1972 Bidletin^y, United States National Museum. 



slightly longer than eye; opercular spine granulated at base; small cirri 

 above eye and elsewhere on head, usually 1 on end of maxillary; cra- 

 nial bones mostly covered by skin; lateral line with some bony plates, 

 which are most distinct anteriorly, these very much smaller than in 

 Enophri/s hison, but somewhat similar in structure; interocular space very 

 narrow, its ridges continuing backward, serrated, each ending in a sharp 

 sjiine; no trace of slit behind last gill; spinous dorsal low; anal small; 

 pectorals reaching front of anal; ventrals moderate. Colors variegated, 

 the dark markings sometimes red, corresponding to the hue of red alga'. 

 Coasts of northern Europe; abundant in rock pools; said to stray to 

 Greenland, but there is no sure evidence of its occurence in any Ameri- 

 can waters. Liitken refers the Greenland records to M. scorpiiis. (Eu.) 

 {fiovfiaXn, buffalo. ) 

 Oottus bubalis, Euphrasen, KonCt. Vet. Nya Abhaudl. 1786, 65, Taf. 3, fig. 2, 3, Sweden; 



GiJNTHER, Cat., II, 164; Day, Fish. Gt. Brit. Ireland, 51, 1880; Jordan & Gilbert, 



Synop.sis, 701; Bean, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1885, 166. 

 Gottus maculaius, Fischer,* Jabrb. Wis.sensoh. Aiist., Hamburg, ii, 78, taf. 2, fig. 8,1885, 



Barbados. 



2346. MYOXOCEPHALUS .EXECS (Mitcbill). 



(Grubby.) 



Head 2f ; depth i. D. IX, 13 or U; A. 10 or 11; V. I, 3. Head rather 

 broad, covered Avith smooth thin skin; no cirri; a few very small warts 

 between occipital ridges; maxillary 2^ in head, reaching to just beyond 

 pupil ; supraocular and occipital ridges promiuent, each with a low, blunt- 

 ish spine; the region between the supraocular spines rather convex, the 

 space before and behind it concave; nasal spines moderate; upper pre- 

 opercular spine shorter than eye, nearly twice length of next spine, about 

 reaching middle of opercle. Lateral line complete ; each pore with a con- 

 cealed cartilaginous plate, scattered, concealed asperities on skin of sides; 



* Concerning tbe identit;^ of Gottus maeulatus, Fischer, with AcanOiocottus huhalig, Dr. 

 Tarleti.n II. l?e;in baa the following pertinent remarks: 



"In ii rciciit extract from the annals of the Scientific Association of Hamburg, Dr. J. 

 G. Fisclicr lius ilescribed and tigiu-ed a species of Gottus from Barbados. Tbe anomaly 

 of finding a species of this genus within the tropics induced me to examine the descrip- 

 tion very carefully, to ascertain, if possible, the source of Dr. Fischer's specimen. There 

 is no reasonable doubt that tbe type of his new species is the common Father-lasher of 

 Europe, and it is a source of wonder that the species should have been misinterpreted. 

 After a study of our examples of Gottus bubalis from Bergen and Christiania, inKtirway, 

 and Leeds, England, I have no hesitation in stating that they agree perfectly with the 

 description and figure of Gottus maeulatus. In some unknown way the loc:ility of Dr. 

 Fischer's specimen has been incorrectly given, and thus the deser'ilier of the ,sni>posed 

 new sjicricM lias licen ((iiiiiilitely misled. The diti'erential characters claimed by Dr. 

 Fisiliei fur Ciitfiis iiiiu-iiliit iig (biiKit sc-rvf at all to separate his species from G. bubalis. 

 Tbe arraiiLiciiiiiit and inmilier (jf Ihi' spines im tli(» preoperculum arc precisely the same 

 in our i'\iini|)l( s of Cittus hiiJ>atis as rr]ir<'scnlt(l in tlui figure of G. itiaculatris. The ven- 

 tral anil jicc i(iral are not longer in our siiccinnns tjiaii tin y an- niadi' to apiiear in the fig- 

 ure of till- allc;:c(l new species. Tlie notinn seems to liaNcgnf abi(>a<l amon.ntlie European 

 ichtliyolo;:isls tlijit North America is a <c.ni|iarati\ely lienij^liteil and iiarliarous country, 

 whose nai II ral histcn-y is stiil in its int'aiiey ; it is jiei'liaiis owing to this impression that 

 weare staitleil by iiilormatinii cdneernin;; tlie sii])]i(ise(l oecurrenee of GottvK within the 

 tropics, ami (.1 a s|ie. ies ol I •hitiirr/ilialiin in tlie I'oliimae River. (I'lntiicrpltuhif: ameri- 

 canun, Sainauc Ndin . Avcliix. Mus. C'). pi. 'J. lij;. 3 (lieail only). Potomac Kiver.) Our com- 

 mon little Gottus ri'in'i'n of .Miteliill lias alsulieen icileseiibed, from a New York specimen, 

 nnder thenaxne of Gnttiix ( AcKiitlidnittus) mirr/'X. (Cittiin {Acanfhocottus) anceps, iiau- 

 yage. Nouv. Archiv. Mus. Hist. Nat.. Paiis CJ), i, ISTS, ),. I4.'i, p\.l. tig. 13.) As r. general rule 

 it will be safe to intrust the novelties of fish distribution in our country to its resident 

 iebtbyoloKista." 



