305 



The genus Cottus belongs to the temperate zone, some species 

 extending as far north as the arctic circle, and as far south as 

 the torrid zone. 



Finally, the genus Cottopsis is limited to the River Oregon. 



A note was read from Rev. Zadock Thonfipson, correct- 

 ing a misstatement in reference to several species of Pike 

 from Vermont, in the Proceedings of the Society, Vol. III. 

 p. 164 and 173, as follows : — 



From statements, which I have observed in the published 

 Proceedings of this Society, I am disposed to think there may- 

 be some misapprehension with regard to two or three species of 

 fishes of the Pike family. On page 164, Vol. III. of the Pro- 

 ceedings, it is stated that my Esox nohilior was supposed, by Dr. 

 Richardson, to be identical with E, lucius ; and the same state- 

 ment is repeated on page 173. This, I think, is a mistake ; and 

 that it is Le Sueur's E. estor, and not nohilior, which is identical 

 with Dr. Richardson's E. lucius ; for the Doctor says expressly, 

 that Le Sueur's original description of his E. estor applies exactly 

 to his own E. lucius and not at all to his own E. estor. Now it 

 appears plain to my mind that the fish, which Dr. Richardson 

 supposed to be identical with the European species, E. lucius, 

 was the same which Le Sueur originally described and named 

 estor, and that it was, therefore, the true E. estor. The fish 

 which Richardson described as the estor is, certainly, not the 

 estor of Le Sueur, and if Le Sueur's estor is not identical with 

 the lucius of Europe, which is, I believe, the general opinion of 

 naturalists at present, then the name estor was preoccupied 

 when applied by Richardson to another species, which Le Sueur 

 had probably never seen. Richardson's estor may possibly be 

 identical with my nohilior, although his description is not fully 

 verified by the specimens have I examined. 



It is, I think, very certain that the common pickerel of Lake 

 Ontario and Lake Champlain and their tributaries, is the true 

 E. estor of Le Sueur, and that the name estor is correctly applied 

 to this fish by Dr. De Kay, Dr. Storer, and other American writ- 

 ers ; but the vulgar names, Maskallonge, Maskinonge, &:c. which 

 scientific writers have applied to the estor, belong to the entirely 



PROCEEDINGS E, S. N. H. 20 NOVEMBER, 1850. 



