58 MONOGRAPH OF THE FRESH WATER na: 
a quarter, was first collected at Windsor (Vt.), by Ed. Cabot, Esq., of Boston. 
Dr. D. H. Storer had in his possession two small ones from the same vicinities. 
Specimens are preserved in Prof. Agassiz’s Cabinet, and at the Smithsonian In- 
stitution. : 
XII. COTTUS FORMOSUS, Girarp. 
Amongst the macerated remains of Triglopsis Thompsonii, described further on, 
we detected the body of a Cottus, in a similarly mutilated state. After instituting 
all the comparisons which could possibly be made, we became fully satisfied that 
we had to deal with a distinct and undescribed species, although not quite prepared 
to give a full and satisfactory description of it. Its most striking peculiarities are 
a small head, a slender and graceful body, with the two dorsals widely separated. 
The entire length, from the snout to the extremity of the caudal fin, is three inches 
and a quarter, in which length the head enters for about the fifth part. The upper 
surface of the head is very flat, and the eyes of medium size, circular, and very 
proportionate. The anterior and inferior part of the head are destroyed in the 
specimen under examination, so that we are at a loss to describe the nostrils, the 
shape of the mouth, the isthmus, as well as to state how many times the diameter 
of the eye is contained in the length of the head. ‘The preopercular spine is stout 
and rather short, acute, and curved. There exists on the same bone a small 
spine, situated under the first, and directed obliquely downwards and backwards. 
The subopercular spine is well developed, acute, and curved upwards, being as 
usual directed forwards. The greatest thickness, and depth of the body cannot 
be given under the existing circumstances; but the least depth, taken on the 
peduncle of the tail, is contained nearly eighteen times in the total length, being 
about three-sixteenths of an inch. The body itself seems to have been regularly 
fusiform. 
The anterior edge of the first dorsal is situated at thirteen-sixteenths of an inch 
from the snout. It is composed of eight rays, extending on a basis of half an 
inch. Its upper edge is regularly arched. The second dorsal is separated from the 
first by a space of nearly a quarter of an inch, filled by a membrane which extends 
between both fins. The rays, sixteen in number, are very slender and unbranched, 
the two anterior ones shorter than the third. There is a free space of a quarter of 
an inch between the posterior end of the second dorsal and the base of the caudal 
fin. The caudal itself is rounded posteriorly, convex, composed of eleven rays, and 
a few rudimentary ones; those of the middle of the fin, are branched towards their 
extremity; its length is contained six times and a half in the total length. The 
origin of the anal takes place under the third ray of the second dorsal, and leaves 
a space of nearly half an inch between its posterior end and the beginning of the 
caudal. The ventrals are situated under the pectorals, in advance of the anterior 
dorsal; when bent backwards, they are very far from reaching the vent. The base 
of the pectorals is crescent-shaped and very close to the gill openings. These fins 
are rather short, composed of twelve or thirteen unbranched rays, and when bent 
