LASHER BULLHEAD. 



rows : gill-covers consist of a single piece, armed 

 with three or four spines: branchial orifice very 

 wide. This fish, like some of the Gurnards, &c. 

 when first taken, exerts a kind of abrupt sound, 

 resembling in some degree the grunting of a pig, 

 and which is produced, as in the Gurnards, c. 

 by the sudden expulsion of air from the internal 

 cavities, through the gill-covers and mouth. It is 

 considered as an esculent fish, but the liver is said 

 to be hurtful. 



LASHER BULLHEAD. 



Cottus Scorpius. C.foscus albido-variatus, capite spinis pluri+ 



bus, maxilla superiore paulo longiore. 

 Brown Bullhead, with whitish variegations, several spines on 



the head, and upper jaw rather longer than the lower. 

 Cottus Scorpius. C. capite spinis pluribus, maxilla superiore 



paulo longiore. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 4.52. 

 Father-Lasher. Will, ichth. Penn, Brit. Zool. 3. 



THE general length of this fish, in the Mediter- 

 ranean sea, is about eight or ten inches, but it is 

 said to arrive at a much larger size in the northern 

 seas: the head is very large, and armed with ex- 

 tremely strong, sharp spines, the largest of which 

 are disposed toward the hind part, and the smallest 

 on the fore-part : the mouth is large, and the jaws 

 are beset with rows of very small teeth; in the 

 roof of the mouth is also a triangular patch of 

 minute teeth : the body tapers pretty suddenly 

 towards the tail, and is covered with a smooth, 

 lubricous skin : the colour is brown, marbled with 



v. iv. p. u. 17 



