 upper jaw ; no teeth on the vomer, but a patch of small ones on the i 

 palatine bones and maxillaries. 



" Color. Silvery steel above, with light greenish reflections ; a distinct 

 streak of bright roseate purple extending immediately above and along 



