FISHES. 123 



neither of tliem. It is a species cliaiacterized by a verj short head and 

 short jaws, the head constituting only one-third of the total length with- 

 out the caudal, and the upper jaw equalling less than one-seventh of the 

 same length. The length of the ui)per jaw of C. gronJandicus equals 

 slightly more than one-sixth of the total length without caudal, and in 

 C. scorpius it is contained only 5^ times in the length exclusive of the 

 caudal. The species agrees with Fabricius's description and with Dr. 

 Liitken's diagnosis of Coitus scorjnoides. For the sake of comparison, I 

 have i)repared a table of measurements of the head and jaws of 9 addi- 

 tional si)ecimens of C. gronlandicus to follow the measurements of C. 

 scoj'pioidc'S. The unit of length in the tables is the total length to the 

 origin of the middle caudal rays. 



Description. — The shape of the body resembles that of Cottiis scorpius 

 L., but the caudal peduncle is longer and more slender. 



The greatest height of the body, which is at the ventrals, equals the 

 distance from the tip of the snout to the nape, and is contained 4 J times 

 in the length without caudal. The caudal i)eduncle is slender and long ; 

 its least height is less than the long diameter of the orbit, and its length 

 to the origin of the middle caudal rays equals the length of the longest 

 anal ray. 



The length of the head, measured to the end of the ox)ercular flap, is 

 contained 3 times in the unit of length. The width of the head at the 

 base of the praeopercular spines equals the distance from the snout to 

 the nape, and nearly equals the length of the anal base. The long- 

 diameter of the eye equals half the length of the upper jaw, and is 

 very little less than the length of the snout. The distance between 

 the eyes equals ^ of the length of the mandible, and is contained 20 

 times in the unit of length. The length of the snout equals ^ the length 

 of the mandible, and is contained 14 times in the unit of length. 



The distance of the spinous dorsal from the snout equals twice the 

 length of the longest ray of the second dorsal and is nearly or quite 

 equal to the length of the head. The first spine is contained 11 times, 

 the second 9.^ times, and the third, fourth, and fifth 9 times in the unit 

 of length. From this point the spines diminish gradually in length to 

 the last, which is ^ as long as the first. The longest ray of the second 

 dorsal is contained G| times in the unit of length. 



The distance of the anal from the snout equals twice the length of the 

 pectoral. The anus is directly under the origin of the second dorsal. 



The length of the anal base is about equal to the distance from the 



