ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 



419 



sidered by the describer to be> identical with other specimens exiiniined by him from 

 the Aleutian Islands. Four specimens Avere collected by us May 26, 1889, in a small 

 stream entering Departure Bay, Vancouver Island. These exhibit perfectly the 

 differences separating C. aleuticua from its nearest ally, C. philonips. 

 59. Cottus asper (Richardson). 



Five specimens taken in a small stream emptying into Departure Bay, Vancouver 

 Island. The head is naked in all of these and the prickles absent on belly, along 

 bases of spinous dorsal and anal lins, and on caudal peduncle. 



60. Acanthocottus sellaris sp. nov. 



Cottus quadrifiUs Bean, in Nelson's Report, Natural History Collections in 

 Alaska, 1887, 309, pi. xviii ; not Porocottus quadrifiUs Gill. 



Head cuboid, the anterior profile of snout subvertical, the greatest width a trifle 

 more than the depth at occiput. Cheeks subvertical. Interorbital region elevated, 

 the supraorbital rim furnished posteriorly with a low tubercle which usually bears 

 an inconspicuous cirrus. The interorbital space is rather wide, transversely concave, 

 its least width 2i in eye. Occipital depression well marked, the ridges unbroken, 

 straight, converging rapidly backward, the distance between their tips but two- 

 thirds that between their anterior ends. From the latter two low ridges converge 

 for a short distance upon the floor of occipital depression. The ridges do not termi- 

 nate in spines, but bear small cirri similar to those above eye. Like the latter, these 

 cirri may be indistinct or wanting. Maxillary reaching vertical from posterior margin 

 of pupil, 2| in head ; eye 3|, slightly exceeding snout. Nasal spines very strong. 

 Two short spines diverge from angle of preopercle, the upper one slightly curved, 

 directed upward and backward, half the diameter of orbit, the lower directed 

 straight backward, two-fifths the length of the upper one. Below these are a short 

 spinous projection concealed in the skin, and a longer spine directed downwg,rd and 

 forward. Opercle with three lengthwise ridges, the uppermost ending in a definite 

 sharp spine. Subopercnlar spine well developed ; a spine also at posterior end of 

 interopercle and one at shoulder. Gill-membranes broadly joined to isthmus, with 

 a wide free fold posteriorly. 



A few small prickly plates behind axil of pectorals ; skin otherwise smooth. Occi- 

 put and nape thickly covered with minute dermal papilhe, interspersed with very 

 small mucous pores, which are distributed also over the anterior part of the head. 

 Pores on mandible and preopercular margin small, not better developed than in other 

 species of Acanthocottus. Lateral line giving off pairs of short diverging branches, 

 at the tips of which are the pores. Dorsals connected at extreme base, soft dorsal 

 terminating slightly behind the anal. Fins all low. Ventrals reaching vent. PeC' 

 torals to opposite third ray of anal. 



The following is a table of fin rays in ten specimens: 



Head 2f to 3 in length; depth 3f. 

 ostegals 6. 



Pairs of pores in lateral line 32 to 34. Branchi- 



