COTTIDJS. 53 



hours, subsequently it was found alive and well, recovering on being placed 

 in water." 



Means of capture. — Frequently taken in crab pots, which have been set where 

 sand and low rocks are intermingled. 



Breeding. — In December and January, the ova being large and of an orange 

 colour. 



As food. — It is common in the seas of Newfoundland, where, says Pennant, 

 it is called scolping ; it is also frequent in deep waters along the coasts of 

 Greenland and is the principal food of the natives, and soup made of it is declared 

 to be both wholesome and agreeable. Low observes that " it is reckoned delicate 

 eating, and those who can put up with its horrid appearance, prefer it to others, 

 which are more beautiful to the eye." 



Habitat.— -From the Arctic regions in both hemispheres, the Baltic, North Sea, 

 British Isles, and coasts of France and Spain. 



In the Orkneys it is found in every pool into which the sea flows regularly 

 (Low). According to Baikie it is not so common in the Orkneys and Zetland as 

 C. scorpius. It is found all round the British coasts. Edward observes that in 

 Banffshire it is abundant in pools left by the tide or beneath stones at low 

 water. 



Ireland, C. bubalis is more common, according to Thompson, than G. scorpius ; 

 it has been reported from Antrim, Down, Kerry, etc. 



It attains to 12 or 13 inches in length. 



3. Cottus quadricornis, Plate XXI. 



Cottus, Sp. 2, Artedi, Genera, p. 48 and spec. p. 84 ; Gronov. Zoophyl. p. 79, 

 No. 272. 



Gottus quadricornis, Linn. Syst. i, p. 451 ; Pallas, Spic. Zool. viii, p. 25 ; Bloch, 

 t. cviii ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1208 ; Bl. Schn. p. 62 ; Bonaterre, Ency. p. 67, pi. 

 xxxvii, f. 146; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 259, pi. 36 ; Lacep. iii, p. 241; Cuv. andVal. 

 iv, p. 168 ; Ekstrom, Fische Morko, p. 178 ; Fries och Ekstr. p. 30, t. vii, f. 1 ; 

 Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1), i, p. 68, c. fig. (Ed. 2), i, p. 83 (Ed. 3), ii, p. 64; 

 Jenyns, p. 345 ; White, Catal. Brit. Fish. p. 7 ; Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 102 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 166 and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 293 ; Malm. Wieg. Arch. 

 1864, p. 275 ; Liitken, Vidd. Medd. 1876, p. 375. 



Cottus hexacornis, Richards. Franklin Journal, p. 726, and Faun. Bor. Amer. 

 Fishes, p. 44 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 166. 



Four-homed cottus, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, ii, p. 15, pi. lxiii. 



B. vi, D. 9/14, P. 17, V. 1/3, A. 13-15, C. 13, Coec. pyl. 6 or 7. Vert. 40. 



Length of head 3|, of caudal fin 6f , height of body 4f in the total length. 

 Eye — 4|- diameters in the length of the head, 1^ diameter from the end of the 

 snout and also apart. Two pairs of large and rough tubercles on the upper surface 

 of the head, one over the posterior superior angle of each orbit, the other on the 

 nape, the space enclosed by these four points being longer than wide. Three or 

 four preopercular spines, the superior being the longest and equalling the 

 diameter of the orbit. A pair of turbinal spines. The maxilla extends 

 posteriorly to beneath the middle of the orbit. Teeth — villiform in the jaws and 

 vomer. Fins — first dorsal low, the third or fourth spines being the longest and 

 less than half the height of the body below them, and only two-thirds the height of 

 the second dorsal. Pectoral reaches to above the vent. Ventral reaches scarcely 

 half-way to the anal. Caudal rounded. All the rays, except the central ones of 

 the caudal fin, unbranched. Scales — absent, a row of rather large granular 

 tubercles between the lateral-line and the back, and sometimes a second of smaller 

 ones : below the lateral line one or two similar rows, while occassionally others 

 are scattered over the sides. Colours — grayish-brown, tinged with red over the 

 gill-covers and becoming yellow on the sides and dull white beneath. Fins 

 gray, obliquely banded with darker. 



Varieties. — Liitken confirms Peters' determination that examples from the 

 east coast of Greenland are identical with those from the Baltic. Sir John 



