CLASS PISCES. 005 



Centrina 1 , Cuv.y 



Join to the spines, to the air-holes, and to the absence 

 of anal in spinax, the position of their second dorsal 

 over the ventrals, and a short tail, which gives them a 

 more squat form than the other species. Their lower 

 teeth are trenchant, and on one or two ranges ; the 

 upper narrow, pointed, and on several ranges. Their 

 skin is very rough. 



The most common species on our coasts is the 

 Sq. centrina, L. Bl. 115. 



Scymnus 2 , Cuv., 



Have all the characters of centrina, except the spines 

 to the dorsals. We have some of them also upon 

 our coasts. 



The Leiche, or Liche, Brouss., named Squalus 

 Americanus by mistake 3 . 



There is one of them in the North Seas, which is 

 said to be as terrible as the shark 4 . 



1 Ktjrpt vtj, the name of this fish, or of the spinax, in Greek, from 

 Kivrpov, a prickle. They are the Oxynotus of Rafinesque. 



2 Scymnus, the Greek name of the roussette, or some kindred 

 species. 



3 Because Gmelin has confounded the Cape Breton, near Bayonne, 

 with the Cape Breton, near Newfoundland. The Sq. niceen, Risso, 

 1st edit. f. 6. is the same fish badly figured. It is a little better in 

 the 2d edition, f. 4. The Delatias sparophagus, Raf. Car. xiii. 2. 

 should also belong to this sub-genus. 



4 It is the pretended Sq. carcharias of Gunner, Dronth. II. x. and 

 xi. and of Faber. Groen. 127. and perhaps that of Bl. 119. although 



