300 Notes on Some Fishes of the Coast of California. [May, 
food not only to the white inhabitants of the district, but 
also to the Chinese, who are particularly fond of it, catch it 
in immense numbers and forward it to their countrymen alorig the 
railroad as far as the boundary of the State, or even beyond it. It is 
usually taken in fyke-nets, which are most effective engines of 
destruction. It is occasionally brought to the markets of San 
Francisco, but has not been at all common there during the 
months of October, November and December. It is a very good 
fish for the table, unless taken in sloughs that by the falling of 
the water have become disconnected with the river. 
Anoplopoma fimbria (Pallas) Ayres, Candle-fish.—This species 
is very rare in the markets of San Francisco, but appears to have 
_ been more abundant this year than at any previous period. 
Dr. W. O. Ayres (Proc. Cal. Acad., 1859) states that in his time 
stragglers only occurred in the markets; and the fish-mongers 
call it a “new” fish, and declare they have never seen it before. 
Dr. Ayres gives the number of rays in the first dorsal as twenty- 
three, but I can only find twenty-one in the specimens I have 
examined. Probably the number varies slightly. The outline 
figure in the Proc. Cal. Ac. Vol. 1, 1859, shows twenty-two. The 
tail is much more deeply emarginate than is shown in the figure, 
as the central rays are only about half as long as the outer ones. 
Most of the individuals brought to the markets this year were 
not over ten inches in length, but Dr. Ayres states that he saw 
one that measured eighteen inches. The fishermen call this spe- 
cies candle-fish, but whether on account of its oiliness, of its 
length and slenderness, or of a fancied resemblance to the spe- 
cies called candle-fish in Oregon and northward I cannot tell. 
The last-named candle-fish (Ammodytes personatus Grd.) is not at 
all nearly related to the present species, but belongs to the Oph- 
idiid@, a tribe approaching the eels in many particulars; it is so oily 
that it is said that the Indians make their candles by pulling their 
yarn through its flesh. Since October A. fiméria has not occur- 
red in the markets, but it is not unlikely that the severe weather 
which prevents the fishermen from trawling is the cause of this. 
Ophion HONEN | Gir., Green en Cod.—This is one of the 
] ur fish , frequently attaining 
a à length of over three et and is usually in great part of a lively 
green color, spotted or tdondėd with light brown. But the color- 
ation of the adults varies greatly, the brown markings sometimes 
