16 FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



COTTUS. Lin. 



Generic characters. Head large, depressed : teeth in both 

 jaws and in front ofvomer, small, sharp ; none on the palatine 

 bones: preoperculum or operculum armed with spines, some- 

 times both : branchiostegous rays 6 : gill-openings large : body 

 attenuated, naked, without scales : two dorsal fins, distinct, or 

 very slightly connected: ventral fins small. 



C. Groenlandicus. Cuv. The Greenland Sculpin. 



Cuv. et Valenc. Hist. Nat. des Poiss t. iv. p. 185. 

 Fauna Boreali Americana, p. 46 et 297, et fig. 



This beautiful species, which is a favorite food of the Green- 

 landers, I have seen in large quantities in the small coves at 

 Nahant, and often taken, while fishing from the rocks there, 

 for the Sea-perch or Conner. It is undoubtedly common 

 along our whole coast. The specimen before me was taken 

 from one of the wharves in Boston. 



Length of my specimen thirteen inches, being a few lines 

 only shorter than Richardson's specimen, which he so clearly 

 and minutely describes, and accurately figures. Upper part of 

 body dark brown, with large clay-colored blotches on top of 

 head and upon gill-covers with a few smaller ones on back 

 and sides, and small circular yellow spots on sides towards 

 abdomen. Large circular perfectly white spots upon abdomen, 

 beneath the pectorals. The sides above and beneath the 

 lateral line roughened by granulated tubercles. Length of 

 head four and a half inches : width across occiput three inches ; 

 greatest depth two inches. Head protected by several spines ; 

 those upon its top, blunted ; those on gill-covers longer, with 

 projecting sharp points. The nasal spines are about three 

 inches in length, recurved : at posterior superior angles of eyes 

 a strong slightly recurved spine, stouter than the nasal. Upon 

 the occiput are situated two spines still stronger, and erect ; 

 between these and the former, is a quadrangular depression. 



