Cottus cognatus, &c. with Cottus gao. 131 
tioned, may be under such circumstances, without- hesitation 
pronounced tó be slight. 
But one thing remains — a little diversity of shape in the 
branchial rays. In the English specimen they were stronger 
and flatter. 
Now from all this what must we infer? Of course we 
may take Dr. Richardson's testimony in his own favor ; for his 
endeavor was to show that. his species was distinct from 
gobio, and taking that testimony what does it prove P Does 
it prove a want of specific identity? If it does, that want of 
identity depends upon two things ; the slight diversity in the 
_ branchial rays, and the discrepancy (if we may call it so) ix 
the dorsal fins. That these are sufficient to establish a dis- 
tinct species I cannot believe. It appears to me that varia- 
tions no greater than these are only what we may find in a 
dozen different specimens of almost any species, particularly a 
Species belonging to a genus so variable as Cottus. And I 
cannot but be persuaded, therefore, that Dr. Richardson 
would have acted more correctly if he had yielded to his own 
convictions, and given us a description of his Bear Lake speci- 
mens under the old name gobio. 
_ And that the little fish which we find in Connecticut is 
Identical with the one described under the name cognatus 
" does not, I think, need further argument. * The two descrip- 
tions already given (Dr. Richardson’s and the one from the 
Connecticut specimens) fully show that this is the case. 2 1 
Cannot see m what respects these two accounts do not per- 
1y correspond, and why they may not apply to the same 
To institute a detailed comparison between the o, 
tions, item by item, seems an unnecessary wearying of aa 
tience, though it might be done with the most perfect cer- = 
tanty of a satisfactory result. I have examined them and 
the living specimens with the most rigid scrutiny, and I be- 
lieve that the fish which was the cause of my —— 
species which 1S 
P'ésent communication is identical with the 
found in the Great Bear Lake. : 
