130 [August, 



origin of the first dorsal and the occiput. Second dorsal connected with the 

 first by a low membrane proceeding from the last spiny ray. Tips of posterior 

 soft rays not quite reaching the base of caudal. Anal, about as high as second 

 dorsal, but shorter. Caudal, well developed and posterioily rounded. Origin 

 of ventrals midway between the tip of lower jaw and the anus. Pectorals broad 

 and large, its longest rays extending posteriorly as far as the fifth ray of second 

 dorsal. 



D IX. 18. A 13. C 3. 1. 5. 4. 1. 2. V 1. 4. P 15. 



Lateral line uninterrupted from thoracic region to base of caudal. Abdomen 

 beset with minute prickles; skin elsewhere smooth. 



Ground color reddish brown ; head and (iorsal region spotted with black. 

 Dorsals, caudal and pectorals barred with blackish ; first dorsal provided poste- 

 riorly with an elongated black spot. Anal and ventrals unicolor. 



Inhabit San Joaquin River, Cal. 



Genus ASPICOTTUS. Girard. 



Head covered with bony plates. Opercular apparatus armed with strong spines. 

 .Mouth moderately cleft; jaw equal. Teeth on the maxillaries and front of 

 vomer; none on the palatines. Gill openings separated by an isthmus ; bran- 

 chiostegal rays six in number. Dorsals distinct; first, rather small and lower 

 than the second. Caudal rounded posteriorly. Pectorals broad and large. 

 Insertion of ventrals under the base of pectorals. A series of bony scutellae 

 running along the sides of back from head to tail. Skin otherwise smooth. 



Obs. To this genus must be referred Cottus bubalis of Euphrasen, from the 

 Baltic and Norwegian seas. 



3. Aspicottus bison, G. Greatest length seven inches and a half. Head 

 broad and large, forming a little less than the third of the whole length. Body 

 tapering rapidly backwards. Orbits raised above the surface of the skull, which 

 exhibits a parieto-occipital carina. Above and inwardly of nostrils a rough 

 plate is observable. Preopercle provided with four spines, uppermost very 

 long, extending backwards to the posterior edge of opercle ; the two next ones 

 are small and directed obliquely downwards; the fourth, may be seen at the 

 lower edge of that bone and directed obliquely forwards. The opercle has three 

 spines; a stout one along the upper margin of that bone, and two small ones 

 towards its inferior margin and directed obliquely downwards. The posterior 

 extremity of interopercle. finally exhibits the last and smallest spine of the 

 opercular apparatus. The isthmus is rather large. The first dorsal begins at a 

 very short distance from the occiput, and is separated from the second by a 

 similar small space. Its base is contained once and a half in that of the second 

 dorsal, the po-terior rays of which, do not reach the base of the caudal. The 

 caudal in itself is rather long. The origin of the anal is under the fourth ray 

 of second dorsal ; the tips of its posterior rays are almost even with those of the 

 last mentioned fin, although its base does not extend as far behind. The ventrals 

 are long and slender; their insertion being nearly equidistant between the 

 symphysis of lower jaw and the vent. The tips of pectorals reach a vertical 

 line, which would intersect the second ray of second dorsal fin. 



D VIII. 12. A 9. C 4. 1. 5. 4. [.5. V I. 3. P 16. 



The lateral line appears to be occupied by a row of oblong bony plates, from 

 thirty to thirty-three in number, and extending from head to base of caudal in 

 diminishing gradually backwards. 



Color dark brown above, mottled with black ; fins (except ventrals) yellow 

 and black. Beneath dull yellowish with brownish meandric lines under the 

 he^d and throat; ventrals whitish. 



From San Francisco, Cal. 



Genus LEPTOCOTTUS, Girard. 



General form of body and head elongated. Head smooth, with several spines 

 on the preopercle. Mouth deeply cleft; upper jaw longer than the lower one. 

 Teeth upon the maxillaries, front of vomer, and palatines. Gill openings 



