2 GASTEKOSTEID.E. 



the skeleton tbrmiug external mails. Scales none, or in the fonu of 

 scaly plates along the side. Isolated spines before the dorsal fin ; 

 ventral fins abdominal, but pubic bones attached to the humeral 

 arch; ventral with one strong spine, and generally with another 

 single short ray. Swim-bladder simple, oblong ; caeca pylorica in 

 small number. 



Fresh and brackish waters and seas of both the Arctic regions. 



Only one genus. 



1. GASTEROSTEUS*. 



Gasterosteus, Artecli, Genera, p. 52 ; Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 489 ; Cuv. 



Rl-gnc Anim. ; Cuv. fy Vol. iv. p. 479. 

 Centriscus, Klein, Pisr. Hiss. iv. p. 48. 

 Gasterosteus and Spiuacliia, Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 219. 



Characters the same as of the family. 



1. Gasterosteus aculeatus. 



Pimgitiiis piscis, Albert. Magn. Ahlror. v. cap. 36. 



alberti, Jonston, iii. cap. 3. 



Pisciculi aculeati prius genus, Ro)i(leL ii. p. 206 ; Gesner, fol. 160 a. 

 Pisciculus acideatu.*, Willughhi, p. 341. t. 10. f. 1 ; Ray, p. 145. 

 Gasterosteus, no. 1, Artedi, Species, p. 96 ; Gronov. Zoophyl. n. 405. 



* Doubtful si^ecjes : — 



1. Obolarius aculeatus, ^tellrr. — trasteraeanthus catapliractus, P«/fes, . — 



Gasterosteus cataphractus, Tiles. Mini. Acad. Petersb. iii. p. 22(j. pi. 8. 

 f. 1. — Grasterosteus obolarius, Cuv.<^- Val. iv. p. 500. — Coast and Rivers 

 of Kamtschatka. 



2. Gasterosteus niger, Cuv. 4' Val. iv. p. 503. — Newfoundland. 



3. Gasterosteus plebeius, Girard, I. c. p. 147, and U. S. Pacif. R. R. Exped. 



Fishes, p. 8G. — California. 



4. Gasterosteus inopinatus, Girard, II. cc. — California. — The two latter fishes 



prove that the form of the three-spined Stickleback with the posterior 

 part of the side naked is also met with in North America, but even there 

 limited to the more temperate parts. The characters given by Girard 

 otherwise are too vague to admit of any opinion on the specific right of 

 these fishes. 



5. Gasterosteus pygmteus, Agass. Lake Superior, p. 314. pi. 4. f. 1. — Lake 



Superior. 



6. Gasterosteus inconstans, Kirtland, in Boston Journ.Nat. Hist. ui. p. 273. 



pi. 2. f. 1.— Ohio. 



7. Gasterosteus serratus, Ay res, Proe. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. i. 185.''>, p. 47 ; 



Girard in U. S. Pacif. R. R. Exped. Fishts, p. 88. — California. 



8. Gasterosteus intermedins, Girard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc.Philad. 1856, p. 135, 



and U. S. Pacif R. R. Exped. Fishes, p. 89.— Cape Flattery. 



9. Gasterosteus pugetti. Girard, U. S. Pacif. R. R. Exped. Fishes, p. 92. — 



Fort Steilacoom, Pugefs Sound. 



10. Gasterosteus mierocephalus, Girard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1854, 



p. 133, and U. S. Pacif R. R. Exped. Fishes, p. 91.— Foiur Creeks, 

 Tulare V'alley, U.S. 



11. Gasterosteus loricatus, Reinh. Vidensk. Selsk. Natur. aej Math. Afh. vii. 



1838, p. 193.— Greenland. 



12. Gasterosteus dimidiatus, Rrii/h. I.e. — GrecnJaiirl. 



