MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 381 



Length five inches and a half; depth one. Lateral line distinct 

 enough to be felt, and straight. Colour below the line yellowish, or 

 rather brass-coloured, with rusty blotches. Belly brassy white. Hue 

 above the line pale brown, with ferruginous patches. All the fins ex- 

 cept the ventral light, with darker stains. Ventrals white, with similar 

 marks. Two dorsals. 



Head, gill-covers, and thorax, armed with spines to the number of 

 nine or ten, on each side ; though those on the top of the head are less 

 distinct. Body tapering away to the tail. Head large, rough, and 

 bony. Mouth wide. Tongue large. Upper jaw projects, and admits 

 the lower. Numerous minute teeth in the jaws, palate, and throat. 

 Rays, Br. 6. P. 15. V. 4. D. 10—14. A. 10. C. 15. 

 3. Lasher Bullhead, or Father-lasher. (Cottus Scorpius.) Brown 

 bullhead, with whitish variegations, several spines on the head and upper 

 jaw longer than the lower. 



Length of my specimens not much above six inches. Head armed 

 with spines and prickles ; but less prominent than in the preceding spe- 

 cies. Upper jaw receives the lower. 



Colour brown, with whitish variegations, and a reddish tinge beneath. 

 Belly white. Dorsal and anal fins run close to the tail. All the fins 

 zone-spotted. Eyes vertical. Head broad ; and the other characters 

 very much like those ascribed to this fish in the books of ichthyology. 



HCORPJESA. 



Generic character. 



Head large, aculeated, cirrhose, obtuse, without scales, sub-com- 

 pressed. Eyes placed near each other. Teeth in the jaws, palate, and 

 throat. Gill membrane seven rayed. Body fleshy. Dorsal fin single, 

 with the rays of the fore part spiny. 



