FAMILY " WITH HAKD CHEEKS.' 



73 



CHAPTER VI. 



Series I. SONY FISHES. 



Order I. ACANTHOPTERYGII*. 



Family " WITH HARD CHEEKS. 

 Genus COTTUS f. 



THE RIVER BULLHEAD, OR MILLER'S THUMB. 



(Coitus gobio\.) 



Cliaracteristics of the Family "with Hard Cheeks." This family 

 comprehends a number of fish, in all of which the appearance of the 

 head is singular, being variously mailed, or defended by hard spines or 

 scaly plates. They have many characteristics in common with the 

 Perch family. Their principal distinction consists in the suborbital 

 bone being more or less extended over the cheek and jointed on to the 

 gill-cover. 



THE genus Coitus contains several species belonging to 

 this family, of which, however, we have only one in this 

 country the River Bullhead, or Miller's Thumb. The 

 distinguishing characteristics of all the species of the genus 



* Spiny-finned fishes (see p. 36). t Cottus, from kotte, the head, Gr. 

 I Gobio, a gudgeon, Lat. : may be roughly translated as the ' large- 

 headed Gudgeon.' Sometimes called ' Tommy Logge.' 



