580 
ACTINOPTBUTGir. 
Bolca, near Verona. [Imperfect fish ; Zigno Coll., Uni- 
versity of Padua.] 
Scorpannoides popovicii, F. Pricm, Bull. Soc. Gcol. France [3 ] 
vol. xxvii. (18991, p. 248, pi. ii. figs. 27-30.— Eocene ; 
Valea Casolor, Jalomitza, ltoumania. [Imperfect fish.] 
Scorpcenopterus siluridens, F. Steindachner, Sitzungsb. k. Akad- 
Wiss., math.-naturw. Cl. vol. xxxvii. (1859), p. 694, 
pis. ii.— iv., pi. v. fig. 1. — Upper Miocene; Hernals, 
Vienna. [The type species. Detached bones ; Court 
Museum, Vienna.] 
Family COTTIDiE. 
Head usually broad and depressed, with narrow interorbital 
region ; mouth terminal, with minute teeth. Vertebrae 24 to 50 
in total number, most of those of abdominal region with small 
transverse processes, but ribs attached to centra behind these. 
Post-temporal bone free from cranium, and supraclavicle normal. 
Largo pectoral fins, with pelvic fins directly beneath ; extended 
dorsal fin usually subdivided into two parts, the anterior consisting 
of 6 to 18 slender spines ; anal fin without spines. Trunk covere 
with a regular squamation or small prickles or naked. 
Small littoral fishes, almost universally distributed, sometimes 
occurring in freshwater. The only two known extinct genera have 
a regular squamation. 
Descriptions and figures of the skeleton of existing Cottidae are 
given by C. Girard, ‘ A Monograph of the Cottoids, Smithson . 
Contrib. vol. iii. art. no. 3 (1850). 
Genus EOCOTTUS, novum. 
Preoperculum with large antrorse spines on lower limb. Vertebrae 
about 10 in the abdominal, 14 in the caudal region. Pectoral fins 
very dolicate ; pelvic fins relatively large, with one slender spine 
and 5 articulated rays ; dorsal fins continuous, the anterior portion 
comprising about 8 relatively short spines ; anal fin with 8 to 
rays ; caudal fin rounded. Small scales completely covering trunk. 
An extinct genus known only by one species from the marine 
Upper Eocene of Italy. According to Heckel (Sitzungsb. k. Aka 1 • 
Wiss., math.-naturw. Cl. vol. ii. 1850, p. 148), this species r 
closely related to Callipteryx ; but it is distinguished from t ia ^ 
genus by the presence of scales and the short and stout form 
the neural arches in the abdominal region. 
