BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
362 
probably from a fancied resemblance to the “cusk” ( Lota maculosa). In the Synopsis of the Fishes 
of North America, Jordan & Gilbert included all the common fresh-water sculpins under the one genus 
Uranidea of DeKay, restricting the genus Cottas to that group now recognized as Myoxocephalus in 
Jordan & Evermann’s Fishes of North and Middle America. In the latter work, however, the fresh- 
water Cottidie are comprised in two genera — one of which is Cottas Linnaeus and the other Uranidea 
DeKay — which are distinguished one from the other only by the number of ventral rays. The genus 
Cottas is supposed to have a ventral tin formula of i, 4, while Uranidea has i, 3. 
Out of 28 specimens otherwise essentially alike from Caribou 18 had 3 ventral rays in each ventral 
tin, 6 had 4 rays in each fin, and 4 had 4 rays on one side and 3 on the other. Of 15 specimens from 
six other localities in northern Maine, 4 had 3 rays in each ventral, 7 had 4 on each side, and 4 had 3 
on one side and 4 on the other. Six specimens from Bear River, Newry, in the western part of Maine, 
had uniformly 3 rays in each tin. 
Accordingly it would seem that the number of rays in the ventral tin will not serve to distinguish 
the two genera, and DeKay’s Uranidea will have to be dropped in favor of the older name of Cottas. 
It is possible that more material will show 7 that one or more species under Cottas in Fishes of North 
and Middle America may be identical with the form here identified as Cottus gracilis (Heckel). 
Color after one year’s preservation in alcohol: Head above, back, and sides dark gray thickly 
speckled with small black spots, some of which coalesce; lower parts a soiled pinkish white; soft 
fins all dusky, barred with pale gray on rays; spinous dorsal with jet black membrane, gray spines, 
margined with white which is orange in life. There are individual and sexual variations in the 
intensity and pattern of the colors. On some specimens the ventral and anal are wholly pale and the 
other fins much lighter than the above. In fact, the general shade is lighter. 
Proportional measurements of Cottus gracilis , from Caribou, Me. 
Total lengthin 
millimeters. 
Head. 
oj 
Snout. 
Maxillary in 
head . 
Mandible in 
head. 
Interorbital 
in head. 
Maxillary ex- 
ten d s to 
(relative to 
pupil)— 
Dorsal. 
Anal. 
Longestspine 
of dorsal in 
head. 
Longest r a y 
of dorsal in 
head. 
Longest anal 
rayin head. 
Pectoral in 
head. 
Number of 
ventral rays. 
115 
3.31 
5. 05 
5. 27 
3.75 
2.23 
2.07 
5. 5 
Middle. 
VIII. 
16 
13 
4. 83 
1.81 
1.93 
1.03 
3; 3 
110 
3.28 
5. 41 
5.60 
3.50 
2. 33 
2.14 
5 
do... 
VII. 
12 
12 
4. 66 
2.33 
2 
1.03 
3; 3 
107 
3.38 
5. 86 
6. 50 
3. 25 
2. 30 
2.16 
4 
do. .. 
VII. 
18 
12 
4.33 
1.85 
1.83 
1.04 
3; 3 
96 
3.22 
5. 26 
5. 44 
3.50 
2. 45 
2. 13 
3.5 
Front .. 
VII, 
16 
11 
4. 45 
2.13 
2.04 
1.06 
4:4 
114 
3.28 
5.11 
5. GO 
3 
2. 33 
1.20 
4 
Middle. 
VII, 
16 
11 
4. 66 
1.24 
1. 64 
1 
3; 3 
110 
3.37 
5. 35 
5. 40 
3. 37 
2. 25 
1. 92 
4.5 
Front . . 
VII, 
17 
12 
4.50 
1.92 
1.80 
1 
3; 3 
94 
3.25 
5. 20 
4.80' 
3 
2.40 
2 
3.5 
do. .. 
VI, 
17 
11 
4. 36 
1.84 
1.71 
1.04 
3; 3 
92 
3. 34 
5. 13 
5.11 
3.53 
2. 55 
2.09 
3 
do... 
VII, 
17 
12 
3. 83 
2.30 
1.76 
1.02 
3; 3 
97 
3. 20 
5 
5. 55 
3.07 
2.77 
2.08 
4 
do... 
VII. 
17 
12 
4.16 
2.08 
1. 56 
1.08 
4; 3 
101 
3. 23 
5.09 
6.50 
3.46 
2.26 
2 
4 
do... 
VII, 
16 
12 
4.33 
2.16 
1.85 
1.08 
3:3 
104 
3. 14 
5. 31 
5.40 
3.37 
2. 45 
2. 07 
4 
do... 
VII, 
18 
12 
4.50 
2. 07 
1.80 
1 
3; 3 
111 
3. 28 
5. 41 
5. 09 
3.50 
2. 33 
2 
4 
Middle. 
VIII. 
16 
11 
3. 50 
2. 16 
1.64 
1.03 
3; 4 
95 
3.50 
5. 92 
6. 28 
3. 66 
2. 44 
2.20 
3 
Front .. 
VII. 
16 
11 
3.06 
2 
2 
.95 
4; 3 
118 
3. 34 
5.10 
5.27 
3. 22 
2. 07 
1. 93 
4. 5 
Poste- 
rior 
VIII, 
16 
11 
4. 12 
1.93 
1.15 
.90 
4; 4 
103 
3.40 
4.72 
5 
3.57 
2.17 
1.92 
Fi 
Front . . 
VII. 
16 
11 
4.16 
1.85 
1.79 
1.08 
3; 4 
93 
3. 45 
5. 06 
4.40 
3. 14 
2.20 
2 
3 
do. . . 
VII. 
16 
11 
4.40 
1.76 
1.76 
1 
3; 3 
94 
3. 30 
5. 06 
5.11 
3.28 
2.30 
2. 19 
3 
Middle. 
VII, 
17 
12 
4.18 
1.84 
1.78 
.93 
4; 4 
88 
3.47 
4.70 
4 
3. 50 
2.75 
2. 10 
3 
Front .. 
VII, 
17 
11 
4.20 
1.90 
1.90 
.95 
4; 4 
85 
3. 50 
5 
5 
3. 63 
2.50 
2.22 
3 
do... 
VII, 
17 
12 
3. 63 
1.90 
1.90 
.95 
4; 3 
102 
3. 40 
5. 86 
5 
3. 33 
2.27 
2 
3.5 
Mid die. 
VIII, 
16 
12 
4.54 
2 
1.85 
1.04 
3; 3 
88 
3.27 
5.14 
5.50 
3. 66 
2. 44 
2. 20 
3 
do. .. 
VII, 
16 
11 
3. 66 
2 
1.83 
1 
4; 4 
89 
3. 47 
4.86 
5. 25 
3 
2.21 
] . 90 
3 
Front . . 
VIII. 
17 
11 
3.50 
1.75 
1.61 
.95 
3:3 
90 
3. 30 
5. 48 
4.88 
3.14 
2.58 
2.20 
3 
....do... 
VII, 
17 
11 
4.40 
2 
1.83 
1 
3:3 
