SALMONOIDEjE. 



227 



lower part of the Columbia. It is much prized as an article of food by the natives, 

 and arrives opportunely in the interval between the expenditure of their winter 

 stock of dry salmon and the first appearance of the quinnat in May." [This fish 

 is noticed by Lewis and Clarke in the following terms. " The anchovy, which 

 the natives call olthen, is so delicate a fish that it soon becomes tainted, unless 

 pickled or smoked : the natives run a small stick through the gills, and hang it to 

 dry in the smoke of their lodges, or kindle small fires under it : it needs no pre- 

 vious preparation of gutting, and will be cured in twenty-four hours : the natives 

 do not appear to be very scrupulous about eating it when a little foetid." — R.] 



" Colour generally silvery-white, passing on the back into a blackish tinge. Large irregu- 

 lar, but generally oval spots of yellowish-white and blackish-grey on the back. A bluish- 

 black spot over each orbit. Margins of lips black. Back of head greyish-white. Minute 

 black dots on the silvery basis of the cheeks. Form. — Head small and pointed. Large sub- 

 orbital covering the greater part of the cheek. Opercule terminating in a thin rounded angle. 

 Mouth opening obliquely upwards, its fissure extending as far back as the anterior margin of the 

 orbit. Lower jaw projecting beyond the upper one, and terminating in a rounded knob turned 

 slightly upwards. Margins of upper jaw entirely formed by the intermaxillaries, on which 

 there are a few minute seta? in place of teeth. Lower jaw, vomer and palatines devoid of teeth. 

 Tongue rough, and pharyngeals armed with teeth. Fins. — Br. 8; P. 11 ; V. 8; D. 11 — 0; 

 A. 20. Adipose fin thin and containing little fat. Lateral line straight and continuous. 







" Dimensions. 









Inches. 



Lines. 





Inches. 



Lines. 



Extreme length .... 



. 7 



6 



Length from snout to anus . 



4 



4§ 



Breadth between the eyes . 







4§ 



„ „ adipose . 



. 5 



H 



Height of body .... 



1 



2* 



Distance between back and pectorals 







H 



Length from snout to orbit . 







4j 



„ belly and ditto 



. 



4 



„ „ nape 



. 



H 



Length of pectorals 







lOf 



„ „ angle of opercule . 



1 



H 



„ ventrals 



. 



10| 



„ „ pectorals 



1 



6 



,, attachment of dorsal 







n 



„ „ ventrals 



3 



n 



Height of dorsal .... 



. 



*i 



„ „ dorsal 



. 3 



6 



Length of attachment of anal 



1 



4* 



Gairdner, in lit. 



[Five specimens were sent to me by Dr. Gairdner, but they were unfortunately all so much 

 injured that I can add very few particulars to that gentleman's brief description. In the 

 general form, the appearance of the scales, the black specks on the head and body, the 

 form of the anal and its attachment to a compressed projecting edge of the tail, the structure 

 of the lower jaw and gill-covers, and in the shape of the head as far as it could be ascertained, 

 this fish closely resembles the capelin (p. 187). On the other hand the ascent of the species 

 into fresh water to spawn, and perhaps its dentition, ally it to the smelt (p. 185). Head as 

 in the capelin, forming one-fifth of the length between the tip of the snout and end of the central 

 caudal rays. Caudal forked. Dorsal commencing a very little anterior to the middle between 

 the tip of the snout and end of scales on the caudal, agreeing, in this respect, more nearly with the 



2g 2 



