128 Bullheads, Abundance, Size, Eggs. 



is another colloquial, and sometimes " Lucky Proach." With us 

 they are practically of little account unless occasionally as 

 bait. They perfectly swarm in our estuaries, where their 

 pinkish egg-clumps, adherent to various ground objects, are 

 torn up by trawl or dredge. (1.) The SHORT-SPINED COITUS 

 (C. scorpius*) ; (2) LONG-SPINED COTTUS (C. bubalis) ; and 

 (3) The FOUR-HORNED COTTUS (C. quadricomis) are re- 

 presentative forms. The latter is scarce, and met with 

 chiefly in the Deeps and southern outer channels, not now so 

 much frequented by the spratters. 



The Short and the Long-spined species, at ail seasons, con- 

 tantly come up in the nets. We have trawled in May in the 

 neighbourhood of the Girdler and Gilman, and again in Sep- 

 tember near the Chapman, and there, as elsewhere, their numbers 

 small and bigger, were something extraordinary. In one haul of 

 fish-trawl three trunk-fulls were gathered and shunted over- 

 board (Gilson). In brief, where there are shrimps, minute 

 crustaceans and brood-fish, there follow the voracious Sea- 

 scorpion s.f On the South Coast they are said to haunt the 

 lobster pots and steal the bait placed in them (Webb). The 

 Skates and Rays in turn as greedily seize them, hence during the 

 long-lining from Leigh, a regular bullrout hunt in the swatch- 

 way was a preparatory step (special Fisheries posted) . Their 

 usual size is from 4 to 7 inches, but at intervals examples 

 8 and 9 inches long turn up, both in the Thames and Black- 

 water. J During spring and early summer post-larval stages 

 obtain of much smaller dimensions than the above. The fisher- 

 men say they get them in roe most of the year. We have 

 obtained lumps of ova and ripe fish in early spring, and even 

 a Father-lasher (G. scorpius) with nearly ripe eggs towards the 



* There is a variety of this named the Greenland Bullhead, which is distinguished 

 by its gaudy colouring : white spots edged with rich carmine and brown. Carrington 

 called attention to its presence nearSouthend (Zool., 1880), and identified by Dr. Day 

 (fig. in Brist. Fish.) We have seen other specimens from the estuary since then, and 

 Dr. Laver has caught them in the Colne area. With us they are ordinarily 6 or 7 inches 

 long, but in Greenland they run up to several feet in dimensions ; there and in 

 Scandinavia being a regular article of diet. 



t Fitch records a Bullrout in the Crouch containing a whiting as long as itself, 

 others with crabs, shrimps and prawns. Essex Nat. V. (1891). 



{ Fitch, Essex Nat. I. and II. (1887-1888). 



