2004 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



Gottui labradoricus* GUNTHER, Cat., ir, 163, I860; BEAN, Proc. IT. S. Nat. Mus., iv, 1881, 128; 

 JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 704, 1883. 



the nares the largest over the posterior angles of the orbits, and the third, of inter- 

 mediate size, on the occiput. The mouth is very capacious; its margins are formed by 

 the intermaxillaries and lower jaw; the maxillaries have an elongated wedge form, and 

 lie in a membrane behind the intermaxillariep. Both jaws and vomer are set with bands 

 of 9 teeth, en velours. Tongue obtuse and smooth, as are the palate and maxillaries. 

 The preoperculum is armed beneath with 3 strong, devaricated spines, the posterior one, 

 which measures inch, being the longest. The gill covers are composed of several bones 

 connected by membrane, and armed on the exterior edges with 4 or 5 small, spinous teeth. 

 The bones which support the pectoral tins are also armed with small spines, and have 

 sharp, rou*h edges. The branchiostegous membrane contains 6 slender, cylindrical, 

 curved rays. The body is much narrower than the head, and tapers to the insertion of the 

 caudal fin'. The anus is situated.midway between the mouth and the caudal. The lateral 

 line is rough, and runs near the back; above it there is a row of small, orbicular, sca- 

 brous, bony plates, the row being doubled opposite to the second dorsal. There are no 

 other perceptible scales. The pectoral fins are suborbicular and contain 16 rays, none of 

 them branched; the upper ray is scabrous throughout; the others are scabrous only 

 near their middles. The ventrals, soft and whitish, have 3 rays, of which the first is the 

 strongest, but none of them are spinous. The first dorsal commences posterior to the 

 pectorals, and terminates opposite to the anus ; it has 7 simple rays ; the second dorsal is 

 larger, and has 13 rays; its commencement and termination correspond with those of the 

 anal, and most of its rays are scabrous ; both dorsals are rounded or arched. The anal fin 

 occupies about f of the space between the anus and caudal, commencing near the former; 

 this fin becomes slightly lower or less deep posteriorly. The caudal is cuneiform, and 

 has 12 rays, most of them forked. In the form of the bony processes on the top of the 

 head this species approaches closely to C. quadricornis of the Baltic; but it does not 

 appear from the descriptions I have consulted that there is a distinct pair on the nasal 

 bones of the latter. There are also differences in the form of the spines of the preopercu- 

 lum, those of G. hexacornis being quite simple, while in the other they are truncated, or 

 divided at the point. In the G. quadricornis, also, there is a thick spine on the supra- 

 scapular bone, which is likewise truncated; while in G. hexacornis, that bone, the numer- 

 als, and the gill covers are merely armed with small, spinous teeth; and the rows of 

 scales on the bodj are different. It appears to me likely that the G. quadricornis, Sabine 

 (Zool., App. to Captain Parry's First Voyage, p. ccxiii)^ may be really the C. hexacornis. 

 Capt. J. C. Ross, who considers it to be the same with the G. scorpioidss of Fabricius, says 

 that though very abundant on the Greenland Coast it is more rare in the higher latitudes, 

 but several were taken on both sides of the peninsula of Boothia. The natives prize it 

 highly as an article of food, preferring it to codfish or salmon. The Esquimaux of 

 Boothia call it Kaneeok, the same name which the Greenlanders give to G. Grcen- 

 landicus. 



Golor.Of the upper aspect a clouded admixture of brocoli-brown and olive-green 

 tints; of the belly white. The fins are streaked with bluish black. Irides tinged'with 

 red. 



Size. About 7 inches in total length. 



Numerous specimens of this fish were caught in a net set in the mouth of a small river 

 near the Coppermine, and the above description is drawn up from notes written on the 

 spot. The subsequent calamities which befell that expedition having occasioned the loss 

 of all the specimens, no actual comparison has been made with other species ; but after an 

 inspection of the Cotti brought home by Captain Beechey, and an attentive perusal of the 

 Histoire des Poissons, I am satisfied that it differs from all other described species in the 

 form of the horns or processes which arm the head, and in other particulars. From the 

 peculiar shape of these horns in our species it might bear the name of claviger still more 

 appropriately than the one so termed by M. Valenciennes. The individuals that we 

 caught retained life long after they were drawn from the water, leaping vigorously over 

 the sands, and when touched inflating the head. In this operation the branch'ostegous 

 membrane is distended, and the several pieces composing the gill covers are separated by 

 the extension of the intervening membranes. Our Canadian voyageurs were both aston- 

 ished and alarmed by these fish, and termed them Crapauds de mer probably from a kind 

 of croak they uttered when first handled. (Richardson.) 



,, .J 849 ' having again visited the same region, Richardson procured more specimens of 

 this form which he took home with him. He saw then that he had misunderstood his 

 iiotes, and wrongly ascribed to C. hexacornis rostral horns of the same nature as the 

 characteristic horns of the head and nape, and that the form in question was no other 

 than (7. quadricornis an opinion all must accept who, recalling this correction, will read 

 the old description of Sir John. (Liitken.) 



* Specimens of Oncocottus labradoricus, Girard, are thus described by Dr. Bean : 



Eye 5; snout nearly 5. D. X, 14; A. 14; V.1,3; P. 17; C. 11 (developed). Two small 



ties above the snout; a rough, irregular prominence above each orbit and 2 similar 



i the occiput. The slight depression on the crown becomes narrower posteriorly 



its width is about the length of the space included between the supraorbital 



iCipital prominences. Four preopercular spines, 2 of which are at the angle, the 



ovmS i ^WSf *}* aS l ? n $S? theeve ; the 2 lower spines are short and extend 



tlZviKt, an(l , 8 S Uy forward. The length of the longest preopercular spine equals 



Listance between the eyes measured on the bone. The maxillary is twice as long as 



