190 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
of this species; it even extends into the mouth, and 
the iris has green radii from the pupil. From the or- 
dinary dress of the Father-Lasher one can scarcely 
form an idea of its attire during the spawning-season. 
Nature then lavishes upon it a wealth of colour which 
one cannot sufficiently admire, and which it would be 
difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce with the painter’s 
brush. We shall endeavour to describe the male in its 
spawning dress. The head, back and tail olive-green, 
darker above, with a dash of yellowish brown, lighter 
below, shading into green. The top of the head mar- 
bled with dark olive-brown and thinly strewn with 
bluish green spots; the lower part of the head adorned 
with numerous, golden figures, interspersed with a few 
whitish blue or pearl-coloured spots. The top part of 
the body crossed by four, dark olive-brown, transverse 
stripes, the first of which is the broadest and extends 
down to the insertion of the pectoral fin; the others 
strictly extend only to the lateral line, but may be 
regarded as being continued a little way below it by 
several, large, scattered figures. All these transverse 
stripes are coasted by a narrow, pearl-coloured margin, 
which is wanting only along the anterior edge of the 
first, stripe. The belly half-way up the sides, and the 
breast a. handsome golden yellow, with three round, 
pearl-coloured spots: one in front of the vent, one by 
the ventral fins and the third on the breast; there is 
also a whitish stripe straight across the hyoid bone. 
Along the lower side of the lateral line scattered, small 
spots of a bluish green tint — a. larger spot of the 
same colour at the end of the line. The pectoral fins 
yellowish brown, the lowest 7 rays olive-green, with 
distinct, dark-brown, transverse stripes, which gradually 
fade away on the membrane, which is lighter and 
speckled with brown: on the inside of these rays three 
or four light, pearl-coloured, round spots between the 
transverse stripes. Three larger spots of the same co- 
lour, edged with a narrow, blackish brown margin, in 
a row just in the axil. The ventral fins olive-green at 
the base, then light blue, with brownish spots both on 
the rays and on the membrane. The anal fin yellowish 
brown, with somewhat darker rays, on which there are 
three or four dark russet, transverse stripes. The caudal 
fin, like the second dorsal, yellowish brown with darker 
rays, four or five dark russet stripes and a flame-coloured, 
darker yellow membrane. The first dorsal fin darker 
than the second, more grayish brown, with a large 
blackish brown spot between the fifth and seventh rays, 
and throughout finely marbled with the same colour, 
though of a lighter shade. The iris blackish brown, 
with a fine, yellow ring round the pupil, and bluish 
green radii. 
In the structure of the internal organs there is no 
difference worthy of remark between this species and 
the Sea Scorpion. 
The Father-Lasher is known, as appears from the 
collections of the Royal Museum, from Waidegula (on 
Kola Peninsula, near Norway) round all the coasts of 
Scandinavia, up the Baltic as far as the island-belt of 
Stockholm. Southwards, along the European side of the 
Atlantic, its geographical range extends, according to 
Moreau, to the middle of the west coast of France, and 
according to Steindaciiner, to the coast of Galicia. We 
have no knowledge of its occurrence in Greenland (cf. 
Jordan and Gilbert). It lives only in salt water. On 
the coast of Scandinavia, up to the year 1833, it had 
been met with only in Bohuslan and Norway; but it was 
then found by Count Bonde in the Baltic, among the 
islands round Morko. In the latter place, and also in 
the island-belt of Stockholm (cf. Sundevall), it has often 
been found since that time, but it occurs in no great 
number and is taken only occasionally. When it is 
caught, one generally gets a pair, male and female. In 
the island-belt of Bohuslan, on the other hand, it is by 
no means rare, and is taken there almost as often as the 
Sea Scorpion, during the shooting of the seine: speci- 
mens of all ages are found, both in summer and in Avin- 
ter. In the Sound, according to Wintfier, it is most 
numerous and largest at the deeper spots, Avhere the 
Avater is from 6 to 10 fathoms in depth, and the bottom 
is overgroAvn Avith seaAveed and not of too loose a. nature. 
The fishermen scarcely take the trouble to notice this 
fish at all: they generally throAV it away or, at most, 
use it as bait. They have generally no special name for 
it, but use the same name, Ulk, both for it and for the 
Sea Scorpion. Malm states, hoAvever, that on Kyrkosund 
it is called Hornulke and on Sydkoster Berg-ulke. Ac- 
cording to Nilsson it is called I)ver guile at. Abekas. 
The spaAvning-season of the Father-Lasher, at Avhich 
time it is taken in the greatest numbers, occurs at the 
end of November and in December. Its food is the 
same as that of the other Scandinavian Cotti, consisting 
chiefly of crustaceans and small fishes. With these 
exceptions Ave knoAv very little of its manner of life. 
No special method of fishing is practised for this spe- 
cies, nor is it used as food. (Ekstrom, Smitt.) 
