104 



AspiDOPHOREs, Lacep. — Agonus, Bl. Schn. — Phalangista, Pall. 



Which have the body defended by angular plates like that of a Periste- 

 dion, and there are no teeth in the vomer. 



A species is found on the coast of Europe, Cott. cataphractus, L. 

 Bl. A small fish but a few inches long, whose mouth opens beneath, 

 and the whole of whose branchial membrane is furnished with little 

 fleshy filaments. 



The north of the Pacific produces several others, in one of 

 which the mouth is also beneath, and the branchial membrane 

 villous *. 



In others the lower jaw projects beyond the upper one, and the 

 branchial membrane is smooth f . 



The jaws of some are equal, and the two dorsals separated J. 



Finally, there is one in India that has but a single dorsal, Lacep. 

 has formed a genus for it, which he calls Aspidophoroibe§. 



Other groups have lately been observed, which are partly allied to 

 Cottus, and partly to Scorpaena. 



Hemitripterus, Cuv. 



Have the head depressed, and two dorsals, as in Cottus; no regular 

 scales on the skin, but teeth in the palate. The head is bristly and spinous, 

 and has several cutaneous appendages. The first dorsal is deeply emar- 

 ginate, a circumstance which has led some authors to believe they had 

 three. 



But one species is known from North America, Cottus triptery- 

 gius, Bl. Schn. II, which is taken along with the Cod. From one to 

 two feet long, tinged with yellow and red, varied with brown. 



Hemilepidotus, Cuv., 



Have the head nearly similar to that of a Cottus, but there is only one 

 dorsal ; the palatines furnished with teeth ; longitudinal bands of scales 

 on the body, separated by others which are naked. A thick epidermis 

 prevents these scales from being seen until the skin is dried. 



The species known are from the north of the Pacific *n^. 



* Phalangistes acipenserinus, Pall., or yig. acip., Tiles. 



t Phul. loricatus, Pall., or Agonus dodccaedrus, Tiles. ; — Phal. fusiformis, Pall., or 

 Ag. rostratus, Tiles.; — Jg. lavigatus, Tiles., or Syngnathus segaliensis, Id. Mem. Nat. 

 Mosc. II,xiv. 



X Cottus japonic as, Pall. Spic. ZooL VII, v, or Ag. stegoplithalmus, Til. Mem. 

 Petersb. IV, xiii, and Voy. Krusensteni, pi. 87; — Ag.decagonus, Bl. Schn. pi. xxvii. 



§ Cottus monopterygius, Bl. 178, 1 and 2. 



II It is also the Cottus acadianus, Penn. Arct. Zool. VIII, 371; the Cottus hispidtis, 

 Bl. Schn. 63; the Scorpana flava, Mltchill, Ann. New York Lye. I, ii, 8; and per- 

 haps the Scorpana americana, Gmel. Duhamel, Sect. V, pi. ii, f. 5; but this figure 

 must be very incorrect. 



If Cottus hemilepidotus, Tilesius, Mem. Ac. Petersb. Ill, pi. xi, f. 1, 2, which is 

 probably the Cottus truchvrm, Pall. Zool. Russ. Ill, 138. 



