52 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Johnston, Berwick. N. F. Club, 1838, i, p. 170 ; Parnell, Fish. Frith of Forth, 

 p. 25 ; White, Catal. p. 7 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 164 ; Steind. Meeresfische Span, 

 nnd Port. p. 92 ; Collett, Gorges Fish. p. 29 ; Mcintosh, Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 172. 



Aspicottus bubalis and bison, Girard, Pro: Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1854, p. 130. 



Bubalis, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, ii, p. 11, pi. lxi. 



B. vi, D. 8 J 11—12, P. 16, V. 1/3, A. 9, C. 10, Cose. pyl. 7-8, Vert. 12/17. 



Length of head 3^, of caudal fin 5 to 5£, height of body 3f- to 4|- in the 

 total length. Eyes — diameter about 1/4 of the length of the head, being 

 superiorly merely separated by a narrow and furrowed interspace. Head wide 

 and depressed, covered with a soft skin, opening on which are many small 

 mucous pores. The maxilla reaches to beneath the middle or last third of the 

 orbit. Turbinal spines well developed. Preopercle with four spines, the superior 

 being the longest and exceeding the length of the diameter of the eye, the inferior 

 one pointing downwards and forwards : a ridge from the orbit ends in a spine at 

 the occiput, another at the supra-scapular and scapular. Opercle with a spine, 

 the base of which is granulated : two subopercular spines, the lowest pointing 

 downwards and forwards. A few small tentacles about the head and above the 

 eyes, and usually one at the end of the maxilla. Teeth — moderately sized 

 villiform ones in the jaws and on the vomer, none on the palatines or on the 

 tongue. Fins — the first dorsal not so high as the second, its spines rather weak : 

 all the rays of the second dorsal simple. Pectoral reaches the origin of the anal, 

 its rays undivided. Ventral not extending to the vent. Anal rays simple. 

 Caudal cut square, its eight central rays divided at their extremities. Shin — 

 smooth. Lateral-line — with some bony plates, most distinct in its anterior portion. 

 Vent rather nearer the base of the caudal fin than the snout. Colours — on March 

 8th, 1880, 1 received a beautiful male specimen, 6 inches in length, from Mr. Dunn 

 of Mevagissey. All the dark markings were of a brilliant carmine, while it had 

 some large and irregularly shaped white spots along the sides and white vermi- 

 culations on the under side of the head. As a rule the fish is of a light brown, 

 with darker and irregular blotches and bands : likewise oblique dark bands on 

 the dorsal and anal fins, and vertical ones on the pectorals and caudal. 



Varieties. — Form. — The American species has been stated to have the ridges 

 on the head tubercular and not covered by skin, but I find this also in some 

 British examples. The variety of Gottus scorpius mentioned by Couch as having 

 " a row of tendrils, hanging from the skin above the eyes," seems to agree with 

 this species. In colour we likewise find variations. A beautiful example 4|- 

 inches in length was captured at Southend early in April, 1879. The under 

 surface was brilliantly yellow, and on it were some large white marks ; while the 

 under surface of the pectoral fin was spotted with pure white and brown (P. 15) . 

 Another 7 inches long was without these white spots, but it and the last-mentioned 

 had well developed filaments at the end of the upper maxilla. 



Names. — Father-lasher: Long-sjnned cottus. LucJcy proach, Scotch. 



Habits. — Lurks under stones, pieces of rocks, or in similar situations, watching 

 for small fish and Crustacea : and Couch considered that it preferred deeper water 

 to that selected by G. scorpius. Mr. Gurney placed one which was 2^- inches in 

 length in a vessel of sea water, which contained some sand launces that were 

 about 3 inches long. It was observed to seize one and swallow it head first, 

 deglutition lasting li hours (Zool. p. 2954.) Low observes, " I once saw a trial of 

 skill between a large one of this kind and a cormorant. The latter got the head and 

 part of the body of the fish swallowed, but being wounded by the spines, I suppose, 

 attempted to bring it up again : however, this was not practicable, for these being 

 placed the contrary way, hindered its return, and acted the same part as the barb 

 of a hook, in fixing it firmer in the throat of the cormorant, which, after many 

 attempts and much struggling, was killed by it." The fish was 12£ inches long, 

 its spines were fastened in the bird's throat. 



Mr. Dunn, writing of the carmine coloured example of this fish which he sent 

 me, observes : " it was brought to me about 9 a.m. alive in a bucket of water : 

 then being removed from the water it was put on a table and left there seven 



