the total leDgth, the length of the head eight times and a 

 half. Snout short, with the cleft of the mouth very oblique ; 

 the width of the interorbital space is less than the diameter 

 of the eye. Teeth acute, distant in both jaws, and a small 

 group on the vomer ; lower jaw, when extended, longest. No 

 scales, nor lateral line. Body covered with a thick coating of 

 mucus, of the consistence of butter, from which is derived its 

 popular name. A single long, subequal dorsal fin, commen- 

 cing above the branchial aperture, and extending nearly to the 

 base of the caudal ; it is composed of a very thick membrane, 

 supported by from 75 to 81 sharp spinous rays. Pectorals 

 rounded and feeble, not quite half so long as the head. 

 Beneath these, and slightly in advance, is the ventral, com- 

 posed of one very short spine and one ray. The anal is 

 nearly equal throughout its whole extent, not as high as the 

 dorsal ; it approaches still nearer to the caudal than the dor- 

 sal fin. The two anterior rays are short acute spines, the 

 remainder soft and flexible. Caudal fin rounded. General 

 color greyish, with a series of oval vertical dusky rings along 

 the sides. Abdomen greyish white, tinged with yellow. 

 Dorsal fin grey, with from ten to fourteen black vertical dis- 

 tant stripes. Pectorals and caudal yellow. Anal fin greenish 

 grey, with alternate darker stripes. Length, 3^ to 4^ inches. 



Fm-rays :— D. 76-81 ; P. 12 ; V. 1, 1 ; A. 2, 39-44 ; C. 18. 



Blennius gumllus, L. Syst, I, p. 443 ; Richards. Faun. Bor. 

 Amer. Fish. p. 91. 



Ounellus ingens, Storer, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist. 1850, VI, p. 

 261, pi. 8, fig. 1. 



Ophidium mmronatum, Mitch, in Lit. & Phil. Trans. New 

 York, I, p. 361. 



Gunellus mucronatus, Cuv. & Yal. XI, p. 427 ; DeKay, New 

 York Fauna. Fish., p. 153, pi. 153, pi. 12, fig. 36. 



This peculiar, and with its slimy coat certainly not very 

 handsome, little fish is found occasionally in the drains along 

 the coast of Worcester county. It moves very slowly about 

 the stones and shells, that cover the bottom in such places, 

 but is very active when disturbed, darting away with great 

 rapidity. 



