256 



CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



been made a receptacle for all such salmon as could not 

 be arranged under the other divisions: for this reason we 

 cannot possibly adopt it. The genus Citharinus of the 

 same author is so slightly defined, that we can form no 

 idea of its true affinities; it seems to have both the adi- 

 pose fin, and the greater portion of the caudal, covered 

 with scales : as this latter character belongs to some spe- 

 cies of Cynodou, we may presume, not having seen an 

 example, that they are in some degree related. 



(224.) We have now enumerated the greater part of 

 those American salmon, w^hich, from having the anal fin 

 lengthened, will enter into our definition of the Chara- 

 CTXJE. "Without venturing to determine the value of 

 this group collectively^ or even to separate the sub- 

 genera from the genera, we are yet led to believe that 

 this is by no means an artificial assemblage : the 

 natural succession of the types may possibly prove dif- 

 ferent from that series in which we have arranged 

 them ; and even some, as already hinted, may be found 

 eventually to belong to other divisions : and yet, with all 

 these difficulties and uncertainties in our way, there 

 is some reason to beheve that the CharacincE really 

 contain representations of the SalmonincF : and that a 

 little attention to the peculiarities of the forms in each 

 will materially confirm this idea, will be apparent from 

 the following considerations. 



(225.) In the first place, it will be observed, that the 

 most typical salmon of Europe are those which, like the 

 common species, have a widely cleft mouth (fig. 52. b), 

 with the jaws, and all the bones of the palate and throat, 

 covered with teeth ; so much so, indeed, that Cuvier 

 has well observed, '' they are the most completely 

 dentated of all fishes," Now, if we look to the Ameri- 

 can salmon, we shall find that the extraordinary deve- 

 lopment of these organs takes place likewise in the 

 Serrasalmi : the teeth of these ravenous fishes are as 

 formidable, in size and structure, as those of the 

 sharks ; taking into account the relative size of the two 

 races: the tongue^, indeed^in those of the American rivers,, 



