= a 
ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 419 
sidered by the describer to be identical with other specimens examined by him from 
the Aleutian Islands. Four specimens were collected by us May 26, 1889, in a small 
stream entering Departure Bay, Vancouver Island. These exhibit perfectly the 
differences separating C. aleuticus 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 fins, and on caudal peduncle. 
First dorsal. | Second dorsal. | Anal. | 
| 
| 7 eh aN er vor! ‘1x | a | 22 | 
| 
| 
Specimens ...... 1 | 4 | a 2 
| 
60. Acanthocottus sellaris sp. nov. 
Cottus quadrifilis Bean, in Nelson’s Report, Natural History Collections in 
Alaska, 1887, 309, pl. xv111; not Porocottus quadrifilis 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 2}. 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 indistinctor wanting. Maxillary reaching vertical from posterior margin 
of pupil, 2? in head; eye 33, 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 downward and 
forward. Opercle with three lengthwise ridges, the uppermost ending in a definite 
sharp spine. Subopercular 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 papillx, 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: 
Spinous Second = 
dorsal. dorsal. Anal. 
Pectoral.| Caudal. | 
Number of rays.--.--.. VIII} 13; 14; 10| 11 | 12 16 9 
Number of specimens... 10 2 8) 25a tae 10 10 
Head 24 to3 in length; depth 3?. Pairs of pores in lateral line 32 to34. Branchi- 
ostegals 6. 
