No. 50.1 1^ 



Ceres, Allegany Couirty, N. T. 



July 7, 1852. 

 MR. GEBHARD, Curator of the State Museum, 



Deau Sir — In the work of the late Dr. Dekat on the 2k)ology of the State, 

 he describes only one species of CeTTUs ( Cottus gracilis of Heckel & Charles 

 Giraed), under the Genus Uranedea, viz. Uranidea quiescens, the Little Star- 

 gazer (See Zoology, Part iv, p. 61). I have found two in the tributaries of the 

 Allegany river in this county. One is probably the C. wilsonii, yet appears to 

 be somewhat different. It has three pairs of tubular nostrils, or two with one 

 pair of mucous foUicles, very large, in the 5ame line. Pectorals with fourteen 

 rays : the longest, viz. 4th, 5th and 6th, counting from above, bifid; lower 

 ones mucronate, and turned upwards; dorsal 8 - 17, tlie 10th and 11th bifid; 

 anal 13, caudal 13, and much divided at their extremities. Color, around the 

 snout and edges of the head, very black; head, a little lighter; body a shade or 

 two lighter, going towards the tail. Underneath, the color is silvery grey, with 

 borders of mouth darker. First dorsal beautifully tipped with red. 



The next species I am not able yet to identify with any described by Giraed. 



It is very different from the above in color, being much lighter : nostrils not 



tubular, only two; no rays of the fins bifid. A specimen before me, nearly three 



inches in length, has the following characteristics and measurements : Head 0"6 



long, greatest width 0-7; isthmus O'S; eyes large, nearly oval O'l, bright and 



just over the angles of the mouth; interorbital space 0'3. Tail, length 0"5: 



pectoral little over 0-4; anal little over 0-7; branchial 0*7; dorsal little over 



0*3 - 0'9. Vent about midway from head to base of caudal rays. Greatest width 



of body at the origin of the branchial, 0-6; at the origin of the tail, 0"1; dorsal 



7 — space O'l; second dorsal 17, branchial 14, pectoral 5, anal 12; caudal 



pectoral reach to the vent. The propercular spine has a broad base, wider than 



long, delicately tipped, turning backwards and upwards : rudiments of another, 



a little below; opercular spine delicate and subdermous. Color lightish grey; on 



back, darker; on head, very light, almost white. Under the lens, the color seems 



caused by minute black points on a white ground. First dorsal dark, nearly 



black, and delicately tipped with rufous- 



Yours truly, R. P. STEVENS. 

 April 25, 1853. 



P.S. I send by Prof. James Hall a suit of specimens, described as above, 

 joung and old. Of the C. wilsonii, there is not a specimen of full age and 

 growth. 



