GASTEROSTEID^E. 247 



Gasterosteus spinachia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 492 ; Bloch, t. liii, f. 1 ; Bl. 

 Schn. p. 123, t. xxxiii, f. 2; Bonnaterre, Atl. Ich. p. 137, pi. lvii, f. 226; Lacep. 

 iii, p. 301 ; Donovan, Brit. Fish, ii, pi. xlv ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 607, pi. lxxxvii ; 

 Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 101 ; Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 509 ; Ekstr. Fische Morko, 

 p. 163 ; Kroyer, Dan. Fiske, i, p. 193, c. fig. ; Fries och Ekstr. p. 21, t. iv, f. 3 ; 

 Jenyns, Manual, p. 351 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) i, p. 87, c. fig. (Ed. 2) i, 

 p. 101 (Ed. 3) ii, p. 93 ; Thompson, An. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1841, vii, p. 104, 

 Natural Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 89 ; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 38, pi. xxvi, and 

 Fish. Firth of Forth, p. 198 ; Johnston, Berwick. Nat. Club, 1838, i, p. 171 ; Nilss. 

 Skan. Fauna, Fiske, p. 112 ; White, Catal. Brit. Fish. p. 36 ; Giinther, Catal. i, 

 p. 7; Schlegel, Dieren Neder. p. 54, pi. iv, f. 3; Mcintosh, Fish. N. Uist, Pro. 

 Roy. Soc. Edin. v, 1862-66, p. 614, and Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 171. 



Spinachia vulgaris, Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 219 ; Johnston, Fish. Berwick. Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. 1833, vi, p. 15; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 409; 

 Malmgren, Wieg. Arch. 1864, p. 282; Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 14; Winther, 

 Ich. Dan. Mar. p. 5 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. 171, c. fig. 



Polyacanthus spinachia, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 242. 



Gasterosteus marinus, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 168. 



Gastroea spinachia, Sauvage, Revis. Epin. An. Mus. 1874, p. 36. 



Fifteen- spined stickleback,, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 180, pi. xxxviii. 



B. iii, D. 15(-17)/6-7, P. 9-10, V. 1/1, A. 6-7, C. 12-14, Vert. 18/23. 



Length of head 4 to 4|, of caudal fin 8, height of body 8| to 9 in the total 

 length. Eye situated very slightly behind the middle of the length of the head, 

 2 to 2| diameters from the end of the snout, and 1 apart. Body elongated and 

 posteriorly depressed. Snout elongated. Mouth short : the posterior extremity 

 of the upper jaw does not extend half way to beneath the front edge of the eye. 

 Teeth present in both jaws, of a moderate size, compressed and having the 

 summits notched, some anteriorly being tricuspiclate : none on the vomer, palatines, 

 or tongue. Fins the first dorsal is formed of free spines of about equal height, 

 each situated on an osseous plate, a row of which extends from the occiput to the 

 base of the caudal fin : second dorsal and anal short and somewhat similar to one 

 another : caudal square or rounded at its extremity. Ventral with one spine and 

 a single ray. The soft rays of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are simply divided 

 at their extremities, those of the pectoral being undivided. Scales or armature 

 along the side of the body exists a raised ridge, consisting of about 40 wide plates, 

 having a central elevation and slightly roughened keel. A second but smaller 

 ridge also goes from the posterior edge of the dorsal fin to the middle of the upper 

 edge of the caudal : a third ridge, similar to that of the dorsal, passes from the anal 

 to the lower edge of the caudal fin. Respecting the existence of two ccecal 

 appendages, as observed by Valenciennes and others, they were absent in the 

 British specimens which I have examined. Air-bladder simple, rather wide 

 posteriorly and narrow anteriorly, having a very silvery appearance. Colours 

 olive, becoming silvery beneath : a brilliant silvery stripe passes from the snout 

 to beneath the eye, bounded above by a dark line which is continued posteriorly 

 some distance along the side : this brilliant white band is often broken up into 

 irregularly oval spots continued to above the commencement of the anal fin. 

 Under surface of chest and as far as the anal fin yellow. Irregular dark bands 

 sometimes cross the body, and are generally most distinct in the caudal portion : 

 second dorsal and anal brown in their outer two-thirds, or with a short band. 

 Caudal dark, with a light upper edge. This fish, says Dr. Ball, possesses the 

 chameleon-like quality of changing colour when excited. 



Varieties. Edward records having seen examples at Banff possessing sixteen 

 and seventeen dorsal spines. 



Names. Its local name bismore, in the Orkneys is derived from a kind of 

 balance used there and which has this designation (Low). Willie-wan-beard, 

 Banff (Edward), or Bobbie wamberg, Banff (Yarrell). Bottle-nose, St. Andrew's : 

 Buckins, Berwick : Great sea-adder, west country and Cornwall. B'e'pinoche dc 

 mer, French. Be zee stekelbaars, Dutch. 



