Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FA'THER-LASH-ER, n.

A fish of the genus Cottus or bullhead, called scorpius or scolping. The head is large and its spines formidable. It is found on the rocky coasts of Britain, and near Newfoundland and Greenland. In the latter country it is a great article of food. Encyc. Pennant.