FAMILY TRIGLID^ COTTUS. 51 



our species be identical with that of Europe, it has a wide geographical distribution. On the 

 American coast, it ranges from Brazil to Newfoundland. 



By means of its immense pectorals, it is enabled to spring from the ocean, and support 

 itself for some time in the air. This is often done to escape its enemies. Tt feeds on various 

 small Crustacea. 



GENUS COTTUS. Cuvier. 



Body without scales. Ventrals under the pectorals, and with three or four rays. Teeth 

 velvet-like, on the jaws and anterior part of the vomer ; palatines smooth. Head large, 

 depressed. Body gradually tapering to the tail. Opercle or preopercle armed with 

 spines, occasionally both. Dorsals distinct, or slightly connected. Branchial rays six. 

 No air-bladder. 



Obs. Cuvier has enumerated and described sixteen species. A few inhabit fresh-water 

 lakes and streams, but the greater part are oceanic, inhabiting the northern seas. 



THE COMMON BULL-HEAD. 



COTTCS VIRGINIANUS. 



PLATE V. FIG. 13. — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Scorpioi virginiamis, WiLLDOHBY, Hist Pise. App. p. 25, pi. 10, fig. 15. 



Cotlus scorpha, Sea Toad, ScHCKPFP, Beobachtimgen, etc. Vol. 8, p. 145. 



Eightem-tpmed Bull-head, C. 18-epinosus. MiTCH. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Vol. 1, p. 380. 



Le Grand Chaboisaecm a 18 epines de rAmirique du nard. Gov. et Val. Hist. Poiss. Vol. 4, p. 181. 



The Comnum Sculpin, C. virginiamu. Storeb, Fishes of Massachusetts, p. 18. 



Characteristics. Very large. Spine of the preopercle reaching the point of the opercle. 

 Pectorals very broad, and rounded. Length, 12-18 inches. 



Description. Head broad, channelled above, and equal to one-third the length of the 

 body. The head is furnished with robust recurved spines in the following order : One near 

 each nostril ; one over each orbit, and one on the nape of the neck on each side. In addition 

 to these, there are three on the preopercle, the uppermost of which is an inch long, the lower 

 directed forwards ; and one on the subopercle, which in fact makes a total of twenty spines 

 instead of eighteen. Gape of the mouth very large, and capable of still farther dilatation at 

 the will of the animal. Fine card teeth on both jaws, in broad bands ; also on the vomer. 

 Tongue broad and smooth. Eyes large, and furnished with prominent orbits. Nostrils 

 small and tubular. The body diminishes gradually from the head, and becomes compressed 

 towards the tail. 



The first dorsal fin spinous, longer than high ; the second ray longest. A very short inter- 

 val separates it from the second, which is long, not as elevated as the first, and feebly 



