328 
U. S. P. R, R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT, 
Family SCOPELIDAE^ Owen. 
The upper arcade of the mouth is formed by the premaxillar hones, the maxillaries them¬ 
selves being situated behind the former. The body is either covered with scales or scaleless. 
There is also an adipose fin, as in the Salmonids, most of the Siluroids, and Characinids. The 
pseudobranchia or accessory gills being gill-like in their structure. The swimming or air 
bladder is generally wanting. In most instances pyloric appendages are extant. An oviduct 
may also he observed, leading the eggs out of the ovary, and thus preventing the latter from 
falling into the abdominal cavity. This oviduct is observed in Characinids and others, hut is 
wanting in Salmonids, in which the eggs fall into the abdominal cavity before they make their 
exit from the body of the female. 
Syn. — Scopelini, Moll, in Wiegm. Archiv. f. Naturg. 1843, I, 321 ; &, 1845, I, 131. 
Scopelidae, Owen, Lect. Comp. Anat. Vertebr. 1846, 48.— Bd. Iconogr. Encycl. II, 1850, 203. 
In North America we have but two genera of this family, Scopelus and Saurus, the latter 
alone having furnished us with but one representative from the Pacific coast. 
And not having had on hand specimens of it, we can simply state that it was described under 
the name of 
SAURUS (LAURIDA) LUCIOCEPS, Ayres, 
in the Proceedings of the California Academy of Natural Sciences, 1, 1855, 66. But we could 
not ascertain from its description whether it truly belongs to the genus Saurus. It is likewise 
difficult to tell whether Aristotle’s name of Laurida is applicable, as a substitute, to the genus 
Saurus as a whole, or else to one of its subdivisions ; at any rate the objection raised against it 
deserves no notice from the systematic writers. 
Family CLUPEPDAE^ Bonap, 
This, the herring family, includes fishes, the body of which is always covered with scales, 
although, from the very deciduous nature of the latter, they are rarely seen upon such specimens 
as we find preserved m the majority of the museums and private collections. The greatest care 
and delicate handling is required in order to secure specimens with all the scales in their 
natural position. The adipose dorsal fin, which we have noticed in the Siluroids, Salmonids, 
Scopelids, and others, is totally wanting here. 
The upper arcade of the mouth is formed in front by the premaxillar bones and sideways by 
the maxillaries. The dentition varies according to the genera. The pseudobranchia enter 
into the structure of these fishes. The stomach is provided with a cul-de-sac, and the pylorus 
with numerous appendages (coeca); the swimming or air bladder being simple, although 'in 
communication, through an air duct, with the throat. 
Syn.— Clupes, Cdv. R&gn. Anim. II, 1817, 171; 2d. ed. II, 1829; &, ed. Illustr. Poiss. 271. 
Clupeidae, Bonap. Saggio Distr. metod. Anim. Vertebr. 1831,116.— Storer, Synops. 1846, 203. 
Clupidae, DeKay, New Y. Faun. IV, 1842, 250. 
Clupeoideae, Richards. Faun. Bor. Amer. Ill, 1836, 229. 
Clupeoides, Cuv. & Val. Hist. nat. Poiss. XX, 1847,1. 
Clupeoidei, Mole, in Wiegm. Archiv fur Naturg. 1843,1, 324; &, 1845,1, 136. 
