83 
entirely covered with a hard coat, formed of kgom xi. 
angular scales. 
The family of Salmons ( Salmonidce ) has, like 
most of the Siluri, a soft, false, rayless, hinder 
dorsal fin, but the body is covered with regular 
scales. They mostly ascend rivers to spawn. 
They are voracious, eating insects and small 
animals, and their flesh furnishes some of the 
greatest delicacies of the table. This family 
has been divided into several genera, according 
to the form and presence of the teeth, and the 
position of the fins. The species of the true 
genus, Salmo , which have usually a spotted 
body, is most esteemed in Europe, and fish 
taken from particular streams or lakes are often 
preferred. 
Some species, as the Capelan (Salmo Green - 
landicus ), are so abundant as to be used as 
bait in the Cod Fisheries. In one genus, 
(; Saurus ,) the mouth is very large, and the edge 
of the jaws, palate, and the tongue is cover¬ 
ed with large, very long, and flexible barbed 
teeth. 
The family of Herrings ( Clupeidce ) have the 
same scaly body as the Salmons, but they have 
no soft dorsal fin, and their upper jaw is formed 
in the middle by the intermaxillaries, and on 
the sides by the maxillary bones. 
Many of these fish live in large shoals, which 
periodically visit particular parts of the coast, 
g 2 and 
