DESCRIPTION OF A RECENTLY DISCOVERED FOSSIL 

 SCULPIN FROM NEVADA REGARDED AS COTTUS 

 J3ELDINGL 



By David Starr Jordan. 

 Of Stanford University, California. 



I have received from Mr. F. B. Headley, superintendent of irriga- 

 tion for the United States Department of Agriculture, stationed at 

 Fallon, Nevada, a number of small fossil sculpins from deposits of 

 Lake Lahonton, I identify these with a living species of the same 

 region, Cottics heldingi Eigenmann and Eigenmann. 



COTTUS BELDINGI EiKenmann and Eigenmann. 



Head 3 times in length to base of caudal ; depth about 4 ; pectoral 

 about as long as head; dorsal rays VII to VIII, 17 to 19; anal 12 

 to 14 ; ventral rays I, 4 ; the fin 3 in head ; caudal a little longer than 

 head; vertebrae about 12+20=32. Length of specimens in all cases, 

 2| inches. 



Body moderately elongate ; head large, more or less crushed in all 

 examples so that individual bones can not well be traced. A short 

 forked spine on preopercle present in one example. Insertion of 

 dorsal fin not far behind head; its spines very slender, the second 

 longest, somewhat produced, about half head; other spines rapidly 

 shortened; soft rays slender, rather high but shorter than longest 

 spine (the last rays of dorsal and anal more or less obscure). Pec- 

 toral rays 11 or 12, the fin broad; actinosts forming a considerable 

 flat plate; ventrals shorter, 3 in head, entirely separate; thoracic, 

 present in three examples, the rays strong and relatively long ; verte- 

 brae strong, short, and deep, hour-glass shaped, each with two prom- 

 inent longitudinal ridges. Hypural strong; caudal broad, rounded, 

 with 15 rays. No trace of scales or spinules. 



Of this species we have seventeen examples, all more or less 

 broken, besides several fragments. These are imbedded in a chalky 

 or calcareous deposit containing many diatoms, with fine sand of 

 crushed chalcedony and quartz, mixed with more or less clay. 



Mr. Headley observes that the specimens were obtained from " a 

 cave on the east side of the Carson Sink about five miles south of 



No. 2519.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 65, Art. 6. 



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