6 
KENDALL: NEW ENGLAND CHARRS. 
remote. Probably these groups all have a common descent from some primitive fish having 
an adipose fin, or at least a fleshy fold on the back.” 
He gives the following as the chief external characteristics common to the members of the 
salmon family: “Body oblong or moderately elongate, covered with cycloid scales of varying 
size. Head naked. Mouth terminal or somewhat inferior, varying considerably among the 
different species, those having the mouth largest usually having also the strongest teeth. 
Maxillary provided with a supplemental bone, and forming the lateral margin of the upper jaw. 
Pseudo-branchiae present. Gill-rakers varying with the species. Opercula complete. No 
barbels. Dorsal fin of moderate length, placed near the middle of the length of the body. 
Adipose fin well developed. Caudal fin forked.' Anal fin moderate or rather long. Ventral 
fins nearly median in position. Pectoral fins inserted low. Lateral line present. Outline of 
belly rounded. Vertebrae in large numbers, usually about sixty.” 
The salmon family as now restricted consists of two well distinguished subfamilies: the 
Coregoninae, comprising three genera: Coregonus, Leucichthys, and Stenodus; and the Sal- 
moninae in this country, also consisting of three genera: Oncorhynchus, Salmo, and Salvelinus. 
The subfamilies are thus superficially distinguished: 
Coregoninae: mouth not deeply cleft; maxillary broad; mandible articulating with 
quadrate bone under or before the eye. Dentition more or less feeble or incomplete; scales 
moderate or large; anal fin rather long. 
Salmoninae: mouth deeply cleft, the long lower jaw articulating with the quadrate bone 
behind the eye; maxillary rather narrow. Dentition strong and complete; conical teeth on 
jaws, vomer, and palatines; tongue with two series of strong teeth; scales small. 
s'. 
Anatomical characteristics of the Salmoninae . — Skeleton: the ossification of the skeleton 
is comparatively feeble; cranium mostly of an almost continuous cartilaginous capsule with 
separate bony coverings; occipital ridge short, terete, extending to the process of the epiotic 
and pterotic bones. T^arge posterior oculo-muscular canal penetrating the occipital region 
behind, covered below by the strongly bent parasphenoid and centrally divided anteriorly by 
Y-shaped basisphenoid; pharyngeal process wanting; orbits internally separated by a thick 
cartilaginous wall and the alisphenoid bones. Maxillaries elongate, strongly toothed, articulat- 
ing in front with the rostro-ethmoidal cartilage between the pairs of premaxillaries, by which 
they are covered below, and palatines respectively; premaxillaries short, furnished with teeth as 
are the palatines. Supplementary maxillary present; vomer situated mesially of the under 
surface of the rostro-ethmoidal cartilage and anterior extremity of the parasphenoid, more or 
less furnished with teeth. Pterygoid slender, curved to unite the palatines and quadrate bones. 
The greater part of the roof of the mouth, formed by the broad, thin mesopterygoids. 
Branchiostegals 8 to 16. 
* Not common to the family; to some genera and species only, except in the young. 
