50 ACANTHOPTBRYGIl. 



with minute elevations or fine open pores. Interorbital space concave. The 

 maxilla reaches to beneath the middle or last third of the orbit. A pair of small 

 ttu-binal spines, situated internally to the nostrils ; an obtuse one at the posterior 

 superior angle of the orbit ; supra-scapular with a larger and sharper spine and 

 another on the scapular. Preopercle with two spines on its posterior edge, the 

 upper of which is the longer : a small one directed forwards exists at its anterior- 

 inferior angle. Opercular spine well developed, also another at the angle of the 

 subopercle. Interopercle with a small spine. Teeth — small ones in the jaws, and 

 on a V-shaped patch on the vomer, none on the palatines or on the tongue. 

 Fins — spines of the first dorsal weak and flexible, the longest not quite twice the 

 length of the eye ; rays of the second dorsal and of the anal undivided. Pectoral 

 reaches to above the vent. The ventral in the young reaches the vent but not so 

 far in adults. Caudal cut square with its eight middle rays divided at their 

 extremities. Scales — skin smooth, but in some individuals with several granu- 

 lated plates. Lateral-line — smooth. Intestines — vent much nearer the base of 

 the caudal fin in some examples, in others nearer to the snout, while all 

 intermediate gradations may be observed. Colours — grayish superiorly, mottled 

 and banded with black : lower surface of a dull white dashed with yellow. The 

 males with white spots on the abdomen, sometimes edged with red or yellow. 

 Fins yellow with oblique dark bands, bars and spots, which are often of a dull 

 red. 



Varieties. — Form — the spines at the angle of the preopercle are occasionally 

 only 2 (instead of 3) in number, while they may differ on the two sides of the 

 head in the same example. Thompson obtained a female with 4 spines on one 

 preopercle, 3 on the other. In all my specimens from Southend the anal fin has 

 from 9 to 11 rays. The number of dorsal spines may be as few as 8 (Cuv. & Val.), 

 but I have not found less than 9 in British examples ; while the anal rays vary 

 from 9 to 13. That a decrease in the numbers occurs as the fish is further from 

 the north is very significant. Malmgren has pointed out that Scandinavian 

 examples have generally two more rays in the dorsal fin than those from the more 

 temperate west coasts of Europe. With a species however which shows so many 

 variations in the number of its fin rays, and with an evident tendency to 

 degenerate the further it is from the Arctic region, this cannot be a subject for 

 wonder, and as no other differences have been observed, we may fairly conclude 

 that the southern is merely a variety of the northern species. It has been 

 remarked that the inner portions of the pectoral and ventral fins are rough 

 in G. Chcenlandicus, but not so in G. scorpius : this however is an error, as they 

 are equally rough in large examples of G. scorpius. The number of ccecal 

 appendages varies between 9 and 11. Golour — Gill first drew attention to those 

 with white spots being males. 



Names. ^Sting-fish : Sea Scorpion: Short-spined Gottus. Gundie, Scotch. 

 Sutor, in Moray Frith (Gordon, Zool. p. 3458). A correspondent in the 

 Angler's Note Book, p. 119, mentions that an old work in Cornwall alludes to the 

 poison-pate (poisson') which he thinks might be this fish (.'' Trachirms). Sarph 

 y m6r, Welsh. Le Ghaboisseau de mer commun, French. 



Habits. — Residing along the coasts, keeping just within the influence of the 

 waves, or in pools left by a receding tide, concealing itself under stones or sea- 

 weed, from which it emerges when in pursuit of prey, or changing its locality. 

 It is not uncommon in bays where much fucus abound. It is very wary, 

 permitting the hand to approach to within a couple of inches before it quits 

 its post, but then darting away with great rapidity. Mcintosh observes that it 

 lives on small sucking fishes (Liparis, &c.) shrimps, and Terehellce, while fragments 

 of green Algce occur in its stomach ; in short it is very voracious, swallowing 

 any animal not too large. When captured it closes its gill-covers and distends its 

 head and branchiostegal membranes to much above their ordinary width, while at 

 this time according to Couch " there may be felt such a trembling at the throat, 

 as might suggest the opinion that it proceeds from an effort to produce some sort 

 of sound that would be perceived in its natural element." It lives some time after 

 removal fi'om the water, especially if its skin is kept moist ; but although fresh 



