CHIEF FORMS AMONG THE SALMON. 241 



have a very small mouth, and thick lips; but some have 

 strong teeth ; and all have a small adipose fin. These 

 appear to form one of the primary divisions of the Sal' 

 monidce, and to be further distinguished by their geogra- 

 phic distribution, which is confined to the New World; 

 while the genuine salmon, and its sub-genera, are more 

 particularly appropriated to Europe, and the more tem- 

 perate latitudes of Asia and America. Among these 

 first we may glance at Serrasalmo, remarkable for a 

 thick, oval, and high body, and very large triangular cut- 

 ting teeth ; the belly is compressed, and serrated like the 

 edge of a saw, from whence their name. These fish, 

 like Erythrinus, may be called the sharks of their own 

 family ; and they are stated to be so fierce, that they 

 will destroy water-fowl, and even attack the Indians 

 when bathing in the rivers, although, from their com- 

 paratively small size, they can only inflict wounds in 

 the flesh. The other sub-genera belonging to this group 

 are Myletes (Cuv)., Tetragonopterus (Artedi), which 

 have the belly serrated ; and Characinus (Artedi*), Le- 

 porinus, Anodus, and some other aberrant forms or 

 species, which have small mouths and more delicate 

 teeth : one or two, indeed, have no teeth whatever in 

 their jaws ; while, in the very small size of the mouth, 

 and the thick lips, they have all the aspect of carps, but 

 with a small adipose fin. In the European division, 

 we have the common salmon, the trout, and the char : 

 in these, the body is more lengthened, the mouth mo- 

 derately wide, the lips thin and bony, and the teeth 

 small, edging the margin of the jaws : many sub-genera 

 have been proposed, among which is Osmerus of Artedi, 

 which includes the small salmons called smelts. Core- 

 gonus, of the same excellent ichthyologist, seems to 

 represent, in Europe, the salmons of Tropical America; 

 for their mouth is very small, and the teeth are fre= 

 quently wanting : they are chiefly found in the conti- 

 nental lakes. The Argentina of Linnaeus is a small 



* Subsequently called Curimata by Cuvier. 

 VOL. I. R 



