120 PISCES. 



Petersb. Ill, 1811, p. 278. Internal edge of the first spine of 

 the preoperculum, which is nearly as long as the head, furnish- 

 ed with six or eight prickles recurved towards its base.(l) 



AspiDOPHORUs, Lacep. — Agonus, B1. Schn. — Phalangista, Pall. 



Has been very properly separated from Cottus. Their body is 

 defended by angular plates like that of a Peristedion, and there are 

 no teeth in the vomer. 



A species is found on the coast of Europe, Cott. cataphractus, 

 L. A small fish but a few inches long, whose mouth opens 

 beneath, and the whole of whose branchiostegous membrane is 

 furnished with little fleshy filaments. 



The north of the Pacific produces several others, in one of 

 which, the mouth is also beneath, and the branchiostegous 

 membrane villous. (2) 



In others, the lower jaw projects beyond the upper one, and 

 the branchiostegous membrane is smooth. (3) 



The jaws of some are equal, and the two dorsals separated. (4) 



Finally, there is one in India that has but a single dorsal. 

 Lacepede has formed a genus for it which he^calls Aspido- 



PH0U0IDES.(5) 



Other groups have lately been observed, which are partly 

 allied to Cottus and partly to Scorpaena. 



Hemitripterus, Cuv. 

 The head depressed, and two dorsals as in Cottusj no regular 

 scales on the skin, but teeth in the palate. The head is bristly and 

 spinous, and has several cutaneous appendages. The first dorsal is 

 deeply emarginate, a circumstance which has led some authors to 

 believe they had three. 



But one species is known, (from North America,) Cottus trip- 

 terygius, Bl., Schn. (6) which is taken along with the Cod. 



(1) Add, C. pistilliger. Pall, Zool., Russ., Ill, 143. 



N.l{. The Cottus anostomus. Pall., Zool., Russ., Ill, 128, is the Uranoscopus. 



(2) JPhalangistes acipenserinus. Pall, or ^g. acip.. Tiles. 



(3) Phal. loricatus, Pall., or Agonus dodecaedrus. Tiles.; — Phal. fusiformis. 

 Pall., or t^or. rosiratus. Tiles.; — Jg. laevigatus, Tiles., or Syngnathus segaliensis. 

 Id., Mem. Nat. Mosc. II, xiv. 



(4) Cottus japoniais. Pall., Spic. Zool. ,. VII, v, or Jg. stegophthalmus, Til. 

 Mem. Petersb., IV, xiii,andVoy. Ivi'usenstern, pi. 87; — Jg. decagonus, iM., Schn., 

 pi. xxvii. 



(5) Coitus monopierygius, BL, 178, 1 and 2. 



(6) It is also the Cottus acadianus, Penn. Arct. Zool., VIII, 371; the Cottus 



