CLASS PISCES. 89 



Family COTTID^E, Linn. 

 Genus COTTUS, Linn. 



Cottus gobio, Linn. MILLER'S THUMB. 



This occurs plentifully in all our streams, preferring those 

 with a gravelly bottom. 



Cottus grcenlandicus, Cuv. GREENLAND BULL-HEAD. 

 (Locally, BULL-ROUT.) 



Mr. J. T. Carrington records (Zool., 1880, p. 147) the 

 capture in white-bait nets of several specimens of this fish in 

 the Thames. The identification was confirmed by Dr. Day. 

 I have seen several examples which had been taken on our 

 coast, and have caught them myself in all our estuaries, but 

 have never seen any approaching the size they are said to 

 attain in Greenland. 



Cottus scorpius, Linn. FATHER LASHER. 



This is a very common fish all round the coast. It takes 

 a bait greedily. 



Cottus bubalis, Block. BUBALIS. 



Also very common. Both this and the last-named species 

 are frequently caught by persons fishing from piers, even in 

 rather shallow water ; and they are constantly captured in 

 shrimp and other trawls. The local name for all three species 

 is " Bull-rout." 



Cottus quadricornis, Linn. FOUR-HORNED COTTUS. 



This is very rare, but Leonard Jenyns says {British Verte- 

 brate Animals, Cambridge, 1835, p. 346) some specimens in 

 the British Museum were found among sprats taken at the 

 mouth of the Thames. 



