38 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Sea Swallow, Dactyloptems volitans Lacepede. 

 Radiated Shanny, Pholis subbi/urcatus Storer. 

 Thick-Lipped Eelpout, Zoarces auguiUaris Storer. 

 Spotted Wrymouth, Cj-i/ptacanthodes maadatus Storer. 

 Chub Sucker, Moxostomus oblonc/us Ayies. 

 Pickerel, Usox reticidatiis Le Sueur. 



It must, however, be borne in mind tliat Dr. Adams 

 had followed Prof. Gill in the doctrine of "Zoological 

 Provinces," by which, whenever a species is known to 

 occur in any part of a so-called province, it is attributed 

 to the whole. Maine and New Brunswick are so classified 

 by our author {vide p. 214) ; and a Basking Shark, Ceto- 

 rkinvs maximus Blainville, taken on the coast of Maine, 

 is referred to K^ew Brunswick in the catalogue "verified 

 from personal observation " {vide p. 306, note). In this 

 way, too, the occurrence of the Ghost Fish, C. inornatus 

 Gill, in his list may be accounted for. 



The history of this fish is interesting as illustrating 

 the general weakness of modern scientists. Every student 

 of nature is well aware that she occasionally shows the 

 wealth of her resources in albinism, melanism, and other 

 strange and accidental variations from a given type. 

 Not many years ago, the writer took a white specimen 

 of the common eel, Auguilla rostrata L., apparently in 

 good health and condition. It seems that in 1863 an 

 albino wrymouth, C. maculatus Storer, was sent to Prof. 

 Gill of Philadelphia, who proclaimed it a new species, 

 C. ivoriudiis, with the significant title of "Ghost Fish." 

 The Spotted Wrymouth is reported by J. M. Jones, 

 F. L. S., as "a rare visitor to Kova Scotia waters," and 

 he adds that a fine albino specimen was taken in Halifax 

 Harbour in 1860, and tliat such are not uncommon. 

 (Canadian Naturalist, Vol. II., 1865.) It is just possible 

 that Dr. Adams looked upon New Brunswick and Nova 



