GASTEBOSTEID^E. XCVIII. 247 



entirely united (as in some related families); ventrals 

 jugular, usually several-rayed; gill openings wide; air 

 bladder usually present; no pseudobranchiae ; pyloric 

 coeca usually in large number (30 or more in Lota). 

 Genera about twenty -five; species about seventy. An 

 important family found chiefly in the northern seas; a 

 single genus inhabiting the lakes and larger streams of 

 the northern parts of Europe and America. 

 * Chin with a barbel ; dorsals 2 ; anal single ; teeth villiform. 



LOTA, 1. 

 /. LOTA, Cuvier. LINGS. 



1. L lacusiris, (Mitch.) Gill. LING. BUKBOT. LAKE 

 LAWYER. EEL-POUT. LAKE CUSK. Dark olive, thickly 

 marbled with blackish, yellowish or dusky beneath; head 

 broad, depressed; body sub-cylindrical in front, com 

 pressed behind; upper jaw (always?) longest; D. 13 76; 

 A. 68; V. 7; length 1J to 2 feet. Great Lakes and 

 streams of New England, north to the Arctic Circle, 

 abundant; very rare in the Miss. Valley. A curious fish, 

 rarely used for food, although the livers are said to be 

 delicious. \L. maculosa^ (Les.) Cuv. L. compressa, 

 (Les.) and L. brosmiana, Storer. L. inornata^ DeK., 

 etc.] It is closely related to the European L. vulgaris, 

 Cuv. 



SUB-OEDEE. -HEMIBEANCHIL 



(The Half-Gilled Fishes.) 

 FAMILY XCVIIL GASTEROSTEID^E. 



(The Sticklebacks.) 



Small fishes with the body elongated and compressed; 

 caudal peduncle very slender; mouth large with the cleft 

 oblique; villiform teeth on jaws and pharyngeals; bran- 

 chiostegals three; opercles unarmed; sub-orbital bone 



