468 THE Font-H<>KNKI> COTTUS. 



the exception of the River Bull-head (C. Gobio), is the 

 smallest of the genus Cottus, its usual length being from 

 four to five inches. The sexes differ somewhat in form 

 and colour. As with the Sea-Scorpion, the male is rather 

 less than the female ; and in appearance, manner of 

 feeding, &c., it assimilates closely to that fish. It li\es 

 chiefly on small crustaceans. Kroycr found its stomach 

 full of a species of Idotea. According to Ekstnmi and 

 B. Fries, this fish spawns at the end of November and in 

 Decetnher, but Kroyer supposes somewhat earlier. "At 

 this time," we are told, " nature has lavished on it colours 

 so surpassingly beautiful, that it is impossible sufficiently 

 to admire or for the pencil to delineate them." Excepting 

 as bait, the fishermen set little store on this iisli, and cither 

 throw it away or give it to the pigs. 



The Cottus trirnxpix, Ileinh. (Taggrenig 8impa t Sw. ; 

 implying that the preopcrrxltun is armed with branched 

 spines). This rare fish was not known in our Skargard, 

 but has been taken on the northern and north-western 

 coasts of Norway. It is described as from eight to nine 

 inches in length, and is said much to resemble in form 

 the Sea-Scorpion, though the body is more tapering and 

 the head shorter in proportion. 



The Four-horned Cottus (/lorii-Siai/in, Sw. ; C. ijiunlri- 

 cornis, Linn.). This lish was unknown to us on the 

 western coast, but it is found in the Baltic, as far south 

 at least as the island of Gotland, and as high up as the 

 Gulf of Bothnia. It is distinguished as a species by the 

 rough tubercles on its head, and hcuce its name. Pallas 

 was of opinion that these warty excrescences were 

 confined to adults, and wanting in those of less than nine 

 inches in length ; but. Swedish ichthyologists, though 

 admitting that t lie \\.-n-ts ;uv not apparent in very yonn^ 

 fish, conceive that they shoot forth at a much earlier 

 period, and instance having seen specimens only three 



