THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 307 



This species is doubtless common throughout Alaska, but being fnund further up the streams away 

 from brackish water and in places Dot usually visited by collectors, it has not been taken abundantly 

 or recorded from many places. 



129. Cottus cognatus Richardson. Great Bear Lake Bullhead. 



One of the most interesting results of the side trip made to the headwaters of the Yukon was the 

 securing of a line series of specimens of Cot I us c< ><i not us. Until now the type of this species had remained 

 unique, no additional specimens having come into any museum or having been collected by any natur- 

 alist so far as we are informed. 



At Lake Bennett, July 19-21, 1903, 45 specimens were collected. They were obtained by the use of 

 the seine at various places along the ahore, chiefly toward the head of the lake above the rail mad station 

 and near the crossing of the Yukon and White Pass Railroad. These specimens range in length from 

 1.2 to 31 inches. Although the original description is very brief then- is no doubt in our mind as to thi 

 identification. Following i- a detailed description: 



Head 3. lit; to 1.1 in length; depth 5.13 to H.2: e ye 3.8 to 4.66 in head; snout 3.6 to I; maxillary 

 2.2-~> to 2.5; mandible about 2; interorbital width 5.25 to 6; dorsal usually vin 17 vm 15, \m 16, 

 nx-15, ix-17, and tx-ls indicate the range of variation); longest dorsal spine about 3 in head; lot 

 dorsal ray 1.75 to 2; anal usually I 1 or 12, varying from 111 to 13: longest anal ray about 1.75; pectoral 

 13 or 11, iis longest rays I I or !■">) 3.87 to 1.2 in head, lowermost 7 or 8 rays thick, but not branched; 

 ventral i. 3, the length 5.5 to H in head; caudal lobes about 5. 



Body rat her heavy forward, tapering gradually to the rather slender caudal peduncle; head moderate, 

 evenly rounded above, interorbital space narrow, slightly concave; mouth moderate, somewhat oblique, 

 maxillary reaching middle of pupil, lower jaw slightly included; branchio8tegal rays ii; gill-membranes 

 separate, joined to the isthmus; villi form teeth on jaws and a small patch on the vomer; caudal peduncle 

 slender, its least width about 2 in its least depth; head entirely smooth; preopercle with a single Bpine 

 at the angle projecting backward and upward, eh icily concealed by skin: lower edge of preopercle with 

 one rather distinct broad spine projecting downward and forward, in front of which is another poorly 

 defined spine or blunt point; opercle without Bpine; no other spines or filaments about head: body 



entirely smooth except a patch of small roughish scales under the pectoral: lins well developed, spinous 

 and soft dorsal barely connected; caudal truncate or slightly rounded; pectoral broad at base, the tip 

 reaching past beginning of anal; ventrals scarcely reaching vent; vent usually somewhat nearer top of 

 snout than base of caudal; there is, however, some Blight variation in this character; in one specimen, 

 apparently a female, il is equally distant from tip of snout and base of caudal. 



A specimen 3J inches long was. in life, dark olive, much mottled; trace of about 6 dark Baddies 

 less distinct than in most specimens; first dorsal blackish olive with a narrow orange edge, the fin mesially 

 darker; second dorsal dusky olive and translucent, the olive in irregular blotches; caudal with I or ■> 

 vague bars of darker olive; ventrals and anal uncolored; pectoral brown with 1 narrow irregular dark 

 bars, the coloration more olive and more uniform than usual; a patch of light colored, rather coarse 

 prickles behind axil; belly silvery; lower jaw greenish, faintly barred with 5 black dots. 



There are two patterns of coloration, probably representing the two sexes, a darker and a lighter 

 phase. The darker phase may be described as follows: Sides and top of head, anterior portion of body. 

 the beginning of soft dorsal, and sides of body along base of soft dorsal and upper part of caudal peduncle, 

 dark or blackish, more or less vermiculated with lighter; base of caudal tin with a large V-shaped black 

 area; tip of lower jaw dark; under side of head and entire lower parts of body yellowish while, profusely 

 covered with numerous minute black or brownish punctulations; spinous dorsal black, white at the 

 tip; soft dorsal vermiculated with dark and light . the distal half lighter; anal yellowish-white with line 

 dark punct illations; caudal dirty white, with line dark punctulations and evidence of faint darker 

 cross-bars; pectoral dark on basal two-thirds, lighter at the tip, with rather distinct vertical cross-bars 

 of dark and light; ventrals yellowish-white, somewhat punctate with dark. 



A specimen of the lighter phase may be described as follows: Head and upper parts of body 

 brownish white, blotched with darker; occipital region dark; back with about 6 dark or brownish saddles, 

 distributed as follows: The first, which is very small, at beginning of spinous dorsal, the second under 

 last dorsal spines, the third under third to sixth dorsal rays, the fourth under eighth to tenth dorsal rays, 

 the fifth under the last dorsal rays but one, and the sixth on base of caudal fin; the third and fifth 



