HISTORY OF THE ICHTHYOLOGY OP NEW BRUNSWICK. 55 



spines, three free and one connected "with the soft fin. 

 As this seems to he the first record of its presence in 

 provincial waters, "where it "was found by the writer in 

 October, 1893, a fuller description than usual may be 

 given in an article of this kind. 



Body compressed, its depth equalling the length of the 

 head. Dorsal outline arched, highest at insertion of soft 

 dorsal, thence to snout nearly straight. Caudal peduncle 

 very slender, not keeled. ISTo dermal plates. Innomin- 

 ate bones unconnected. Breast covered with a bony 

 plate. Gill membranes connected with isthmus. Free 

 dorsal spines three, the first the longest, and pointing 

 generally to the left., the second and third to the right 

 and left respectively, but at diflerent angles ; the fourth 

 is joined w^ith the soft dorsal. Bases of free spines 

 between two bony ridges. Coloration : dusky above, 

 mottled; silvery below. Ventral spines, coral red. Fin 

 formula: D. Ill — 1,11; A. 1,8. Length, one and 

 one-half inches. Mouth of Little River, near St. John. 



It seems strange that this little fish, actually swarm- 

 ing in the locality referred to, and in the near vicinity of 

 a city of 45,000 people, should have escaped notice so 

 long. It was probably mistaken for a tiny stickleback, 

 which it somewhat resembles. 



Prof. Mitchill first described the species [vide Trans. 

 Lit. and Phil. Society, I. 430, 1815), and Gill includes it 

 in his " Catalogue of Fishes of the East Coast of ISTorth 

 America," Washington, 1873, assigning its range from 

 New Brunswick to Florida. It would seem then that its 

 occurrence in our waters was either known to this author, 

 or more likely inferred, by a projection of the typical 

 fauna of the neie:hbouring American coast waters to its 

 natural and geographical limit, namely, the head of the 

 Bay of Fundy and southern coast of ISTova Scotia {vide 



