GOBIID^E. 357 



for comparison one of exactly the same length with the latter, 

 and placing them side by side, the greater depth of the Arctic 

 fish was very apparent, but the only other differences I could 

 detect consisted in the sculpturing of the opercular pieces and 

 bony plates. In the Orkney fish the opercular bones are rayed 

 by fine furrows or rows of dots, depressed below a smooth, sil- 

 very surface, and their edges are nearly smooth. In the North- 

 umberland Sound one, the rays are more strongly marked, and 

 the preoperculum especially is ribbed with rough points, which, 

 under a lens, give a finely denticulated edge to that bone, and 

 also to the cheek plate. The nacry plate at the base of the 

 pectoral is the same in all. On the pelvic bones and spines 

 the sculpturing is much coarser in the Arctic fish, but the free 

 dorsal spines and fins differ little. One of the Orkney speci- 

 mens has the tip of the second dorsal spine more toothed, as 

 well as dilated by two thin edges ; but the other specimens from 

 the same locality have merely subulate tips to that spine. 

 The Orkney and Hampshire specimens have one pectoral ray 

 fewer. Some minute differences may be detected in the forms 

 of the dorsal plates, which it would be difficult to make clear 

 by a verbal description, for which I have therefore substituted a 

 figure enlarged to twice the linear dimensions of the specimen. 

 Hampshire specimens appear smoother than the Orkney 

 one, but I have not been able to obtain any of equal size for 

 comparison. 



Dimensions. 



Total length from tip of lower jaw to tip of caudal . 3'40 inches. 



Prom tip of mandible to gill-opening .... 1'30 



From tip of mandible to anus 1'91 



Height of body at the ventrals . . 0'74 



GUNNELLUS FASCIATUS (Bloch, sub Blennio}. 



Blennius fasciatus, Bloch, Schn., p. 165, et pi. 37, fig. 1. 

 Blennius gunnellus, Fabricius, Fauna GrcenL, p. 149. 

 Gunnellns fasciatus, C. et V. ii. p. 441 ; Eeinhardt, Bidrag til den 

 Gronlandske Fauna, p. 40, 



