330 
ZOOLOGY. 
Inches. 
Length of caudal fin along its middle • • • • 2| 
Length along the lateral line from nose 
to the end of the middle of the tail • • 29| 
Width of base of dorsal fin. 3| 
Width of base of adipose fin, nearly • • • • | 
Width of base of pectoral, about. 1 
Width of base of abdominal, about. | 
Width of base of ventral. 2| 
Width of outstretched tail along its free 
margin. (Line of end of tail when thus 
stretched almost straight). 7| 
Girth just anterior to pectorals. 11| 
Girth just anterior to abdominals. 15^ 
Girth just anterior to ventrals. 11 
Inches. 
Girth just anterior to caudal. 6f 
Adipose fin thick and fat. 
Its length posteriorly.1 
Dorsal, length superiorly (anteriorly) • • • • 
Ventral, length interiorly (anteriorly) • • • 3£ 
Rays—Pectoral. 13 
Abdominal. 11 
Yentral. 13 
Dorsal. 12 
Caudal. 26 
Branchial.12.12 
The caudal rays in the middle divide each 
into four fasciculi, which are again subdivided. 
Colors .—These were noted six hours after the death of the fish—they were still quite bright 
and silvery, and are given under the head of specific characters. 
The lower jaw was received nicely and accurately within the upper. Sex not noted. 
It is possible that this species may prove identical with the next. The fish resemble each 
other closely, and many specimens of both species (or varieties) will be required to determine 
the question properly. 
George Gibbs, esq., writing from Puget Sound, after alluding to several other species of 
salmon, says: 
“Besides the above, Swan caught, in 1854, two of the square-tailed salmon,' only one Indian 
had ever seen them before. The rest said they were strangers ( heloima .) The scales came off 
very easily on handling.’’ 
Again he says: (this time writing from the Columbia river.) 
“The square-tailed salmon has the body thicker where the tail joins the body than is the 
case in the common salmon (S. quinnat.) Belly silvery white; back not as blue as in the other 
species, (? S. quinnat ,) and marked with numerous small roundish spots. Tail cut sharp across 
and not forked.” 
In the following remarks Mr. Gibbs perhaps refers to the present species, or else to one of 
the other winter kinds which had not yet finished its sexual duties before the arrival of the 
S. quinnat. 
“In 1853, at Astoria, I purchased the first salmon March 10. It was brought from Clatsap, 
where several had been taken previously. It was not in good order, and weighed but 13 lbs.. 
a female, with eggs, half grown. Sides somewhat discolored, as is common in the fall. Fish 
more slender than that of the usual spring salmon. I was doubtful whether its different 
appearance arose from it being a variety, or out of season. Afterwards, April 20, I find 
another note that this species was still taken, Avhile the true spring salmon were in season. It 
reached 20 lbs. in weight.” 
At another time Mr. Gibbs writes: “The slcivoid is taken ‘fresh’ (fresh run?) late in January , 
at Port Discovery and Hood’s Canal,” (Puget Sound.) 
