Jordan and Rvermann. Fishes of North America. 1075 



sharp; nasal spines sharp; suprascapular spine rather strong, shortish. 

 Sides of body above lateral line with a series of embedded prickly plates, 

 below which are numerous scattered spines and prickles. Dorsal and anal 

 lins high; spiiious and soft dorsals about equal in height, their height 

 more- than -f length of body; ventrals long; pectorals about reaching vent. 

 Dark brown above, with broad darker bars; below yellowish, the belly in 

 the male with large pale spots ; back and top of head with grayish blotches; 

 lins brown and yellow, all of them spotted and barred. Sexual dif- 

 ferences large, the males more brightly colored; the round white spots 

 strongly marked, the females with rough crests on the head. Length 25 

 inches. New York to Greenland, common; one of the largest sculpins. 

 Here described from specimens from Cape Cod. Very close to Myoxo- 

 cephalns scorpiu*, which it replaces on our coast and of which Dr. Liitken 

 regards it as a variety. Lilljiborg regards the 2 as identical, a view not 

 unlikely correct. According to Ensign H. G. Dresel, M. ym-nlandicus 

 differs from M. scorpiuN (1) in its larger size; (2) in the greater interorbital 

 width which in M. scorpius seldom exceeds f of the longest diameter of 

 the eye; and (3) in the higher spiiious dorsal, the longest dorsal spine in 

 M. gwiilinHcnx being contained 5 to 6 times in the total length of the 

 caudal base, while in M. acorpiu* it is contained as much as 7 to 8 times in 

 the same length. 



According to Fabricius this species is abundant "in all the bays and 

 inlets of Greenland, but prefers a stony coast clothed with seaweed. It 

 approaches the shore in spring and departs in winter. It is very voracious, 

 preying on everything that comes in its way, and pursuing incessantly 

 the smaller lish, not sparing the young of its own species, and devouring 

 Crustacea and worms. It is very active and bold, but does not come to the 

 surface unless it be led thither in pursuit of other fish. It spawns in 

 December and January, and deposits its red-colored roe on the seaweed. 

 It is easily taken with a bait, and constitutes the daily food of the Green- 

 landers, who are very fond of it. They eat the roe raw.'' 



According to Liitken, the Greenland Sculpiu (grccnlandicus) is not sepa- 

 rated from acorpin* by any character trenchant or constant. In Greenland 

 it inhabits slight depths up to 12 fathoms ; the young in 40 to 100 fathoms. 

 There is great variation, especially in fin. rays. In counting extreme cases 

 both forms have the following range : D. IX to XI, 14 to 19 ; P. 15 to 19; A. 

 11 to 15. Normally, however, the range is D. X, 16 or 17 ; P. 17 ; A. 13 or 14. 

 Vertebras usually 14+25 = 39, in a rare case 13+23 = 36. Pyloric caeca 8, 

 rarely 10 or 11. 



Cottus scorpius, FABRICIUS, Fauna Grcenlaiidica, 156, 1780, Greenland. 



Cottus grcenlandicus, CUVIER VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 156, 1829, after FABRI- 

 CIUS ; GiJNTHER, Cat. Fish., n, 161, 1860 ; GrOODE & BEAN, Bull. Essex lust., xi, 13, 1879. 



Cottus scorpius groenlandicus, LUTKEN, Vid. Medd. Kjob., 12, 1876; JORDAN & GILBERT, 

 Synopsis, 703 ; DRESEL, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1884, 252. 



Cottus porosus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vin, 498 , 1831, Baffins Bay. 

 (Coll. Gu6don and Ducrost.) 



Acanthocottus mucosus, AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sci. 1854, 12. 



Ananthocottus variabilis, GIRARD, Boston Jouru. Nat. Hist., vi, 1850, 248; D. H. STORER, 

 Hist, Fish, Mass., 26. 



